Companion Planting – Natural Pest Control For Your Garden

What is companion planting?

Companion planting is nothing new. There is evidence of farmers using these simple techniques dating back to ancient Rome.

 

Certain plants attract insects to your garden. No – not more invading pests don’t worry! These plants attract beneficial insects. These beneficial insects eat up all of the nuisance bugs that have been feasting on your plants.

Some companion plants give off odors that the pests don’t like – keeping them away. Others offer a nutritional benefit to the plants they are nestled with.

Lastly some plants don’t do well when planted together, so companion planting keeps them apart at a safe distance.

Work With Nature To Get Rid Of Garden Pests

Companion planting is a pro-active approach to garden pest control. The plants create an environment which takes care of the pests before they devastate your garden.

Compare this with “normal” methods of pest control. You realize you’ve got a problem when you see leaves or produce full of holes. You grab some toxic brew to spray over the plants that you are going to eat!!

Which method makes most sense to you?

An added bonus with using companion gardening as natural pest control is that you can eat many of the companion plants. You can’t do that with chemical sprays!

Companion Planting Guide – What To Plant And Where To Put It

ALFALFA

Perennial. Practically pest and disease free. It needs only natural rainfall to survive.

Nitrogen fixer, accumulates iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

Drought resistant and can improve most soils. Alfalfa is useful for breaking up hard clay soils.

AMARANTH

A tropical annual – needs heat.

 

Plant with sweet corn. Its leaves provide shade giving the corn a rich, moist root run. Host to predatory ground beetles. Eat the young leaves in salads.

 

 

 

 

ANISE

Licorice flavored herb.

Good host for predatory wasps which prey on aphids.

Deters pests from brassicas by camouflaging their odor. Improves the vigor of any plants growing near it.

Good to plant with coriander.

ASPARAGUS

Can be planted with dill ,coriander, carrots, tomatoes, parsley, basil, comfrey and marigolds.

Avoid: Onions, garlic and potatoes.

 

 

BASIL

Good companion for tomatoes – improves growth and flavor.

Can also plant with peppers, oregano, asparagus.

Basil can be helpful in repelling thrips, flies and mosquitoes.

Do not plant near rue or sage.

BAY LEAF

A fresh leaf bay leaf in each storage container of beans or grains will deter weevils and moths.

Sprinkle dried leaves with other deterrent herbs (bay leaves, cayenne pepper, tansyand peppermint.) in the garden as a natural insecticide.

 

 

BEANS

Beans enrich the soil with nitrogen fixed form the air, improving the conditions for whatever you plant after the beans are finished.

Good to plant with carrots, celery, chards, corn, eggplant, peas, potatoes, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers.

Beans are especially helpful for heavy nitrogen users like corn and grains, replacing the nitrogen used by those plants.

Try planting the 3 sisters. Corn, beans and squash.

Summer savory deters bean beetles and improves growth and flavor.

Keep beans away from alliums (onions, leeks, garlic).

BEE BALM

Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor.

Great for attracting bees and other beneficial insects.

 

 

 

BEET

Good for adding minerals to the soil.

The leaves are composed of 25% magnesium making them a valuable addition to the compost pile if you don’t wish to eat them.

Beets are also beneficial to beans with the exception of runner beans. Runner or pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.

Companion plants for beets are lettuce, onions and brassicas.

Beets and kohlrabi grow well together.

Beets are helped by garlic and mints. Garlic improves growth and flavor. Use mint clippings around beets as a mulch.

BORAGE

Self seeding annual.

Edible flowers.

Plant with tomatoes, squash, strawberries and most plants.

Deters tomato hornworms and cabbage worms.

One of the best bee and wasp attracting plants.

Adds trace minerals to the soil and a good addition the compost pile.

The leaves contain vitamin C and are rich in calcium, potassium and mineral salts.

Borage may benefit any plant it is growing next to via increasing resistance to pests and disease.

Makes a nice mulch for most plants. Borage enhances the flavor and yield of strawberries.

Plant near tomatoes to improve growth and disease resistance.

BRASSICA

Benefit from chamomile, peppermint, dill, sage, and rosemary.

Avoid planting with mustards, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers,etc).

BROCCOLI

Plant with Basil, Bush Beans, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Hyssop,Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Nasturtium, Onion, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Tomato.

