Companion Planting

Companion planting is a gardening method that intentionally uses different flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables to create a beneficial relationship for all.  No matter where you garden; on your deck, balcony or on an acreage, you can companion garden. Companion gardening goes by other names as well; intercropping, interplanting, or polyculture.

The Benefits Are Many:

It is an opportunity to make your garden a chemical free zone; an eco-friendly environment that is safe for your children, pets, and wildlife.

Serves as a fun, educational nature project that children, grandchildren (and even adults!) can share.

It has been proven that companion planting boosts plant growth, health and increases vegetable, herb and fruit productivity.

It is an opportunity to extend your vegetable garden and herbs out into other beds by mixing them with beneficial flowers and shrubs.

Companion planting works to control harmful plant pests by focusing on making a home for their natural enemies. It is a safe habitat for beneficial and pollinating creatures such as ladybugs and their larvae, predator wasps, bats, bees, butterflies and birds.

Creating a companion planted garden does take some research and planning. Start small and remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. A plan can be changed or added to if need be.

There is a never-ending wealth of information on the internet regarding companion planting. Just make sure the sites you choose apply to our Zone 3 gardening climate.

Companion Planting Tips

Keep a journal of your companion garden plan and the information you have gathered. If your memory is anything like mine, trust me, it comes in very handy during the dead of winter. Ok, enough talk about winter………………..

Containers of just about any size can be companion planted. In the past few years, more and more miniature vegetable varieties have come on the market and are just ideal for small containers.

Do try to plant for every season – use flower varieties that bloom during spring, summer, and fall. Insects and hummingbirds are attracted to different colors, scents and blossom shapes.

Provide bird and bat houses, bee and beneficial wasp houses. Do not forget to provide water in the form of fountains, bird baths and shallow plates for the bees and butterflies.

If possible, include flowering/fruiting trees and shrubs in your eco-friendly garden.

Mosquitoes are a big pest in the garden and carry many diseases. A natural way to get rid of them is to plant Lemongrass in a large container (crush the leaves) or around sitting areas and burn citronella candles nearby. Lavender also repels mosquitoes. Sprigs of lemon thyme thrown into a fire pit will smoke out mosquitoes with its strong scent. The scented citronella geranium is grown for its mosquito repellent properties. When crushed, the leaves keep the little devils well away. They also hate marigolds and nasturtiums.

Flowers and Herbs To Include in Your Companion Garden

At the top of the natural pest deterrent list is the humble but very effective Annual - Marigold.  Marigolds planted close to tomatoes (in containers or in-ground) will repel aphids, slugs, tomato hornworms and snails!

A phytotoxin called alpha –terthienyl in the Marigold plant prevents nematodes (aka roundworms) from eating tomato roots.

Cabbage worms hate Marigolds so plant them near cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. They are effective pest deterrents when planted near carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers and potatoes. In fact, create a border of them around your vegetable garden! The only vegetable to keep away from Marigolds are beans.

Marigolds attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, ladybugs and parasitic wasps.

Annual – Cosmos attracts parasitizing wasps and hoverflies (that feed on aphids).

Annual - Alyssum attracts pollinators and encourages green lacewings which in turn eat aphids and just about any other insect pest in their path. They are known as aphid lions due to their voracious appetites.

Annual - Nasturtiums are edible annual flowering bushes or vines that are also known as a trap plant for many pests. Aphids and cabbage moths and their larvae adore nasturtiums and will choose nasturtiums (especially yellow flowering ones) over other plants in your garden.

Plant them away from your main garden area so they attract the bad bugs away from the veggies and herbs. In turn the aphids will attract beneficial ladybugs. Check your nasturtiums every few days and trim off aphid infested parts. Drown them in a bucket of soapy water. Nasturtiums also deter whiteflies, squash bugs and many types of beetles.

Annual - Petunias - Petunias have a light licorice smell that some insects detest. Petunias will protect beans from most pests, and work to repel squash bugs, potato beetles and their larvae. They also repel aphids but the odd one can be trapped by the fine sticky hairs on the petunia stems along with leafhoppers. 

Herbs

Mint is a great mosquito, aphid and ant repellent. It is invasive but you can grow it in planters around the deck or sitting areas. Planting in containers can be particularly helpful as they can be moved around.

Lavender – is part of the mint family. Many insects dislike the smell of lavender.  It repels moths, flies, fleas, mosquitos and ticks.

Basil – repels mosquitos, thrips, whiteflies, spidermites, aphids and house flies.  It will disorient Hawkmoths that lay eggs that develop into tomato hornworms. Let a few basil plants go to flower as this attracts bees and butterflies.

Chives – repel aphids, beetles, flies, nematodes, and mites. Plant with peas and carrots. Chives actually help to improve the growth and flavor of carrots.

Rosemary – repels carrot flies and mosquitoes. Strangely enough, tomatoes and rosemary should not be planted together in a vegetable garden. Tomatoes need more water than Rosemary can handle and Rosemary will deprive tomatoes of soil nutrients.

Calendula - deters many garden pests. It repels tomato hornworm and asparagus beetles. Calendula will attract parasitizing wasps and hoverflies that eat aphids.

Sage - repels carrot flies. You can also plant sage around rows of cabbage to reduce injury from cabbage moths.

Garlic - While garlic is technically not an herb, we often treat it as such. Aphids cannot stand garlic. It also repels onion flies, Japanese beetles, and cabbage loopers.

Borage is an herb that is edible and attracts bees to its pale blue and pink flowers. The flowers taste like mild flavored cucumbers. It can be planted near squash and strawberries. Borage attracts bees to strawberries and enhances the flavor and vigor of the strawberry plants. It also attracts bees to tomatoes and repels tomato hornworms.

Dill - attracts beneficial insects such as ladybugs and parasitic wasps that attack pest larvae. Ladybugs in turn eat aphids and spider mites in other areas of your garden. Dill repels aphids, spider mites and cabbage moths. Dill also makes it difficult for cutworms to lay their eggs. Do not plant near tomatoes.  It will inhibit the growth of tomatoes.

Parsley - attracts beneficial insects that protect and pollinate tomatoes. Plant Parsley between in-ground tomatoes or in pots between tomato planters.

Rue - a safe way to repel cats that wander into your garden. They do not like the musty smell of its flowers.

Lovage – Can be used as a trap crop to attract tomato hornworms away from tomatoes. It also repels aphids when planted near broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Lovage attracts beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps and predator flies.

These are just a few of the plants that can be used in a companion planted garden. Better for the environment and better for you!