Companion Planting –How to Safely Nurture & Protect Your Garden For Optimum Yield

Have you ever tried planting a vegetable garden?  What about a Square Foot Garden?  An easy way to protect your plants, improve flavor, and enhance production is through companion planting.  Companion planting can also add beautiful aroma and color to any garden. 

What is Square Foot Gardening

If you’re not familiar with Square Foot Gardening, let me give you a brief explanation.  Square foot gardening is a method of growing plants in a small space, like a raised garden bed or container, by dividing the area into individual square feet. This allows you to maximize the use of your space and grow a variety of plants in a small area. It’s a great way to get started with gardening, and perfect for those who want to grow their own veggies but don’t have a lot of room.

I’ve used this approach for over 5 years in my small suburban back yard and am amazed at how much food I can grow in such a small space.

Companion Planting Defined

Companion planting helps vegetables in any garden but it’s especially important whe square foot gardening.  The thing is, plants have friends and foes. Neighboring plants can help or hinder the growth and development. Over the years, gardeners have observed how one crop can help or harm another. Through trial and error, a concept called companion planting was developed.

Companion planting is a gardening technique where different plants are grown together to improve each other’s growth, health, and yield. The idea is that certain plants have natural synergies and can provide benefits such as pest control, nutrient sharing, and soil improvement when grown together. For example, planting basil next to tomatoes can help to repel pests that commonly attack tomato plants, and planting beans with corn can help to provide nitrogen to the soil. It’s a natural and sustainable way to create a thriving garden helping you to avoid the need for pesticides and/or harmful fertilizers.

Benefits of Companion Planting

Whether you’re planting a square foot garden or a traditional garden you’ll want to consider companion planting. Some of the main benefits of include:

• 1. Pest control: Some plant combinations can repel pests and reduce the need for pesticides.
  2. Improved soil quality: Certain plants help fix nitrogen in the soil, while others can act as natural fertilizers and improve soil structure.
  3. Increased pollination: By planting certain plants together, you can attract more pollinators like bees and butterflies to your garden.
  4. Maximizing space: Companion planting can help you make the most of your garden space by combining plants with different growth habits.
  5. Improved flavor: Some plant combinations can improve the taste and quality of certain vegetables and herbs.

Example Benefits

Plant	Garden Benefits
Asparagus	Will improve the flavor of tomatoes when planted side-by-side Helps repel aphids, asparagus beetles, mites, flies, mosquitoes, and tomato horn worm
Beans	Good for fixing nitrogen in the soil
Chives	Repels aphids, carrot rust fly, and Japanese beetles
Cilantro	Repels aphids, potato beetles, and spider mites
Dill	Attracts wasps that eat caterpillars and repels aphids and spider mites
Garlic	Repels aphids, white flies, Japanese beetles, root maggots, and carrot rust fly
Marigolds	Kills nematodes, repels white flies
Oregano	Repels cabbage moth
Peppermint	Repels ants, white cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetle
Rosemary	Repels cabbage moth, bean beetles, and carrot flies and attracts pollinators
Sage	Repels cabbage moth and carrot rust fly

 

