Companion Gardening: Strategically Planning your Garden for Greatest Effect

published by Babe in the Woods on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 23:40

Age old garden wisdom, over the expanse of time, has shown us that crops and other vegetation thrive when paired with particular plants but struggle greatly when paired with others. Black walnut trees are a great example of this. If you plant tomato plants near your black walnut tree, you will see your plants first begin to yellow, then wilt, and finally die before producing a single fruit. This is due to the substance called juglone that is released by the roots of the black walnut tree that damages the tomato plant.

While some plants are harmful to their neighbors, others when planted together actually help each other. Blueberries and thimbleberries, for example, love to be near pine trees because of the acidic soil pines create. Garlic not only has the neat quality of helping herbs produce their essential oils, it also deters garden pests much like the Japanese beetle. Insect repellent is the other benefit to companion gardening. Many plants such as garlic, mint, basil, and onion repel insects naturally. Marigolds are the queen of insect repellant and so planting it liberally throughout your garden would be highly beneficial. With a little strategic planning, you can decrease damage from insects while simultaneously creating a synergistic cooperative growth within your bountiful vegetable garden.

Use this chart to help you in planning your garden this spring and to choose how to group your plants for best results.

Plant	Does Well with	Does Poorly with
Artichoke	Sunflower, Tarragon	None
Asparagus	Basil, Parsley, Tomato	Chive, Garlic, Leek, Onion, fennel
Basil	Pepper, Tomato (Improves flavor), Marigold	rue
Berries (applies to strawberries, bush berries, grapes)	Bush Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Spinach	Cabbage
Bush Beans	Sunflower as bees like partial shade and bees, Beets, Cabbage family, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Marigold, Pea, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Strawberry, Savory, Tansy, Marigold	Basil, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Onion
Pole Beans	Carrots, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Marigold, Pea, Radish, Rosemary, Savory, Tansy	Basil, Beets, Cabbage, Fennel, Kohlrabi, Onion, Sunflower
Beets	Bush Beans, Cabbage family, Lettuce, Onion family, Radish, Sage	Mustard, Pole Beans
Cabbage Family (includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale)	Basil, Bush Beans, Beets, Carrot, Celery, Chamomile, Chard, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Hyssop, Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Nasturtium, Onion family, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Spinach, Thyme, Tomato, Wormwood	Bush and Pole Beans, Grapes, Rue, Strawberry
Carrots	Beans, Cabbage family, Chives, Leeks, Lettuce, Onion family, Peas, Peppers, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Tomato	Caraway, Celery, Dill
Celery	Bush Beans, Cabbage family, Nasturtium, Onion family, Spinach, Tomato	Carrot, Parsley, Parsnip
Corn	Beans, Cabbage family, Cucumber, Dill, Melon family, Parsley, Peas, Pumpkin, Squash, Sunflower	Tomato
Cucumbers	Beans, Cabbage family, Carrot, Corn, Lettuce, Marigold, Nasturtium, Onion family, Peas, Radish, Savory, Sunflower, Tomato	Strong Herbs, Potato
Eggplant	Beans, Garlic, Marigold, Pea, Pepper, Potato, Spinach, Tarragon, Thyme	Fennel
Fennel		Most plants dislike it
Garlic	Rose and raspberries (deters Japanese beetle); helps herbs with their production of essential oils plant liberally throughout garden to deter pests.
Leek	Onions, celery and carrots
Kohlrabi	Beet	Pepper
Lettuce	Beans, Carrots, Collards, Cucumbers, Onion family, Radish, Strawberries	Broccoli, Fava Bean, Grains
Melons	Corn, Nasturtium, Radish	Potato
Mint	The Cabbage family and Tomatoes, deters the cabbage moth.
Onion (includes Chives, Garlic, Leek)	Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage family, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chamomile, Collard, Cucumber, Dill, Kale, Lettuce, Pepper, Potato, Radish, Rose, Savory, Squash, Strawberry, Tomato	Asparagus, Beans, Gladiolus, Peas
Parsley	Tomato and asparagus
Parsnip		Delphinium, Larkspur
Peas	Beans, Carrots, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Radish, Spinach, Tomato, Turnip, and squash when peas follow it up the trellis. Peas add nitrogen to soil	Onion family, Gladiolus, Potato
Pepper	Bean, Carrot, Marigold, Marjoram, Onion family, Tansy, Tomato
Potato (sweet Potato friends and enemies unknown)	Beans, Cabbage family, Corn, Collard, Coriander, Eggplant, Horseradish, Lettuce, Marigold, Onion family, Parsnip, Pea, Petunia	Fennel, Kohlrabi, Melon family, Parsnip, Rutabaga, Squash family, Sunflower, Tomato, Turnip
Radish	Beans, Cabbage family, Carrot, Chervil, Collard, Cucumber, Grapes, Lettuce, Melon family, Nasturtium, Onion family, Pea, Squash	Hyssop
Rutabaga	Onion family, Pea	Potato
Spinach	Cabbage family, Celery, Corn, Eggplant, Pea, Strawberry
Squash and Pumpkin	Corn, Eggplant, Marigold, Nasturtium, Onion family, Radish	Potato
Tomato	Asparagus, Basil, Bush Bean, Cabbage family, Carrots, Celery, Marigold, Mint, Onion family, Parsley, Pepper	Corn, Dill, Fennel, Pole Bean, Potato
Turnip	Onion family, Pea	Potato