Celery, onions and potatoes improve broccolis’ flavor when planted near it.

Broccoli needs plenty of calcium. Pair it with plants that need little calcium such as nasturtiums and beets. Put the nasturtiums right under the broccoli plants.

Herbs such as rosemary, dill and sage help repel pests with their aromas.

Do not plant with grapes, strawberries, mustards or rue.

BUCKWHEAT

Accumulates calcium and can be grown as an excellent cover crop (green manure).

The white blossoms attract beneficial insects that control aphids, mites and other pests.

The beneficials it attracts include, hover flies, predatory wasps, pirate bugs, insidious flower bugs, tachinid flies and ladybugs.

Flowering may start within three weeks of planting and continue for up to 10 weeks.

Buckwheat will take up phosphorus and some other minor nutrients that are otherwise unavailable to plants.

These nutrients are released as the buckwheat breaks down and are then available for later crops.

The fine roots make topsoil loose and friable with only minimal tilling.

CABBAGE

Plant with celery, dill, onions and potatoes.

Celery improves growth and health.

Clover interplanted with cabbage has been shown to reduce the native cabbage aphid and cabbage worm populations.

Plant Chamomile with cabbage to improve growth and flavor.

Do not plant with strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, rue, grapes, lettuce and pole beans.

CARAWAY

Good for loosening compacted soil with it’s deep roots – plant next to shallow rooted crops.

Plant with strawberries.

The flowers attract a number of beneficial insects especially the tiny parasitic wasps.

Do not plant near dill or fennel.

 

 

CARROTS

Plant with leaf lettuce, onions and tomatoes.

Do not plant with dill or parsnips.

Flax can be helpful planted near to carrots.

Tomato plants may stunt the growth of your carrots but the carrots will still taste good.

 

 

 

CATNIP

Deters flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants, weevils andmice.

 

 

 

 

CELERY

Plant with beans, cabbage family, leek, onion, spinach and tomato.

Plant with cosmos, daisies and snapdragons.

Do not plant with corn, potatos or aster flowers.

 

 

 

CHAMOMILE

Useful annual it improves the flavor of cabbages, cucumbers and onions.

Host to beneficials – hoverflies and wasps.

Accumulates calcium, potassium and sulfur, later returning them to the soil.

Increases oil production from herbs.

Leave some flowers unpicked and it will reseed itself.

Chamomile is one of the most widely used flowers for herbal tea.

CHARDS

Plant with beans, cabbage family, tomato, onion and roses.

Don’t grow chard near cucurbits, melons, corn or herbs.

 

 

 

 

 

CHERVIL

Companion plant to radishes, lettuce and broccoli for improved growth and flavor.

Keeps aphids off lettuce and deters slugs.

 

 

 

CHIVES

Improves growth and flavor of carrots and tomatoes.

Helps apples, carrots, tomatoes, brassica (broccoli, cabbage, mustard, etc) and many others.

Help to keep aphids away from tomatoes, mums and sunflowers.

Chives may drive away Japanese beetles and carrot rust fly.

Planted among apple trees it helps prevent scab and among roses it prevents black spot.

A tea of chives may be used on cucumbers and gooseberries to prevent downy and powdery mildews.

Avoid planting near beans and peas.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS

Kills root nematodes.

It’s flowers have been used as botanical pesticides for centuries.

White flowering chrysanthemums repel Japanese beetles.

 

CLOVER

Long used as a green manure and plant companion and is especially good to plant under grapevines.

Attracts many beneficials. Useful planted around apple trees to attract predators of the woolly aphid.

Clover interplanted with cabbage has been shown to reduce the native cabbage aphid and cabbageworm populations.

COLLARD GREENS

 

Plant with Basil, Bean, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Hyssop, Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Nasturtium, Onion, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme.

Do not plant near Grapes, Rue and Tansy.

 

COMFREY

Accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium.

Comfrey is beneficial to avocado and most other fruit trees.

Traditional medicinal plant.

Good trap crop for slugs.

Excellent compost activator and foliage spray.

CORIANDER

The leaves of this plant are Cilantro. When left to flower and go to seed the dried seeds are Coriander.

Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetle.

A tea from this can be used as a spray for spider mites.

Partners for coriander are anise, caraway, potatoes and dill.

