Control insects and grow better plants by planting types of plants that have a
mutually beneficial relationship together. This method has been practised
for years and often one plant will add nutrients to another plant, ward off
certain insects and attract useful ones. Companion planting is simply placing
plants together which like each other's company and provide mutual benefits and
protection.
Interplanting makes good sense - not only because this gives you the maximum
use from the space you have available - but because it also helps keep weeds
down and makes the garden a very pleasant place in which to be. Planting herbs
and vegetables together repels insect attacks and promotes the growth and
flavour of your vegetables.
Some plants are better left in a solitary state. Trees, such as willows,
poplars and
Ficus
(fig), will not grow well with any other plants - they are not good companion
plants.
Alfalfa
reduces corn wireworms.
Anise
deters aphids, fleas, reduces cabbage worms. Good companion with beans and
coriander. Poor with carrots.
Basil
wards off insects. It is good for keeping disease and pests from tomatoes.
Control for aphids and asparagus beetles. Good companion with beans, cabbage
and tomatoes. Poor with rue.
Borage
attracts bees, reduces Japanese beetles on potatoes and deters tomato
hornworms. Good companion with strawberry and tomato.
Carraway
is a good companion with peas but poor with fennel.
Catnip
deters ants, aphids, chewing beetles, darkling beetles, flea beetles, Japanese
beetles, squash bugs and weevils.
Chamomile
is a good companion with cucumber, mint and onion.
Chervil
is a good companion with carrot and radish.
Chives
cures blackspot on roses, deters greenfly and Japanese beetles and grow
strongly when planted between the bushes, making an attractive semi-groundcover
with rosy-pink flowers. Chives discourage insects climbing fruit trees and
mildew on cucumbers. Good companion with carrot, grape, parsley and tomato.
Comfrey
is very good to pick and add to your
compost
heap, as well as helping to fill
up a salad bowl if you run short of lettuce. It is a good companion plant
because it keeps the surrounding soil rich and moist.
Coriander
helps control aphids and spider mites. Good companion with anise and potato.
Poor companion with fennel.
Dill
is a good companion with cabbage, lettuce and onion.
Poor with carrot and
tomato.
Fennel
dislikes beans, caraway, coriander, dill and tomatoes.
FRUIT TREES
benefit from having chives and tansy planted underneath them.
Apple
grows well with chives and nasturtium but poorly with potatoes.
Apricot
grows well with asparagus, grape, onion, strawberry and sweetcorn.
Citrus Fruit
grows well with coffee and peppers.
Fig
does not grow well with rue.
Grape
grows well with blackberry, hyssop and legumes.
Poor companions include
cabbage and radish.
Mulberry
grows well with grape.
Nectarine
grows well with asparagus, grape, onion, strawberry, sweetcorn.
Peach
grows well with asparagus, grape, onion, strawberry and sweetcorn.
Poor
companions are old and new peach trees.
Pear
grows well with currant.
Quince
grows well with garlic.
Raspberry
grows well with tansy but poorly with blackberry and potatoes.
Strawberry
grows well with
beans, borage, lettuce, nectarine, peach and spinach.
Poor companions are
cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprout.
Garlic
has a pungent aroma which is useful in deterring many insects. Rabbits do not
like the aroma so keep this in mind if they are a problem for you. Garlic also
has the effect of cleaning up the soil and disinfecting it.
Garlic
hates strawberry, beans and peas but is a good companion with carrots, roses
and tomatoes.
Garlic chives
grown close to apple trees will help prevent them from apple scab.
Horseradish
planted under fruit trees and near potatoes will help protect them from fungus
diseases. Deters chewing beetles.
Hyssop
is good with cabbage, grape, plants in general except radish.
INSECTS
wormwood, tansy, lavender, basil and mint in fact any strongly
perfumed herb planted anywhere in the garden will ward off insects as
well as adding interest to the garden. Plant under windows and near doorways,
either in the ground or in pots to help protect your house from flying nasties.
Lavender
wards off insects. Deters corn wireworms and southern rootworms.
Lemon Balm
is a good companion with tomatoes.
Marigolds
are a first rate insect repellant and planted near any vegetable, herb or
plant will ward off insects as well as adding much colour to the garden and
attracting bees. The roots of the French marigold secrete a substance which
kills root-eating nematodes. The nematode, or eelworm, is a minutely small
creature that can do tremendous damage to the plants in your garden. Marigolds
among tomatoes will repel the white fly.
Marjoram
is a good companion with all plants in general.
Mint
wards off insects. When grown close to cabbage, will help to protect them from
the white cabbage fly. Good companion with all plants in general with the
exception of parsley. As mints are invasive plants, spreading runners
underground, planting containers of mint (or placing pots of mint amongst
plants) can help eliminate this problem.
Nasturtiums
, very colourful, annual herbs, when planted amongst your vegetables will
reduce aphids, cabbage worms and will help control chewing insects.
Nasturtiums keep away cucumber beetles and, when planted near radishes, will
give them a good hot taste. They will also add colour and can be eaten in
salads and sandwiches. Nasturtium seeds are sometimes pickled and served as a
substitute for capers.
Oregano
is a good companion with cabbage and cucumber.
Parsley
is excellent planted near tomatoes, carrots, chives and roses.
Parsley
likes asparagus also and is a control for asparagus beetles.
Pennyroyal
set on a path will exude a strong tangy aroma when walked upon and if near a
door, or preferably on the step, will help to keep insects out of the house.
Petunias
repel bean beetles, potato bugs and squash bugs.
Pyrethrum daisies
planted by the side of strawberries will help prevent pests
nibbling the
berries before you do.
Rosemary
repels carrot fly to some extent, however, onion has a stronger effect.
Deters
bean beetles, cabbage moths and many other insects. Good companion with beans,
cabbage and carrots but a poor companion with potatoes.