Companion Planting Chart

Plant	Good Companion	Bad Companion
Asparagus	Basil, Cilantro, Dill, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Oregano, Parsley, Peppers, Sage, Thyme, Tomatoes	Fennel, Garlic
Basil	Asparagus, Marigold, Oregano, Peppers, Tomatoes
Beets	Bush Beans, Cabbage Family, Lettuce, Lima Bean, Onion, Radish, Sage	Mustard, Pole Beans
Broad beans		Broccoli, Cauliflower, Chives, Cress, Garlic, Kale, Leeks Mustard, Onions
Broccoli	Basil, Bush Beans, Chamomile, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Lettuce Marigold, Mint, Onion, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Tomato	Grapes, Mustard, Oregano, Strawberry, Tomato
Bush & Pole beans	Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Peas, Potatoes, Radish, and Strawberries	Basil, Beets, Chives, Fennel, Garlic, Leeks, and Onions
Cabbage family	Bush Beans, Beets, Carrot, Celery, Cucumber, Dill, Lettuce, Mint, Onions, Rosemary, Sage, Spinach, Thyme, Marigold, Potatoes	Basil, Pole Beans, Strawberry, Tomatoes
Carrots	Beans, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chives, Lettuce, Leek, Onion, Peas, Radish, Rosemary, Sage, Tomato	Celery, Dill, Parsnip
Cauliflower	Beans, Celery, Oregano, Peas, Tomato	Strawberries
Celery	Bush Beans, Cabbage, Dill, Leeks, Marjoram, Tomatoes	Parsnip, Potato
Chives	Basil, Carrots, Marigold, Parsley, Parsnip, Strawberries, Tomato	Beans
Corn	All Beans, Beets, Cabbage, Cantaloupe, Cucumber, Melons, Parsley, Peas, Early Potatoes, Pumpkin, Squash	Tomato
Cucumber	Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Cabbage Family, Corn, Dill, Eggplant, Lettuce, Marigold, Onions, Peas, Radish, Tomato, Sunflower	Basil, Potatoes, Rosemary, Sage
Dill	Cabbage Cucumbers, Dill, Fennel, Lettuce, Onion	Carrot, Coriander, Tomato,
Garlic	Brassicas, Beets, Celery, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Potatoes, Tomatoes	Beans, Peas
Kale	Dill, Garlic, Mint, Nasturtium, Onions, Potatoes, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme	Basil, Strawberries, Tomatoes
Leek	Carrots, Celery, Lettuce, Onions	Beans, Peas
Lettuce	Carrots, Corn, Dill, Fennel, Pole Beans, Potatoes, Radishes	Cauliflower, Kale, Garlic, Onions
Marigolds	Broccoli, Cucumber, Peppers, Tomato, and most plants
Melon	Corn, Radish, Sunflowers, Tomatoes
Onion	Beets, Cabbage Family, Carrots, Celery, Cucumber, Lettuce, Parsnip, Peppers, Spinach, Squash, Strawberries, Tomato, Turnip	Asparagus, beans, peas, sage
Peas	Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Parsley, Radish, Spinach, Strawberry, Sweet Pepper, Turnips	Onions, Shallots, garlic, and potatoes
Potato	Carrots, Cauliflower, Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Lettuce, Marigold, Pea, Potato, Radish, Rosemary, Strawberry	Cucumber, Parsnip, Pumpkin, Squash Family, Sunflower, Turnip, Fennel
Radish	Beans, Beets, Carrots, Chervil, Cucumber, Lettuce, Melons, Nasturtium, Parsnips, Peas, Spinach, Squash	Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Hyssop, Kohlrabi, Potato and Turnips
Spinach	Celery, Corn, Eggplant, Cauliflower, Peas, Beans, Strawberries	Potatoes
Squash	Corn, Onion, Radish, Beans, Mint, Catnip	Pumpkins, Potatoes
Strawberry	Bush Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Radish, Spinach, Sage, Thyme	Cabbage Potato
Tomato	Asparagus, Basil, Bean, Cabbage Family, Carrots, Celery, Chive, Cucumber, Garlic, Lettuce, Marigold, Mint, Onion, Parsley, Pepper	Pole Beans, Corn, Dill, Fennel, Potato

Consider Your Plant’s Friends

Companion planting is a fantastic way to get the most out of your crop. It can protect from unwanted pests, enhance the flavor of various plants, increase the yield by attracting pollinators, and even provide protection from wind or sun. Companion planting is a must for Square Foot Gardens and a bonus for traditional gardens. As you spend time this spring planning your summer garden, consider your plant’s friends and use Companion Planting guidelines to design your garden.

 

Download your copy of the Companion Planting Guide!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have plans for a garden this year?  Have you done Companion Planting in the past?  If so, how’d it work for you?