CORN

Plant with Amaranth, beans, cucumber, white geranium, lamb’s quarters, melons, morning glory, parsley, peanuts, peas, potato, pumpkin, soybeans, squash and sunflower.

A classic example is to grow climbing beans up corn while inter-planting pumpkins or other squash. The corn provides a natural support for the beans, pumpkins smother the weeds and helps corn roots retain moisture

.

Corn is a heavy feeder and the beans fix nitrogen from air into the soil. When the bean plants die back they return the nitrogen to the soil.

Another helper for corn is the weed Pig’s Thistle which raises nutrients from the subsoil to where the corn can reach them.

Keep corn away from celery and tomato plants by at least 20 feet.

COSTMARY

This 2-3 foot tall perennial helps to repel moths.

CUCUMBERS

Cucumbers grow well with corn and beans. The three plants like the same conditions: warmth, rich soil and plenty of moisture. The cucumbers will use the corn plants as supports.

Cukes also do well with peas, beets, radishes and carrots. Radishes are a good deterrent against cucumber beetles.

Dill planted with cucumbers helps by attracting beneficial predators.

Nasturtium improves growth and flavor.

Do not plant with sage, potatoes or rue away from cucumbers.

DAHLIAS

This beautiful annual with large flowers repels nematodes.

 

 

 

 

DILL

Improves the growth and health of cabbage.

Companion plant for lettuce.

Attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps.

Repels aphids and spider mites to some degree.

Dill goes well with lettuce, onions, cabbage, sweet corn and cucumbers.

Don’t plant near tomatoes as it can attract the tomato horn worm.

Do not plant near carrots, caraway or lavender.

EGGPLANT

Plant with amaranth, beans, peas, spinach, tarragon, thyme and marigold.

Grows well with peppers.

Avoid planting fennel near eggplant.

 

 

ELDERBERRY

A spray made from the leaves can be used against aphids, carrot root fly, cucumber beetles and peach tree borers.

Put branches and leaves in mole runs to repel the moles.

 

FLAX

Annual from 1-4 feet tall with blue or white flowers that readily self sows.

Plant with carrots, and potatoes.

May offend the Colorado potato bug.

 

 

 

FOUR-O’CLOCKS

VERY POISONOUS TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS. USE WITH CAUTION IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN OR PETS!

Draws Japanese beetles like a magnet. The foliage is pure poison to them and they die very quickly.

Beautiful annual bushy plant growing between 2-3 feet high.

GARLIC

Plant near roses to repel aphids.

It also benefits apple trees, pear trees, cucumbers, peas, lettuce and celery.

Plant under peach trees to help repel borers.

Garlic accumulates sulfur: a naturally occurring fungicide which will help in the garden with disease prevention.

Garlic is systemic in action as it is taken up by the plants through their pores and when garlic tea is used as a soil drench it is also taken up by the plant roots.

Repels moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly.

Researchers have observed that time-released garlic capsules planted at the bases of fruit trees actually kept deer away.

Concentrated garlic sprays have been observed to repel and kill whiteflies, aphids and fungus gnats among others with as little as a 6-8% concentration.

Garlic can also be used as a natural wormer for pets and farm animals. Fleas and ticks hate it too!

Widely used health food and medicinal plant.

GERANIUM

Repels cabbage worms and Japanese beetles.

Companion plant grapes, roses, corn, tomatoes, peppers and cabbage.

Geraniums help to distract beet leafhoppers, carrier of the curly top virus.

 

GOPHER PURGE

Deters gophers and moles.

 

 

 

 

 

GRAPES

Plants beneficial to grapes include basil, beans, geraniums, oregano, clover, hyssop peas, and blackberries.

Keep radishes and cabbage away from grapes.

Planting clover increases the soil fertility for grapes.

Plant chives nearby to repel aphids.

HEMP

If you can legally grow industrial hemp in your country you will find it has a multitude of uses, among which are repelling many types of beetles which attack brassicas.

 

 

HORSERADISH

Plant in containers in the potato patch to keep away Colarado potato bugs. Horseradish increases the disease resistance of potatoes.

There are some very effective insect sprays that can be made with the root.

Also repels Blister beetles.

 

 

 

HOREHOUND

A member of the mint family, the tiny flowers attract Braconid and Icheumonid wasps, and Tachnid and Syrid flies.

