How does companion planting work?

Part 1 of 2

Gardeners have known for centuries that a good mix of plants gives you a healthier garden, but even better, in recent times, several scientific studies about companion planting have proven that it actually works, but how?

Here are a couple of explanations:

1. Companions can help each other grow. For example, tall plants can provide shade for smaller, shorter plants that can't take as much full sun.

2. Companions can attract beneficial insects; so some plants that have a tendency to get eaten alive, will now have the protection of beneficials which are the natural predators of certain pests.

3. Companion plants can prevent pest problems. Certain plants can actually repel some pests, like onions and marigolds, while other plants can lure pests away from your garden and keep your plants from getting attacked.

4. Companions plants can use garden space efficiently. For example, you can plant vining plants to cover the ground and help with moisture, while planting upright plants to grow vertically. This way more ground is being used more efficiently.

Here are a few companion planting examples:

Roses and chives: Garlic is said to repel rose pests, and garlic chives are just as repellent, so this is a good way to protect your roses.

Tomatoes and cabbage: Tomatoes are repellent to diamondback moth larvae, so they can keep your cabbages safe because diamondback larvae are caterpillars that chew large holes in cabbage leaves.

Cabbage and dill: Dill protects cabbage family plants, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts because dill attracts beneficial wasps that control cabbageworms and other cabbage pests.

Peppers and pigweed or ragweed: Leafminers like weeds better than pepper plants. One note of caution however, make sure you remove the weeds' flower head before they set seed or you'll have created more problems for yourself!

Cucumbers and nasturtiums: Nasturtiums are known to repel cucumber beetles, and they provide a great habitat for predatory insects like spiders and ground beetles so nasturtiums give you 2 for the price of 1.

For more companion planting suggestions, come back next week for part 2!

For more Gardening Tips and Gardening Advice visit our main gardening website at Weekend Gardener Monthly Web Magazine - www.weekendgardener.net

Talk to you next week!