Easy Companion Planting

Vegetable and Flower Garden

Companion Planting Made Simple

Companion planting is when you plant different vegetables or flowers together or in close proximity with the goal of controlling or ridding bad pests (deer, rabbits) and weeds, improving nutrient uptake and fertility, attracting bees, butterflies and other good insects that will improving pollination or rid your plants of damaging insects.

Besides using companion planting to rid pests or attract bees for pollination, companion planting can actually improve your soil or heighten the flavor and aroma of foods because, a companion plant is warding off disease, damaging elements and allow nutrients to easily absorb into a plants root, stem or leaf system.

Companion planting absolutely works because one or more of the following occurs:

One plant will produce a particular substance or substances that help another plant in various ways. Basil will repel aphids from tomato plants.

Growing habits of one plant compliment the growing habits of another which will help the plant thrive to its potential.

 One plant will attract insect predators that eat the insect pests on the companion. If you had planted 10 cabbages all together you would almost certainly lose several to moths or caterpillars unless you carried out regular spraying of insecticides which I feel isn't good for your health; however,  if you plant them with celery and beets and some peas, you would have a successful cabbage crop. Caterpillars can't stand the smell of celery.
 
One plant will repel the pests that eat or damage its companion. For instance, pepper plants near cabbage will repel cabbage moths.

One plant disguises its companion so that pests do not recognize it.
 


One plant creates a micro-climate for another.

One plant attracts pollinators that are required by its companion. Colorful flowers like marigold or cosmos can attract bees, butterflies and moths that help pollinate the flowers of a pepper or tomato plant.

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Companion Planting

Vegetable	Likes	Dislikes
Asparagus	tomatoes, parsley, basil
Beans	potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, summer savory, most other vegetables and herbs	onions, garlic, gladiolus
Pole Beans	corn, summer savory	onions, beets, kohlrabi
Bush Beans	potatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, celery, summer savory	onions
Beets	onions, kohlrabi	pole beans
Cabbage Family	aromatic plants, potatoes, dill, celery, chamomile, sage, peppermint, rosemary, beets, onions	strawberries, tomatoes, pole beans
Carrots	peas, leaf lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage, tomatoes	dill
Celery	leek, tomatoes, c cauliflower, bush beans, cabbage
Chives	carrots	peas, beans
Corn	potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash
Cucumbers	beans, corn, peas, radishes, sunflowers	kohlrabi, potato, fennel, cabbage
Eggplant	beans
Leek	onions, celery, carrots
Lettuce	carrots, radishes, strawberry, cucumber (carrots, lettuce and radish make a strong team)
Onion (also Garlic)	beets, strawberry, tomato, lettuce, summer savory, chamomile (sparsely)	peas, beans
Parsley	tomato, asparagus
Peas	carrots, turnips, radishes, cucumbers, corn, beans, most vegetables and herbs	onions, garlic, gladiolus, potato
Potato	beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish (should be planted at the corner of the patch), marigold, eggplant (as a lure for Colorado Potato beetle)	pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sunflower, tomato, raspberry
Pumpkin	corn	potato
Radish	peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumber
Soybeans	grows with anything, helps everything
Spinach	strawberries
Squash	nasturtium, corn
Strawberries	bush bean, spinach, borage, lettuce (as a border)	cabbage
Sunflower	cucumbers	potato
Tomato	chives, onions, parsley, asparagus, marigold, nasturtium, carrots
Turnip	peas

   Melons              Nasturtium, corn, tomato