When you first plant a vegetable garden, you work hard to supply everything the plants need to flourish such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. However, there is one important consideration that many new gardeners overlook - companion plants. Vegetables are living beings who thrive on being planted beside friendly companion plants.
Benefits of Companion Plants
Many people are surprised to learn that certain plants truly complement each other in the garden and actually work together to help one another survive. Many plants form a symbiotic relationship supplying nutrients, shelter, support, and repelling harmful insects so that both plants varieties can better survive and meet the challenges of growth.
Below are a few benefits of growing companion plants alongside your veggies:
Shelter
You can plant larger plants next to smaller veggies to supply a windbreak and to afford sunlight protection. The larger plants will help keep the soil from drying out so that the smaller plants can truly thrive.
Support
Larger plants such as corn and sunflowers make excellent support structures of legumes. In addition, the legumes have the ability to harness nitrogen from the atmosphere and return it to the soil so that the larger plants can truly thrive. Together, they form the perfect symbiotic relationship.
Pollinators
If you plant flowers beside your vegetables, then you’ll attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to the garden. All of the plants thrive when there is an abundance of pollinators. You’ll enjoy more strawberries, blueberries, and other edibles with an abundance of pollinators buzzing around.
Added Soil Nutrients
As mentioned previously, legumes add much-needed nitrogen to the soil which helps other plants thrive. It always benefits to plant legumes in the garden.
Do Not Plant Bully Plants
Yes, some plants are bullies. They have a reputation for sucking up all of the water and nutrients. A few even exude toxins that retard the growth of neighboring plants or kill them. The Black Walnut tree is a prime example of a big-time bully. The tree exudes a toxin known as Hydroquinone which hinders the growth of anything around the tree and even kills other plants, shrubs, and trees, which are considered competition to the tree.
Companion Plant Chart
Below is a companion plant chart that provides you with some of the top vegetables and which plants make ideal companions to successful grow alongside them.
|
Vegetable |
Ideal Companion Plants |
|
Eggplant |
Beans, catnip, marigold, peas, and peppers |
|
Radishes |
Beans, carrot, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melon, nasturtium, peas, spinach, and squash |
|
Kale |
Beet, peas, rosemary, celery, cucumber, dill, garlic, lettuce, mint, onion, pepper, potato, sage, and spinach |
|
Garlic |
Beet, carrots broccoli, cabbage, peppers, cauliflower, dill, eggplant, kohlrabi, potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes |
|
Potatoes |
Basil, beans, celery, corn, garlic, horseradish, lettuce, marigolds, onions, peas, radishes, and spinach |
|
Onions |
Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, chamomile, lettuce, pepper, strawberry, and tomatoes |
|
Lettuce |
Asparagus, basil, beans, beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrot, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, mint, onion, peas, radish, spinach, strawberry, and tomatoes. |
|
Beans |
Beets, carrots, chard, cabbage, corn, cucumbers, peas, and radishes |
|
Peas |
Beans, carrot, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, potato, radish, spinach, tomatoes, and turnips |
|
Beets |
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bush beans, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, and onions |
|
Pumpkins |
Beans, corn, marigolds, nasturtiums, and squash |
|
Zucchini |
Beans, corn, dill, garlic, marigolds, nasturtiums, oregano, peas, radishes, and spinach |
|
Peppers |
Basil, beans, beet, carrot, chives, coriander, cucumber, dill, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, parsley, onion, spinach, and tomatoes |
Growing companion plants is a fantastic way to embrace the concepts of Mother Nature by learning which plants complement each other and provide enhanced growth.
When gardening, you’ll also want to offer your veggies and their companions’ ample nutrients. Please contact Humboldts Secret Supplies to learn more about our nutrient solutions.
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