The larval forms of these insects parasitize or otherwise consume many other insects pests.

It grows where many others fail to thrive and can survive harsh winters.

Blooms over a long season, attracting beneficial insects almost as long as you are likely to need them.

Stimulates and aids fruiting in tomatoes and peppers.

HYSSOP

Companion plant to cabbage and grapes, repels cabbage moths and flea beetles.

Do not plant near radishes.

 

 

 

 

 

KOHLRABI

Can be planted with cucumber, onion, chives and beets.

Do not plant with pole beans, pepper, strawberry or tomatoes.

 

 

LAMIUM

This will repel potato bugs.

 

 

 

 

LARKSPUR

POISONOUS TO HUMANS!!

Attracts Japanese beetles, which die soon after eating.

 

 

 

 

LAVENDER

Repels fleas and moths. Feeds many nectar eating and beneficial insects.

Lavenders can protect nearby plants from insects such as whitefly, and lavender planted under and near fruit trees can deter codling moth.

 

 

 

LEEKS

Plant near apple trees, carrots, celery and onions to improve their growth.

Repels carrot flies.

Don’t plant near legumes.

 

LEMON BALM

Sprinkled throughout the garden in a herbal powder mixture, this works to deter many bugs, including squash bugs.

 

 

 

LETTUCE

Plant with with beets, broccoli, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, dill, cucumbers, onion, radish and strawberries. It grows happily in the shade under young sunflowers, or between tomato plants.

Don’t plant with cabbage.

 

 

LOVAGE

Flavor similar to celery, improves the flavor and health of most plants.

A large plant, providing good habitat for ground beetles.

 

 

MARIGOLDS

Keeps soil free of harmful nematodes and discourages many insects.

Plant the scented variety throughout the garden.

Drawback – marigolds do attract spider mites and slugs.

French Marigold has roots that exude a substance which spreads in their immediate vicinity killing nematodes, also help to deter whiteflies when planted around tomatoes and can be used in greenhouses for the same purpose. Whiteflies dislike the smell of marigolds.

Do not plant next to beans.

Mexican marigold is the most powerful of the insect repelling marigolds and may also overwhelm weed roots such as bind weed.

Keep away from beans and cabbage.

MARJORAM

As a companion plant it improves the flavor of vegetables and herbs. Sweet marjoram is the most commonly grown type.

 

 

 

MELONS

Plant with Corn, pumpkin, radish and squash.

Other companion plants for melons are marigold, which deters beetles, nasturtium, which deters bugs and beetles and oregano which provides general pest protection.

 

 

MINT

Mint is a very useful plant, but it is also invasive so plant in a bucket to contain its spread.

Deters white cabbage moths, ants, rodents, flea beetles, fleas, aphids and improves the health of cabbage and  tomatoes.

Use cuttings as a mulch around members of the brassica family.

Attracts hover flies and predatory wasps.

MOLE PLANTS

(castor bean plant)

POISONOUS TO HUMANS

Deter moles and mice. Drop a seed of this in mole runs to drive them away.

 

 

MORNING GLORIES

Fast growing annual vine which attracts hover flies.

 

 

 

 

NASTURTIUMS

Companion plant for radishes, cabbage family plants (cabbage, collards, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, broccoli and mustards).

Deters aphids, squash bugs, and striped pumpkin beetles.

Plant as a barrier around tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees.

Deters wooly aphids, whiteflies, cucumber beetles and other pests of the cucurbit family.

One of the best plants for attracting predatory insects.

The leaves, flowers and seeds of nasturtiums are all edible.

NETTLES, STINGING

The flowers attract bees.

Steep the leaves in water and use to spray your plants. It will improve growth and increase disease resistance. Allow the liquid to mature for an excellent feed. Adding comfrey to the liquid for an extra boost.

 

OKRA

Good shade plant for lettuce.

Plant with basil, cucumbers, melons, and black eyed peas.

 

 

 

 

ONIONS

Planting chamomile and summer savory with onions improves their flavor.

Other companion plants are  carrot, leek, beets, kohlrabi, strawberries, brassicas, dill, lettuce and tomatoes.

Onions planted with strawberries help the berries fight disease.

Keep onions away from peas and asparagus.

 

OPAL BASIL

Annual herb said to repel hornworms.

