Growing tomatoes? Here’s a list of plants that will help them grow better.
You might not think that planting your garden with little thought as to what plants grow well together will yield an amazing result, but it just goes to show how smart humans are. The secret? Companion Planting!
Companion planting is more than just a way to bring nutrients into your soil. It also takes pest management, crop protection and positive hosting (increasing the population of helpful insects) into consideration!
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is the practice of growing two or more plants together for mutual benefit. When you plant your garden this year, consider the benefits of companion planting. For example, certain plants might grow better with each other because they help one another meet their nutrient requirements or pest-repelling abilities!
A classic example of companion planting comes from the Three Sisters trio – maize, climbing beans and winter squash. These were often planted together by various indigenous nations across North America to provide food for their people!
Benefits of Companion Planting
Companion planting has been used for centuries to make nutrients available and enhance the flavor of other plants.
The practice also achieves these benefits:
1. Minimizes Risk
For a good yield, limit your exposure to risks. Creating the best natural growth patterns and diversity in space will help keep crops safe from harsh weather conditions or pests/disease alike!
It is important to avoid monocultures, as this can lead to organic failures. Instead focus on polycultured gardens that mimic how plants grow in nature with diversity!
2. Crop Protection
To get the most out of your garden, it’s important to have a balance between stronger and more delicate plants.
For example: Companion planting can offer shelter from harsh weather (like lots of wind or too much sun) for smaller ones with less durability in their roots – but if you grow these “weaker” species in proximity next to heartier varieties, they will surely guarantee success!
3. Trap Cropping
Companion planting provides the best organic pest management. If one crop is more susceptible to infestation, try planting beneficial plants next to it that pests despise for protection against them!
4. Positive Hosting
By placing your fruit and veggies next to plants that produce more than they need, you can encourage beneficial insects while at the same time managing harmful pests.
Companion Planting Chart
Use this companion planting chart to maximize your garden’s success!
Amaranth is a great plant for soil moisture retention, attracting predatory beetles to help control pests. It also shades your corn so they don’t get sunburned!
Asparagus and tomatoes may not sound like a good pairing, but the two plants actually have some surprising benefits for each other. For example: asparagus repels nematodes that attack tomato plants while tomatoes ward off asparagus beetles!
Apples and Apricots surprisingly love to be planted next to garlic, but it makes sense. The fruit tree bore like aphids are repelled by the strong odor of this magical plant while its roots absorb sulfur produced from its own pores which helps protect against fungus molding black spot too!
Marigolds are a sure bet for fruit trees, as they help attract pollinators and discourage nematodes in the soil. The flowers also make your orchard healthier because of their ability to repel insects that can damage crops!
Basil is a great herb to plant next to tomatoes for flavoring. It also helps repel aphids, asparagus beetles and mites that love eating away at your veggies! Though not harmful in itself but Basil can be toxic if planted too closely by oregano or peppers; so make sure you space them out accordingly.
Beans are a great plant for the soil (with their strong nitrogen content) and can be planted next to other plants like carrots, celery chard corn cucumbers potatoes radishes strawberries. Avoid planting next to chives, garlic, leeks and onions as they don’t like it! Beets should also be avoided if possible.
Beets can be planted next to a wide variety of plants, such as pole beans and Brassicas. Enjoy the benefits that come from this nutritious root vegetable by planting it near your favorite veggies!
Borage is a wonderful flower and companion to many plants. It deters tomato hornworm caterpillars, so make sure you plant it next to tomatoes or cabbages! Borage also attracts pollinators which are helpful for plants that need pollination like squash, melons, or cucumbers.
Bok Choy is an interesting plant that should be planted alongside other vegetables, such as: beets, carrots, chamomile, chard, cucumber, dill, lettuce, etc. When grown in proximity to certain types of produce, bok choys have better growth rates and increased health benefits!
Brassicas such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi and turnip, can benefit a lot from herbs such as chamomile, cilantro, dill, mint, rosemary and sage. Broccoli in particular benefits from being planted next to potatoes for improved flavor- and will even thank you with increased vitamin levels!
Cauliflower also likes to be planted alongisde celery, because the strong scent of an early harvest in your garden will help repel Brassica butterflies that can often destroy an entire cauliflower crop!
Carrots are a great plant for beans, brassicas (such as broccoli), chives and leeks. They also love to grow with tomatoes! Avoid planting carrots next door to dill or parsley though – these two plants don’t get along very well at all.
Cherries love garlic just like apples and apricots (and for the same reasons). Garlic is a great way to keep pests away, such as borers or aphids. The tree roots absorb sulfur produced by crushed chives which helps make them more resistant against fungus injuries; marigolds also plant well with cherries providing pollinators an attractive ground cover in areas threatened by black spot disease!
Chives are a great addition to the garden because they add flavor and can help prevent problems like aphids, carrot rust flies or Japanese beetles. They also repel these pests which makes it easy for you! Make sure chive is planted next to Brassicas – not beans & peas though as their roots will compete for nutrients!
Cilantro is great for repelling aphids, potato beetles and spider mites.
Corn is a companion to beans, beets, cucumber and many other garden favorites. It shouldn’t be planted among celery or tomatoes though- they’re enemies! Amaranth can also help out in the mulch department by providing an organic layer that conserves soil moisture as well reduces weeds.
Cucumbers love to be planted next to asparagus, beans and Brassicas. They shouldn’t be grouped with potatoes or sage though; corn and sunflower work like a trellis for cucumbers that grow upward when attached on the plant’s stems! Dill will help cucumbers by attracting predatory insects and nasturtiums improve the flavor of your cucumbers as well.
Dill is a great companion for most common garden vegetables. It not only improves their health, but also attracts beneficial insects like lady bugs and hoverflies which will help with pest control in your yard!
You’ll want to plant eggplants near garden companions like amaranth, beans, marigolds and peas. But be careful not to put them close enough for fennel – it’s bad news when these vegetables grow next door!
A great companion plant for roses to help repel aphids is garlic! It’s high in sulfur which means it gets rid of pests like whiteflies and Japanese beetles as well (among others). Garlic is a great companion for beets, Brassicas (such as cauliflower and broccoli), celery, fruit trees like apricots or apples. It needs to stay away from peas though!
Lettuce likes company, and the more greens in your garden will make it thrive. Lining them up next to beets or Brassicas is a sure way of getting their best side out there! Lettuce enjoys the company of these plants: beets, Brassicas, carrots, celery, chervil, cucumbers, dill, garlic, onions, radish, spinach, squash and strawberries.
Marigolds are great for planting around fruit trees, but they should not be planted near beans. This is because of the chemicals that marigold plants produce which repels whiteflies and Mexican bean beetles.
