Companion Gardening
In nature, plants just grow wild and free. They have to compete for resources, but they also can have symbiotic or mutual relationships (where two plants benefit from one another) or a parasitic relationship (where one plant benefits and another is harmed).
They somehow find a way to work out places where they can live in combination with other plants. In my garden, I want to mimic the natural world by planting my crops in an arrangement where the plants benefit from being in proximity to other plants.
Fortunately, tons of people before me have already done all the research to figure out what plants work well in combination with each other and which ones don’t work well near each other. This is known as companion planting. There are many benefits of planting certain crops in proximity.
Pest control is the first; this is a natural method (using plants versus pesticides) to keep harmful critters like aphids at bay while drawing in beneficial ones like pollinators. For example, the aster family (such as marigolds and sunflowers) have flowers that open wide and are colorful which attract helpful insects. Additionally, parsley, dill, cilantro, and coriander have flat-topped clusters of small flowers that also attract beneficial insects.
Plant aromas can also be utilized to attract beneficial insects while keeping out harmful insects and other pests. I have read that if you plant wormwood around the perimeter of your garden, it will deter grazing animals. Some very aromatic (smelly) plants that deter harmful insects include basil, borage, calendula, catmint, chives, dill, garlic, horseradish, hyssop, mint, onion, oregano parsley, radish, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme, wormwood. You can even crush some of the leaves on these plants as you go by them in the garden in order to make the aromatics come to life and be stronger.
Companion planting also provides habitat for these helpful critters and helps maximize the use of space in your garden. Additionally, companion planting can increase crop productivity. Some plants put nutrients into the soil that other plants take out of the soil. I have also read a little about interplanting which seems similar to companion planting and sometimes used synonymously. In interplanting, the focus is on spreading out your crops so that, in the unfortunate event you get harmful critters in your garden, you won’t have a complete crop devastation. By interplanting plants among other plants, you reduce the all-you-can-eat buffet to just a meal and don’t lose all of that plant.
Obviously when you are starting a garden, you will still have to do some research to find out what plants will thrive in your area and which ones will need a little more love if you really want to use them. However, with all the benefits that companion planting has to offer, it seems silly to not imitate nature and plant things together that build each other up, help one another grow big, healthy and strong.
Check out the guides and resources below to find out more about what plants work well together (and why) and which ones you should avoid planting in proximity at all costs. There are also some guides on ideas for organizing your garden to capitalize on companion planting. Happy gardening to you!