What is Companion Planting? The Best Plants to Grow Together

A healthy garden relies on nutrient-rich soil, adequate water, sunlight, and the right fertilizers. But did you know there's a practice that can potentially increase your yield by strategically pairing plants together? This method, called companion planting, can transform your gardening experience.

Key Takeaways

• Companion planting involves strategically growing different plants together to benefit each other. This method can deter pests, improve soil health, and increase yield by pairing plants like tomatoes with basil to repel insects or corn with beans to provide natural support.
• Ensuring a healthy garden also requires proper maintenance practices. Using transplants helps plants establish strong roots, planting in well-drained soil prevents root rot, and regular care is essential for plant health and productivity.
• Using NutriPod® vegetable fertilizer, with its balanced 5-8-10 NPK ratio, encourages healthy plant growth, increases yield, and boosts resistance to pests and diseases. Combining traditional companion planting with modern fertilization techniques ensures a thriving and resilient garden.

What is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants in close proximity to each other for mutual benefit. It is aimed at preventing diseases, deterring pests, and providing natural shade, among other advantages. While companion planting is often used in a vegetable garden—where herbs like basil or rosemary are grown next to tomato plants to repel insects and pests—it's equally beneficial for ornamental plants. Pairing perennials and annuals with compatible companion plants can help prevent pests and diseases and boost overall plant health.

In addition to considering which plants to grow together, companion planting also involves knowing which plants should not be placed next to each other. For example, tall plants like corn can cast too much shade, hindering the growth of sun-loving plants like peppers. Additionally, beans and onions are known to stun each other's growth. Understanding these dynamics will help your garden flourish with less conflicts and maximum benefits.

The Benefits of Companion Planting

Let's explore further the benefits companion planting can offer.

Pest Control: Some plants naturally repel insects with their scents. For example, marigolds emit an aroma that deters nematodes and aphids, while basil helps keep mosquitoes and flies away. Similarly, the strong scent of garlic can ward off aphids, spider mites, and Japanese beetles.

Attracting Beneficial Insects: Flowers like nasturtiums attract beneficial insects, like beetles and butterflies, which can improve productivity and biodiversity in your garden. Meanwhile, dill and fennel can attract predatory insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which feed on insect pests like aphids.

Improving Soil Health: Different plants can contribute to soil fertility by improving nutrient supply, availability, and uptake. For example, legumes like peas and beans fix nitrogen in the soil, increasing fertility. Plants with taproots or tubers, like carrots and potatoes, can break up soil compaction, consequently improving soil structure for other crops.

Shade and Support: Tall plants like corn can provide shade for sun-sensitive vegetables like lettuce and serve as natural supports for climbing plants like pole beans, cucumbers, and peas. Sunflowers can also offer the same benefits.

Weed Suppression: Some plants help with weed control. Plants like squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes spread across the ground, resulting in dense growth. Their leaves can also help shade the soil, suppressing weed growth before the seeds can germinate.

Space Efficiency: Companion planting also maximizes the use of available garden space. For example, you can plant early-season crops like spinach in the same bed as later-maturing crops like tomatoes to conserve space and grow multiple plant successions in the same space.

READ: Florida Planting Zones: Your Plant Hardiness Guide

Companion Planting Chart

Companion planting is a holistic approach to gardening that improves plant health, maximizes space, and potentially boosts yields by creating a more resilient and productive garden. Strategically pairing plants can attract beneficial insects, deter pests, and improve overall garden biodiversity.

While not always rooted in hard scientific facts, many companion planting practices stem from knowledge passed down through generations. There's always an element of trial and error to see what works best and what doesn't for your garden. Understanding your garden as a system of biodiversity will help you make better plant pairings. Read on for some recommended companion planting choices.

Asparagus	Basil, marigold, oregano, parsley, tomato
Basil	Peppers, tomato
Beans	Broccoli, carrots, cabbage, corn, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, peas, pumpkin, potato, tomato
Beets	Brassicas, bush beans, garlic, lettuce, onion
Brassicas (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips)	Basil, beans, beet, carrot, corn, dill, garlic, nasturtium, peas, peppermint, spinach, sunflower
Carrot	Onion, chive, rosemary, radish, nasturtium, cilantro, leaks, sage, rosemary, peas, radishes
Celery	Onion, cabbage, tomato, bush bean, nasturtium
Corn	Beans, marigold, sunflower, cucumber, nasturtium, squash, melons, potatoes
Cucumber	Beans, chive, dill, marigold, peas, radish, zucchini
Eggplant	Beans, marigold
Garlic	Beet, carrot, eggplant, peppers, potato, tomato
Lettuce	Carrot, chive, corn, garlic, onion, peas, pumpkin, radish, squash
Onion	Beet, carrot, eggplant, lettuce, tomato, watermelon
Peas	Carrot, corn, cucumber, eggplant, peppers, radish, spinach, turnip, tomato
Pepper	Basil, cilantro, garlic, marigold, nasturtium, okra, onions, radish
Potato	Basil, beans, cilantro, corn, lettuce, marigold, nasturtium
Radish	Lettuce, nasturtium, peas
Rosemary	Beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale
Spinach	Beans, cilantro, eggplant, oregano, peas, rosemary
Squash	Basil, dill, mint, nasturtium, sunflower
Tomato	Basil and other herbs, carrot, chive, cucumbers, garlic, marigold, nasturtium

Ensuring Vegetable Gardening Success with Proper Maintenance

While companion planting offers numerous benefits, a more fact-based approach to ensuring healthy plants involves proper planting and maintenance. These include using transplants, planting in well-drained soil, and using products like NutriPod® veggie fertilizer.

Using transplants gives your vegetable crops a head start by providing them with strong, healthy roots before they are placed in the garden bed. This helps plants grow more quickly and become established, reducing the risks of disease and pest issues. Meanwhile, planting in well-drained soil allows the plant roots access to the nutrients and oxygen they need while avoiding waterlogged conditions that can lead to root rot, among other issues.

Our NutriPod® fertilizer for veggies is an excellent tool for promoting plant health. It has a 5-8-10 NPK ratio—a balanced mix of essential nutrients used during transplanting to help plants grow up to two times faster. It helps improve yield and increase resistance to pests and diseases.

NutriPod® for Your Vegetable Garden

When considering good companion plants, remember that proper planting and maintenance practices can amplify the benefits of these pairings. Using NutriPod® supports strong, healthy growth and bountiful yields. By integrating traditional companion planting knowledge with modern, science-based techniques, you can create a thriving, resilient garden that produces an abundance of healthy vegetable crops from your garden to your table.

Did you find this article helpful? Read more lawn care and gardening tips at the NutriPod® website today!