Imagine a garden alive with colour, scents, the hum of insects going about their daily lives – not chaos but harmony – welcome to the world of companion planting.
Ladybirds feast on aphids near tomato plants while shaded by marigolds. Basil flourishes nearby quietly adding flavour to the tomatoes. In the raised beds, the rows of brassicas stand sturdy and proud, as mint grows freely, offering not just aroma but natural pest control as well.
Companion planting is an age-old gardening technique rooted in generations of gardening experience. It is a method that has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its sustainability appeal.
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is about growing different plants together to create a mutually beneficial environment where both plants not only survive but thrive. At its heart, companion planting is best considered an organic process that improves plant health, boosts crop yields, reduces unwanted pests and adds to the local biodiversity. There may not be a huge amount of science on the subject but gardeners swear by its positive impacts – and for good reason.
To get a better idea of the core benefits and the best combinations we need to learn to understand the benefits for our own gardens first.
The Benefits of Companion Planting
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Natural Pest Control
Probably the strongest argument for adopting the companion planting approach must be its ability to deter those unwelcome visitors such as insects that cause damage, as well as staving off diseases. No need to reach for the chemicals – strong smelling herbs like mint, thyme and garlic confuse pests by masking the smells of their preferred plants. A great example is mint which helps to deter flea beetles and carrot root flies, while garlic helps protect strawberries from aphids.
There are some super-protectors, like French marigolds because they produce limonene, this is known to repel whitefly – keeping your tomatoes protected and looking their best. Other gardener’s favourites include nasturtiums – these act as a sacrificial crop by attracting pests away from the main crop. They are not bad in a salad too!
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Attracting the Right Insects
Not all insects are bad – there are some we need to attract into the garden. You need to create a mix of protectors and attractors. Companion planting is all about attracting pollinators and predators. Flowers like calendula, sweet peas and borage draw in the bees and butterflies. These in turn boost the pollination of fruiting crops like courgettes and beans. Nothing beats natural pest control and attracting ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings will mean your crops will stay aphid free.
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Smart Space Use & Mutual Support
Companion planting isn’t just about pest control – it is also a great opportunity to develop eye-catching beds that use the space wisely. The method of intercropping involves planting quick growers like lettuce and radishes between slower growing crops like parsnips or Brussels sprouts. These fast crops grow quickly and can be harvested quickly before the slower crops fill the spaces in. This improves crop yield, fills in the gaps, is pleasing to the eye and creates an obstacle course for ground-based pests.
Underground there is an opportunity to stagger plants vertically with deep-rooted vegetables like carrots being mixed with shallow-rooted ones like onions. A simple but effective use of space. Some plants even support each other physically – like sweetcorn providing a climbing frame for beans – a system known as the “Three Sisters” method.
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Potential Flavour Boosts
There is a bit of garden folklore that says companion planting boosts flavour – there is not much science to support this but those in the know, well they just know. A classic combo? Basil and Tomatoes – basil fights off the aphids but also enhances the flavours of the tomatoes. Borage is often said to give strawberries a little extra sweetness. There are plenty of partnerships that can be used to create symbiotic relationships.
Best Companion Planting Combinations
Here are a few tried-and-tested partnerships to get started:
- Tomatoes + Marigolds: Marigolds repel whitefly and add vibrant colour.
- Cabbages + Mint: Mint masks cabbage scent and deters flea beetles.
- Carrots + Spring Onions: They confuse each other’s root flies – an effective double act.
- Courgettes + Calendula: Boosts pollination through flower power.
- Strawberries + Garlic: Garlic deters aphids and fungal issues.
- Sweetcorn + Beans: Beans climb corn and fix nitrogen in the soil.
- Lettuce + Radish + Parsnip: An efficient intercropping setup.
- Borage + Strawberries: Allegedly enhances flavour and attracts pollinators.
- Nasturtiums + Beans: Lures aphids away from your prized beans.
- Thyme + Roses: Repels aphids and adds fragrance.
Companion Planting Combinations to Avoid
Not all plants make great bed fellows. There are a few combinations of plants that should be avoided.
- Garlic or onions with beans and peas – they may inhibit growth.
- Mint or onions with asparagus – competition or allelopathy (negative biology) can occur.
- Cabbages with strawberries – they don’t thrive in close quarters.
- Tomatoes with potatoes – both are prone to blight and other shared diseases.
- Tall crops next to light-hungry ones – tall plants can cast too much shade.
- Thirsty plants next to drought-tolerant species – mismatched watering needs can spell trouble.
Companion Planting: The Big Picture
Companion planting is more that just putting plants together – it’s about creating balance, biodiversity and resilience in your planting schemes. It’s about attracting and repelling – bring in the good insects and making life uncomfortable for those that you don’t want to visit your crops. With careful planning of your planting scheme, you can make the most of the growing space available and at the same time improve the flavours of the food at harvest time. Companion planting is a quiet revolution in organic gardening.
It doesn’t matter how big or how small your space is – companion planting is scalable. From allotments, raised beds, to patio pots – companion planting can make all the difference. Are you ready to get planting? Use this blog as your starting point and let your garden do the talking.
Happy Growing!
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