Companion Planting: A Little Planning Yields a Variety of Benefits

Did you know basil will improve the flavor of tomatoes when planted next to each other in the garden? Or that planting green beans next to eggplant will help protect the eggplant from the Colorado potato beetle? Do you have a locust tree on your property? If so, plant Lima beans. They flourish when planted near a locust. Which garden vegetable has the most companions? If you said radish, then you already know something about companion planting.




















For those who may be new to this concept, it is believed that certain plants interact with each other in a way that can double yields, provide better use of nutrients, provide pest protection, and/or improve the soil condition. For example, plant tomatoes where green beans were planted the year before. Beans put nitrogen back into the soil and tomatoes thrive on nitrogen. Planting mint near cole crops can ward off caterpillars and other pests. Plant pole beans and corn in the same row. Corn stalks provide a natural trellis on which beans can vine and they like to be next to each other in the garden.

Lots of cold weather plants benefit from their position in the planting row. Here is a list of plant companions to consider when deciding on a layout for your garden:

Cole crops: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussle sprouts, and kohlrabi all benefit from plantings with celery, dill, onions, nasturtiums, and beets but dislike tomatoes and radishes.

Radishes: like just about every body but cole crops. Carrots, spinach, beets, leaf lettuce, beans, and cucumbers are all compatible.

Lettuce: likes carrots, strawberries, cucumbers, radishes, and onions. Planting on north side of corn so that the stalks provide shade.

Onions: like tomatoes but offend peas and beans. They are also compatible with strawberries, beets, and lettuce.

Peas: are almost as friendly as radishes. They like everyone but onions, leeks, shallots, and garlic.

Later, when the warm weather vegetable go in, consider this list of companions:

Tomatoes: love basil. They are also compatible with parsley and onions. My personal favorite to plant with tomatoes are carrots. Every year I plant a row of Danver's Half Long next to my Pink Girls and they both flourish.

Cucumbers: are friends with peas, radishes, corn, and beans and interestingly enough, sunflowers. Sunflowers help to shade shy-sun cucumbers and provide a trellis upon which the cucumbers can vine.

Squash: like corn, radishes, cucumbers, and marigolds. The marigolds can help to deter the squash bug.

Beans: like cucumbers, beets, corn, and celery but really dislike onions.

Corn: likes potatoes, peas, beans, cucumbers, and pumpkins but keep tomatoes a safe distance apart.

Beets: like cole crops, onions, beans, and lettuce

Carrots: like tomatoes, radishes, onions, and lettuce.

I've planted many of these combinations together and had really good luck.