Companion planting is a gardening technique where different plants are grown together to benefit each other in various ways, such as improving growth, deterring pests, and enhancing flavor. Here are 15 simple and effective companion planting pairs to help you create a thriving, healthy garden:
1. Tomatoes & Basil
- Benefit: Basil helps repel insects like aphids and whiteflies that commonly affect tomatoes. It also enhances the flavor of the tomatoes.
2. Carrots & Onions
- Benefit: Onions help deter carrot flies with their strong scent, while carrots benefit from the onions’ space without competing for nutrients.
3. Beans & Corn
- Benefit: Corn provides vertical support for climbing beans, and beans fix nitrogen in the soil, enriching it for the corn.
4. Lettuce & Radishes
- Benefit: Radishes act as a natural pest deterrent for lettuce, while lettuce provides a cool, shaded spot for radishes to grow in hot weather.
5. Cucumbers & Nasturtiums
- Benefit: Nasturtiums attract aphids and other pests away from cucumbers. They also help suppress weeds and add color to your garden.
6. Peppers & Spinach
- Benefit: Peppers provide some shade to spinach, helping it grow better in warmer climates. Spinach also acts as a natural ground cover, reducing weed growth around peppers.
7. Garlic & Roses
- Benefit: Garlic helps repel aphids, Japanese beetles, and other pests that often attack roses, keeping your flowers healthier.
8. Zucchini & Oregano
- Benefit: Oregano helps deter pests like aphids and spider mites that commonly affect zucchini, while zucchini provides shade that helps oregano thrive.
9. Cabbage & Dill
- Benefit: Dill attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs, which eat aphids that often target cabbage. Dill also enhances the flavor of cabbage.
10. Strawberries & Borage
- Benefit: Borage enhances strawberry flavor and growth. It also helps deter pests like aphids while attracting pollinators.
11. Beets & Garlic
- Benefit: Garlic repels aphids and other pests that can harm beets. The two plants also have similar growth needs, making them perfect companions.
12. Spinach & Strawberries
- Benefit: Strawberries act as ground cover, keeping the soil cool and preventing weeds around spinach. Spinach helps keep the soil moist for strawberries.
13. Marigolds & Beans
- Benefit: Marigolds attract beneficial insects like ladybugs and nematodes, which help control harmful pests that might target beans.
14. Cabbage & Sage
- Benefit: Sage has a strong scent that repels cabbage moths, a common pest for cabbage plants, keeping your cabbage healthier.
15. Pumpkins & Corn
- Benefit: Corn provides a natural trellis for pumpkins to climb, while pumpkins act as ground cover, helping to retain soil moisture for the corn.
Conclusion
Companion planting not only makes your garden more productive, but it can also help reduce pest problems, improve soil health, and increase your overall harvest. Experiment with these pairs and find out which combinations work best for your garden!