Rue
is a good companion with roses but poor with basil, cabbage and sage. It is
another herb that insects won't go near and slugs avoid. It makes a useful
edging hedge, less than a metre high, and is easily grown from seed.
Sage
when grown close to cabbage, will help to protect them from the white cabbage
fly, cabbage worms, cabbage moths and root maggots. Good companion with carrots
(protecting against carrot fly as do alternate rows of leeks), marjoram,
strawberry and tomato. Poor companion with cucumber and rue.
Summer Savory
planted between rows of beans will inhibit the bean beetle. Onions appreciate
summer savory too.
Tansy
wards off insects and will help to keep flies out of the house. The aroma
wafting into rooms makes them smell much sweeter than any commercially made air
fresheners. Deters many insects including ants, aphids, cabbage worms, chewing
beetles, Japanese beetles and squash bugs. Good companion with blackberry,
peppers, potatoes and raspberry.
Tarragon
is a good companion with all plants in general.
Thyme
is said to help repel the cabbage root fly, cabbage worms, cabbage loopers and
whiteflies. Good companion with all plants in general.
Wormwood
wards off insects. General insecticide; deters mice and other rodents, slugs
and snails.
Yarrow
is excellent for edging along paths around vegetable beds as it will keep
insects away and doesn't mind being trodden on. Good companion with all plants
in general.
VEGETABLES
:
Beans
reduce corn armyworms. French or dwarf beans seem to grow better in company
with cucumbers, cabbages and strawberry plants.
Beetroot
is good with cabbage, onions and kohlrabi. Although French beans are good
company, beetroot dislikes runner beans.
Broad Beans
like carrots and cauliflower, red beet, cucumber, cabbage, potatoes, leeks and
celery. They don't like members of the onion family.
Broccoli
is good with beans, celery, chamomile, dill, mint, nasturtium, onion, oregano,
potatoes, sage and rosemary. Dislikes lettuce, strawberry and tomatoes. Broccoli
reduces striped cucumber beetles.
Cabbage
likes beans, beetroot, celery, chamomile, dill, hyssop, mint, nasturtium,
onion, oregano, potatoes, tomatoes, sage and rosemary (which also helps to
repel pests). Dislikes grape, strawberry and tomato.
Carrots
grow well with onions, leeks and shallots. They also like beans, chives,
peas, radish, rosemary, sage, scorzonera, tomato, wormwood. Dislikes dill.
After lifting, carrots should not be stored next to apples.
Cauliflower
seems to grow particularly well next to celery. Their mutual love of soil which
has been recently limed may explain this. Cauliflower also likes bean,
beetroot, celery, chamomile, dill, hyssop, mint, nasturtium, onion, oregano,
potato, sage radish and rosemary. Dislikes strawberry and tomatoes.
Celeriac and Celery
like beans, peas, dill, cabbage, leek, onion, tomato. Deters cabbage
butterflies.
Corn
thrives next to peas, pumpkins, zucchini, beans, lupin, melon, early planted
potatoes and squash. Climbing beans and "burpless" cucumbers can actually be
trained to grow up the developing corn-stalks, where they will continue to bear
long after the corn has been harvested.
Cucumber
likes beans, broccoli, celery, Chinese cabbage, chives, lettuce, peas, radish,
potatoes, kohlrabi and tomatoes. Dislikes rue and sage.
Dwarf and Climbing Peas
like sweet corn and very much dislike onions, shallots and garlic.
Eggplant
goes well with peas, tarragon and thyme.
Horseradish
and potatoes grow well together.
Garlic
hates beans and peas.
Kohlrabi
likes onions and beet, but doesn't like beans, peppers and tomato.
Leafy vegetables
, such as spinach, silver beet and lettuce, should follow peas
and beans (rotation of crops) in order to take advantage of the soil enrichment
that has been provided by the legumes.
Leeks
like celery, celeriac and carrots. Deters carrot flies. Leeks dislike broad
beans and broccoli.
Lettuce
planted next to parsley and strawberry plants seem to do very well, producing
crisp, tight hearts. Other good companions include carrots, beetroot, cabbage,
clover, peas, and radishes.
Marrow
like beans, mint, nasturtium, radish and sweetcorn. Dislikes potatoes.
Melon
is a good companion with corn, peanuts and sunflowers.
Onions
like the influence of carrots (especially) and are good companions with
beetroot, cabbage, summer savory, chamomile, lettuce, potatoes, strawberry and
tomato. Nevery happy when planted next to beans and peas.
Parsley
likes asparagus and tomatoes.
Parsnips
- germinate slowly from seed, so many growers plant radish seed in the same
drill. They are up within a week, break the crust and can be harvested and
eaten while the parsnips are still following through. Parsnips like cabbage,
silverbeet and cauliflower to keep them company.
Peas
like aubergine, lettuce, spinach, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, beans, sweet
corn, radishes, carrots, cucumbers, but hate the onion family (onions, garlic
or shallots). They will, however, tolerate potatoes.
Potatoes
like beans, peas, sweet corn, lettuce, onion, petunias, marigolds, cabbage but
dislikes tomatoes, apple, pumpkin and sunflowers. Deters bean beetles.
Pumpkin
dislikes potatoes but does enjoy the company of sweet corn, beans, mint,
nasturtium and radish.
Radishes
like most plants in the garden except hyssop and grape. Deters cucumber
beetles, root flies, vine borers and many other pests. They are ready to pull
within a month after the seed has been sown, so they rarely have much of a
chance to become picky about their company.
Silverbeet
grows strongly next to French beans, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, kohlrabi and
to a limited extent, onions, which grow smallish, strongly-flavoured bulbs.
Silverbeet, however, is intolerant of mustard and climbing beans.