Like the other basils it also does well with peppers, oregano, asparagus,tomatoes and petunias.

Keep away from rue and sage.

 

OREGANO

Can be planted with most crops but it is especially good for cabbage.

Plant near broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to repel cabbage butterfly.

Plant with cucumbers to repel cucumber beetle.

 

PARSLEY

Companion plant for asparagus, carrot, chives, onions, roses and tomato.

Use as a tea to ward off asparagus beetles.

Attracts hoverflies.

Keep away from mint.

PARSNIPS

Plant them with bush bean, garlic, onion, pea, pepper, potato and radish.

 

 

 

PEACH TREE

Plant grape, garlic, onion and asparagus under or near peach trees. In particular garlic may help repel peach tree borers.

Keep potato, Tomato and Raspberry away from peaches.

 

PEAS

Peas fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant next to corn which is a heavy nitrogen user.

Companion plants for peas are bush beans, bole beans, carrots, celery, chicory, corn, cucumber, eggplant, parsley, early potato, radish, spinach, strawberry, sweet pepper, tomatoes and turnips.

Do not plant peas with chives, gladiolus, grapes, late potatoes or onions.

PEPPERMINT

Good for repelling white cabbage moth, aphids and flea beetles.

Attracts bees and other beneficials.

 

 

 

 

PEPPERS, BELL

Plant peppers near tomatoes, parsley, basil, geraniums, marjoram, lovage, petunia and carrots.

Onions make an excellent companion plant for peppers.

Don’t plant near fennel or kohlrabi nor near apricot trees.

 

 

 

 

PEPPERS, HOT

Chili peppers prevent root rot.

Teas made from hot peppers can be useful as insect sprays.

Hot peppers like to be near cucumbers, eggplant, escarole, tomato, okra, Swiss chard and squash. Herbs to plant near them include: basils, oregano, parsley and rosemary.

Plant away from beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts or fennel.

PENNYROYAL

HIGHLY TOXIC TO CATS – Don’t plant if you have cats. Do not rub it on their skin!

Repels fleas.

Its crushed leaves rubbed onto skin will repel chiggers, flies, gnats, mosquitoes and ticks.

 

 

PETUNIAS

Repels the asparagus beetle, leafhoppers, some aphids, tomato worms, Mexican bean beetles and general garden pests.

A good companion plant to tomatoes, but plant throughout the garden.

The leaves can be used in a tea to make a potent bug spray.

POACHED EGG PLANT

Good companion plant to grow with tomatoes, they will attract hover flies which eat aphids.

 

 

 

 

POTATO

Companion plants for potatoes are bush bean, members of the cabbage family, carrot, celery, corn, dead nettle, flax, horseradish, marigold, peas, petunia, onion and marigold.

Putting comfrey leaves in with your potato sets at planting time will help to prevent scab.

Horseradish, planted at the side of the potato patch, provides general protection.

Alyssum makes a perfect living mulch.

Don’t plant potatoes near asparagus, cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash family, sunflower, turnip, tomato and fennel.

PUMPKINS

Plant pumpkins near corn, melon and squash.

Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs and beetles.

Plant oregano for general pest protection.

 

PURSLANE

Edible weed, use as ground cover in the corn patch.

 

 

 

 

RADISH

Companion plants for radishes are, beet, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach and members of the squash family.

Radishes may protect squash from squash borers.

Radishes are a deterrent against cucumber beetles and rust flies.

Chervil and nasturtium improve radish growth and flavor.

Plan around corn and allow them go to seed – will help fight corn borers.

Radishes will lure leafminers away from spinach. The damage the leafminers do to radish leaves does not stop the radish roots from growing.

Don’t plant near hyssop, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and turnips.

RHUBARB

A good companion to all brassicas.

Rhubarb protects beans against black fly.

 

 

 

 

 

ROSEMARY

companion plants for cabbage, beans, carrots and sage.

Repels cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies.

 

 

 

 

 

RUE

Deters aphids, fish moths, flea beetle, onion maggot, slugs, snails, flies and Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries.

Companion plants for rue are roses, fruits (in particular figs), raspberries and lavender.

Don’t plant with cucumbers, cabbage, basil or sage.

 

RYE

Use of mow-killed grain rye as a mulch to prevent weed germination without causing harm to transplanted vegetables.

