What Are Companion Plants.

 

 

In a garden, just like in life, there are some that, for whatever reason, get along with each other and some that don’t. Think about a schoolyard for example. You have the best buds who help each other out and then you have the ones that just don’t like each other. You have the bullies and the pals, the magnet of the bullies, and the one who is just glad the bully is not picking on them.

Well, the garden has a lot of the same characteristics.

You have some who are best buds – tomatoes and basil for example. Basil attracts pollinators and makes tomatoes taste better. They are chemically beneficial to one another.

You have some who really don’t like each other and some that cause harm to the other – onions and peas for example. Peas and beans really don’t like the onion family. Hatfields and McCoys you might say.

And then you have some that are just helpful to everyone around, like the marigold.

(There are affiliate links in this post)

How are plants companions?

There are many ways that plants can help or harm one another.

• Attract pollinators
• Repel insects
• Attract bugs to them that could otherwise attack the plant you want to eat
• Chemically effect good or bad
• Offer shade to another plant
• Block the wind
• Offer weed control
• Hog nutrients
• Add needed nutrients to the soil
• And I’m sure many more

The science and art of companion planting has filled many books, so I’m only going to give you my top four favorites here.

 

French Marigolds

Yes, I’d never want to have a garden without marigolds. Why? Though they are edible, they don’t taste very good, so why do you want to put them in the vegetable garden? The main reason is bugs. They repel bad pests like tomato worms and slugs but especially that very destructive root-knot nematode. At the end of the season, till the marigolds into the soil to decompose and they will kill off even more nematodes in the offseason. You might even cover crop with them, and then till them in before you plant tomatoes or carrots or other root-knot nematode susceptible plants. Marigolds also attract pollinators. And if that wasn’t enough, they also just plain make your garden so much prettier! Keep the old blooms pinched off and they will bloom all season long. At the end of the season, you can let the last blossoms go to seed and you have your next years seeds there for the collecting.

 

Borage

Years ago, I first ran across borage when I got a packet of “pollinator seeds”. I had no idea what might be in it. It listed a lot of plants I had never grown before. Some of them didn’t come up, but this one did. It had the fuzziest leaves and little buds that I thought looked like they came out of a sci-fi movie or something (have you ever seen Little house of horrors? ) But when those buds opened it was a bee magnet! Bees just love it!  Which increases the pollination of all the plants nearby. That’s reason enough to grow it, but if you are going to grow tomatoes or squash, you want to plant borage. Why? By chemical reaction, the borage improves the flavor of both tomatoes and squash and makes those plants healthier. Borage also repels tomato hornworm, squash worms, and cabbage worms/cabbage moths. Other plants seem to be benefited by being planted near borage too, such as beans strawberries and grapes. borage is also edible for both you and your chickens/ducks. What’s not to love!

 

Basil

Basil repels some insects. But it’s biggest advantage is that it not only improves the flavor of tomatoes, it also improves crop yields. Woo Hoo! More tomatoes just because you put it next to a basil plant. But here’s the interesting part. Tomatoes make basil grow better too! And tomato and basil go so well together in the kitchen. Bees also love the basil flower, which is always good for the garden. When you brush against it, it releases a very pleasing scent, making your garden beautiful to both the eye and the nose. And you will be pleasing your taste buds at the same time.

 

Related>> How to Grow Nasturtiums: Companion Planting, Growing Tips & Edible Flowers

 

Nasturtium

Another must-have in my garden. Once again, an absolutely beautiful addition. And my favorite reason is it tastes so good in a salad! But it’s a companion plant too. They repel cucumber beetles, striped pumpkin beetles, squash bugs, and aphids. Bees and other beneficial love their bright colors too. They benefit many other plants with added vigor. Then pick a few and pop them in your salad. Every part is edible, so put some flowers or seeds in that salad too. Not only are they beautiful with their round “lily pad” shaped leaves. But they have a peppery flavor (not bitter) that really perks up the flavor of whatever it is paired with. Besides it also brings along for the ride it’s many health benefits.

 

 

Now that you have seen my top four companion plants, what are some of your favorites? Join the conversation below.

Have a wonderful Ducky Day!

Make sure you share this. Please! Please! (Don’t make me grovel)

 

Save