Beginners Guide to Companion Planting

Reduce or eradicate the need for chemical pest control completely with companion planting!
Companion Planting is an intermixing of aromatic flowers and herbs for the mutual benefit of the plant. For instance…planting Marigolds with your tomatoes will deter a number of insects & caterpillars. In addition to reducing (or replacing!) harsh pesticides by planting beneficial plants together, companion planting has been shown to create a higher crop yield.

Some plants release nutrients into the soil, which prevents the need for fertilizers the following season (For example- Legumes release nitrogen into the soil). This method of gardening is a great way to begin organic gardening!

In addition to being a benefit in growth rates and avoiding the use of chemical pesticides, companion planting also has a tendency to improve the flavor and nutrient content of the fruits and vegetables.

For example, planting sunflowers between cucumber plants not only provide the plant with beneficial shade and natural vining material, the sunflowers also absorb the chemical in cucumbers that can create a bitter flavor, resulting in considerably sweeter cucumbers.

You may have heard of “The 3 Sisters”, planting a combination of corn, pole beans and squash.

As the corn grows tall, it provides a natural trellis for the beans. Corn roots tend to grow fairly shallow, while the roots of beans tend to be much deeper, giving the corn added security and strength. The beans produce and deposit nitrogen into the soil naturally, which the corn and squash both require.

Squash naturally provide a mulch to both the beans and corn which helps them to retain moisture (and reduce the need for additional watering). In addition, the leaves of the squash are quite prickly which create a natural deterrent to many animals that might otherwise make a meal of the plants. These types of natural symbiotic relationships are the key to natural, organic gardening.

Here is a chart that shows some common items, what to plant near them (aka Good Companions) and how they help.

Companion Planting Guide for Your Vegetables
The following table should act as a guide
Plant	Good Companion	How it Helps
Anise	Coriander	Aids the growth and flavor of Anise.
Asparagus	Parsley or basil	Controls Asparagus beetles.
Basil, Sweet	throughout garden	Enhances the flavor and growth of everything around it.
Cantaloupe	Corn
Carrots	Sage, cabbage, chives, leeks, onions, peas, radishes, salsify	Deters carrot (rust) flies.
Chamomile	throughout garden	Brings overall health to the garden. Attracts good insects.
Chervil	Radishes	One plant requires heavy nutrients while the other requires very little.
Chives	Carrots, grapes, roses, and tomatoes	Curb Japanese Beetles, and black spot.
Corn	Snap beans or soybeans	Enhances growth of corn.
Cosmos	throughout garden	Pest insects won’t come near it, but it will attract pollinating wasps.
Cucumbers	Sunflowers, beans, cabbage, corn, radishes	Radishes deter Cucumber beetles, sunflowers absorb the component that creates bitter cucumbers
Dill	broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Cucumber, Lettuce, onions	Greatly enhances flavor & growth of cabbage family plants
French Marigolds	throughout garden	Strong odor confuses pests looking for their favorite plant.
Garlic	throughout garden	Repels aphids and beetles.
Marjoram	All Garden Crops	Stimulates Vegetable Growth
Mustard	Alfalfa, Beans, fruit trees, grapes, legumes	One plant requires heavy nutrients while the other requires very little, this stimulates rapid growth
Mints	Cabbage, strawberries	Deters aphids and other aphid pests, as well as ants who invade strawberries.
Nasturtiums	throughout garden	Repels aphids and white flies.
Onions	Carrots	The two combined help to control rust flies and some nematodes.
Oregano	all Garden Crops	Deters most insect pests
Parsley	Corn, Roses, Tomatoes
Peanuts	Corn	Increases yields of both crops.
Peas	Lettuce, spinach, and Chinese cabbage	Benefit from the shade and wind protection peas provide.
Potatoes	Horseradish and/or tansy	Plant plenty for maximum benefits in attempt to ward off Colorado Potato Beetles.
Radishes	Squash, cucumbers, and/or Carrots	Great deterrent against Cucumber Beetles and Rust flies. Also eliminates diseases spread by these plants.
Rue	throughout garden	Disagreeable taste and bad odor sends even persistent pests on their way.
Sage	Strawberries, Cabbage, and/or Tomatoes	Deters unwanted pests and benefits each other in garden.
Savory	throughout garden	Ideal planting crop. Attracts good insects.
Spinach	Beans or tomatoes, strawberries	Benefits from the shade both plants provide.
Strawberries	Borage or sage	Enhances flavor of fruit and strengthens plant’s resistance to insects and diseases.
Tansy	Cabbage and/or potatoes	Deters Cutworms, Cabbage Worms, and Colorado Potato Beetles.
Thyme	Tomatoes and/or cabbage	All three together control Flea Beetles, Cabbage Maggot, White Cabbage Butterflies, Colorado Potato Beetles, and imported Cabbage Worms