 

 

 

SAGE

Companion plant for broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, black flea beetles and carrot flies.

Do not plant near cucumbers, onions or rue.

The flowers attract many beneficial insects.

 

 

SPINACH

Companion plant for peas and beans to provide shade for the spinach.

Plant with cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, onion, peas, strawberries and fava bean.

Save space by planting with squash. By the time squash plants start to get big the spinach is ready to bolt.

SOUTHERNWOOD

Bushy perennial with a lemon scent when crushed or rubbed.

Plant with cabbage.

 

 

SOYBEANS

Adds nitrogen to the soil making them a good companion for corn.

Repels chinch bugs and Japanese beetles.

 

 

 

SQUASH

Plant with beans, corn, cucumbers, icicle radishes, melon, mint, onions and pumpkin.

Borage deters worms, improves growth and flavor.

Marigolds deter beetles.

Nasturtium deters squash bugs and beetles.

Oregano provides general pest protection.

Don’t plant squash near potatoes.

SWEET POTATOES

Plant with aromatic herbs such as dill, thyme, oregano etc.

Summer savory helps to repel the Sweet potato weevil.

They do well with root crops, bush beans and regular potatoes.

Alyssum makes a perfect living mulch for them.

 

STRAWBERRY

Plant near beans, borage, lettuce, onions, spinach and thyme.

Keep away from cabbage, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower and kohlrabi.

Plant borage nearby to strengthen resistance to insects and disease.

A border of thyme deters worms.

SUMMER SAVORY

Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor.

This companion plant deters cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, sweet potato weevil and black aphids.

Honey bees love it when its flowering.

SUNFLOWERS

Plant sunflowers to keep aphids under control. Ants herd the aphids onto the sunflowers where they do no harm.

Sunflowers also attract hummingbirds which eat whiteflies.

 

 

 

 

SWEET ALYSSUM

Alyssum flowers attract hoverflies whose larva devour aphids.

The blooms draw bees to pollinate early blossoming fruit trees.

 

 

TANSY

TOXIC TO ANIMALS!

Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, ants and mice!

A bunch of tansy leaves hung up indoors acts as a fly repellent.

Use clippings as a mulch as needed.

TARRAGON

Plant throughout the garden, to deter a wide variety of pests.

Will enhance growth and flavor of vegetables.

 

 

THYME

Deters cabbage worms.

Wooly thyme makes a good ground cover.

 

 

 

TOMATOES

Tomatoes have many allies, asparagus, basil, bean, celery, chive, cucumber, garlic, head lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, pea, pepper, marigold, pot marigold and sow thistle.

May stunt the growth of carrots.

Plant basil nearby to repel flies and mosquitoes and improve growth and flavor.

Bee balm, chives and mint improve health and flavor.

Borage deters tomato worm and improves growth and flavor.

Dill, until mature, improves growth and health but mature dill retards tomato growth.

Don’t plant near corn. Corn and tomato are attacked by the same worm.

Kohlrabi stunts tomato growth.

Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can contaminate each other with blight.

Learn How To Double Your Tomato Harvest and Have Juicier, Tastier Tomatoes

Don’t plant near apricot, dill, fennel, cabbage and cauliflower.

TURNIP

Peas are good companion plants for turnips, fixing nitrogen in the soil.

Do not plant potatoes, radishes or other root vegetables near your turnips. These vegetables will compete for nutrients with the turnips and reduce crop size and yield.

 

 

WHITE GERANIUMS

Kills Japanese beetles.

 

 

 

 

WORMWOOD

TOXIC TO ANIMALS

An excellent deterrent to most insects.

Don’t plant wormwood with peas or beans.

 

 

YARROW

Has insect repelling qualities and is an excellent natural fertilizer.

Attracts predatory wasps and ladybugs.

 

 

ZINNIA

Attract hummingbirds which eat whiteflies.

All zinnias attract bees and other insect pollinators.

That was a long list wasn’t it?

Don’t worry, companion planting isn’t complicated. Just find the vegetable that you want to plant in the list and then plant one or two of it’s companion plants.

A healthy garden is one that is full of variety, where different plants work together to bring nutrients to the soil for one another and to attract insects to hunt down your pests.

Companion planting in your vegetable garden will give you a healthy garden. One that produces an abundance of food and looks stunning at the same time!