#8. Companion Planting
Companion planting, gardeners have found is a dual weapon in gardening. It helps to get rid of the pests that destroy the crop, while keeping those insects that are beneficial to the plants. Anyone interested in growing their own vegetables will need to be aware of this method. Keep reading to find out more.
Companion planting is not restricted to only vegetables; there are numerous varieties of herbs and flowers that can be used as well. The secret here is to keep an open mind and experiment. For example, you could use certain plants as a border for your vegetable beds. Using native plants means you get to attract the insects you want to. Plants with open cup flowers are popular with your friendly insects.
Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
Basil: planted with tomatoes enhances flavor and improves growth of the tomato plants. You can plant basil with asparagus and peppers as well. It is very useful in repelling thrips, flies and mosquitoes. Avoid planting basil near sage or rue.
Beans: enriches the soil with nitrogen and improves the conditions for planting any vegetable you want in the same bed after harvesting the beans. This plant is a good companion plant for carrots, beets, cucumbers, eggplant, corn, chards, celery, potatoes, cabbages, broccoli, radish and strawberries. Couple of things to note - don't allow your beans to mature on the plant or it will stop producing. Beans should not be picked when wet as it can spread viral diseases.
Horseradish: plant them in containers and place in your potato patch. It will keep the Colorado potato bugs away and increase the disease resistance of potatoes. It is also good for repelling the Blister beetle.
Beet: adds minerals to the soil and the leaves, which are made up of 25 percent magnesium, are valuable for your compost pile. Beets are good for all types of beans except runner beans. Companion plants for beets include onions, brassicas and lettuce. Beets are a great companion for kohlrabi. Garlic and mint planted with beet improves the flavor of the vegetable. You use mint clippings as mulch for the beet plants.
Peas: help to fix nitrogen in soil and should go next to the corn. You can plant beans, carrots, celery, eggplant, parsley, cucumber, corn, radish, tomato, turnip, sweet pepper, potato and spinach with peas. Avoid planting onions, late potatoes, grapes and chives with peas.
Get creative with your companion planting, combine beauty with functionality and enjoy a healthy environment, not to mention those really tasty vegetables.