A Guide to Companion Planting: Which Plants Work Well Together (And Which Don't)

A Guide to Companion Planting: Which Plants Work Well Together (And Which Don't)

Find the best companion planting chart for your needs. Learn which plants grow well together and which you should never plant together with this in-depth, easy-to-use companion planting garden guide. A simple way to make your garden healthier, more productive, and chemical free.

Introduction: Why is Companion Planting Important?

Have you ever experienced the disappointment of planting a lovely vegetable garden but only to find that a few of your crops faced challenges, while others thrived? The problem may not have been a soil or water issue, but instead a problem of proximity. Enter companion planting!

Companion planting is the growing of certain plants adjacent to one another for the purpose of improving growth, repelling pests and enhancing flavor. Gardeners have utilized companion planting for centuries, and we continue to learn from modern research what wise, old advisers have been saying for years: certain plants grow better together and can build a stronger and healthier garden.

In this article we are going to cover:

The companion planting chart that will allow you to pair crops together.

Which plants always want to grow together.

Which plants should never be in the same space.

How this method saves you time, money, and back-breaking work in the garden.

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is not simply just throwing random vegetables together; also, plants can have specific needs; some produce chemicals that deter pests, or they add nutrition to the soil. When they are placed with companion plants they can assist in a natural ecosystem, and need less fertilizers or pesticide applications.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Beans help fix nitrogen for leafy greens.

Basil will deter bad insects when planted by tomatoes.

Carrots loosen soil for deeper growing onions.

In short, companion plants help use nature to garden smarter and not harder.

The Ultimate Companion Planting Chart (A quick reference)

To help you out here is an easy chart of companion planting pairings. These pairings have been improved yield, deter pests and make your garden more sustainable.

Best Companion Planting Combinations

Tomatoes & Basil

Basil deters aphids, mosquitoes and white flies.

Tomatoes grow better, taste better.

Corn, Beans & Squash (The Three Sisters)

Corn provides a pole to climb, for beans that will fix nitrogen.

Beans fix nitrogen in the soil.

Squash shades the soil and helps deter weeds.

Carrots & Onions

Carrots loosen soil to allow onions to spread.

Onions help deter carrot fly.

Cabbage & Dill

Dill attracts nature’s police nutrition and eats cabbage worms.

Lettuce and Radishes

Radishes loosen soil which allows lots of room for lettuce. Radishes are quick to mature.

Plants That Should Never Grow Together

Not all plants are friendly neighbors. Here are some plants you should avoid pairing:

Tomatoes and Potatoes: both plants attract blight which spreads quickly.

Onions and Beans: onions stunt bean growth.

Cabbage and Strawberries: there is competition for nutrients and they are both weaker.

Corn and Tomatoes: corn earworms can affect corn and tomato fruit worms.

Avoiding these bad combinations will reduce the amount of time you spend helping them overcome pests and disease.

Companion Planting is About More Than Sharing Space

Companion planting is not just about sharing space, but in fact provides benefits that a gardener can appreciate. These benefits include:

1. Natural Pest Control

Plants like marigolds add scents into the soil which deter nematodes from affecting your root crops. Most herbs like rosemary and thyme can also help to discourage insect pests that can harm your crops.

2. Soil Health

Legumes (beans, peas) provide nitrogen, a nutrient that is essential for growing leafy greens.

3. Flavour and Growth

Basil, oregano and many other herbs can make your vegetables around them taste better.

4. Weeds

Ground-covering plants like squash and cucumbers can often outgrow weeds by shading out the weeds.

5. Optimizing Space

Plants that grow tall can allow climbing crops to take advantage of vertical space, while root crops use up underground space effectively.

Using a Companion Planting Chart

Using a companion planting chart should not be complicated.

Here step by step guide

Plan Your Garden Layout.

Decide on the vegetables and herbs you want to grow.

Then group compatible plants as indicated by the chart.

Consider the planting seasons:

Certain crops are best planted in cool weather (i.e., lettuce, spinach) while others do best in warm weather (i.e., tomatoes, peppers).

Consider plant height:

For example, tall plants like corn should not be planted where it blocks sunlight to shorter crops.

Plan on rotating every year:

Do not plant the same crops in the same location year after year. By rotating, you are preventing soil degradation and keeping pests from building up.

Example of a garden plan using companion planting:

Let’s say you have a small backyard garden, with a simple plan that would look like this:

Row 1: Tomatoes with basil and marigolds.

Row 2: Corn, beans, and squash (Three Sisters method).

Row 3: Carrots with onions.

Row 4: Lettuce with radishes and your cucumbers.

This plan will provide you with natural pest control, provide your soil of greater health, and give you more food, without having to use chemicals.

Common mistakes to watch out for in companion planting

Even with the best intentions, there are mistakes any gardener can make in planting. Here are a few to look out for:

Overcrowding

The more plants you grow, they are all competing for water and nutrients. Make sure your planting in enough space.

Ignoring sunlight

If you plant something tall in front of your crops that need sunlight to grow, that will block sunlight from reaching your crops.

Mixing incompatible crops

Be sure to check the companion planting chart, when you're starting.

Not rotating crops

Planting tomatoes in one spot year after year can raise the likelihood of plant diseases.

Conclusion: Garden smarter with Companion Plantings

Companion planting is an old gardening practice that is very effective today. You can use a companion planting chart to make your garden healthier, more productive, and greener—while eliminating a need for chemicals.

Whether you are companion planting tomatoes and basil, beans and corn, or carrots and onions, the right companion planting combinations have the power to change your garden. Moreover, the knowledge of which plants are not a good pairing can save you time and headaches.

So the next time you think about where to plant what remember: it is not just the soil, but also the companionship that your plants enjoy.