Monday, March 9, 2009

Companion Planting

If you come to my house in a few months and look at my garden, you'll find flowers and herbs growing with my vegetables. Several years ago, I bought a book about companion planting. Companion planting is letting certain plant combinations help each other grow. Among other things, this could be by providing support for another plant, attracting beneficial insects, or driving off harmful insects.

People have planted garlic or onions with roses for years because they repel rose pests. Marigolds deter nematodes and other critters, so be sure to plant them with your tomatoes. Radishes will attract leafminers away from spinach. Sunflowers and zinnias will attract bees and butterflies, which are good pollinators. Beans can climb up sunflowers.

Here are some other companion pairs:
cucumbers and nasturtiums
cabbage and dill
strawberries and borage
tomatoes and borage
carrots and onions
peas and beans
potatoes and peas
tomatoes and basil (both in the garden and in the kitchen!)
zucchini and nasturtiums
parsley and asparagus

To find more information about companion planting, check out the following sites. You can also find information about raised bed gardening. An alternative to traditional row gardening, by gardening in raised beds you can produce more crops per square foot, while reducing the area you have to weed, mulch, and water.

Organic Gardening
Seeds of Change
No Dig Vegetable Garden

No comments:

Post a Comment