Companion Planting

Folklore, experienced gardeners, and scientific study all agree that some plants actually encourage (or discourage) the growth of other plants. Just like kids, some play well together while others just get into trouble.

Native Americans found long ago that planting corn, beans and squash together formed a perfect combination. Corn grew tall and provided support on which the beans could grow. Beans added nitrogen to the soil and fertilized the corn. Squash grew along the ground creating a living mulch and keeping weeds down in the garden. The three vegetables also provided their human gardeners with a surprisingly well-balanced diet.

Some plants attract beneficial insects that protect themselves and their neighboring plants from insect pests. Others attract pests and if you plant them the pests will leave your favorites alone. Plants like onions, garlic, and other members of the allium family confuse bugs with their strong scent and just encourage them to fly away. Others are particularly unpleasant to specific pests, such as rue that deters Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries.

Gardeners have long known that there is something in marigolds that kills off the bad nematodes in the soil. The roots of French Marigold, (Tagetes Patula) exude a substance that spreads in their immediate vicinity and kills the pests. To have good control, you'll want to plant dense areas of them. Marigolds are also very smelly and their smell is abhorent to whiteflies. So because of these two characteristics, marigolds make great companion plants to tomatoes.

In addition to the provable chemical reactions, there are also some mysterious combinations that have just been observed through the years. Lovage, for example, is a common herb that seems to improve the flavor and health of most plants. No one knows why. You can put one large plant in your garden or as a backdrop in the border and it will improve everything you grow. In addition, it is a culinary herb that tastes like celery and can be added to salad.

If you're going to plant a lot of different things in your garden anyway, why not arrange them so that they benefit each other. Remember that all legumes - peas, beans, peanuts, and some trees and bushes - capture nitrogen from the air and deposit it in the soil, making it available as fertilizer to surrounding plants. It's good to include legumes in the garden every year or two to keep the soil fertile.

Herbs :

Parsley is a multi-purpose herb. Planted among tomatoes and asparagus, it wards off beetles and attracts hoverflies that eat pest insects. Let some go to seed to attract tiny parasitic wasps that can take care of all your hornworm problems. Parsley also increases the fragrance of roses when it is planted around their base.

Mint (any flavor) deters aphids, white cabbage moths, flea beetles, fleas and ants. Bees and other beneficial insects and pollinators, however, love mint. Earthworms are also attracted to mint plantings. Since once established, mint is a prolific plant, you can cut off the tops to use as mulch around plants that you want to protect from critters. Basil planted with tomatoes will improve growth and flavor. Basil can be helpful in repelling thrips. It is said to repel flies and mosquitoes. Do not plant near rue.

Marjoram improves the flavor of vegetables and herbs when planted near them. Comfrey accumulates calcium, phosphorous and potassium and redeposits these in the soil and in compost if added to the pile. Also deposits minerals if used as a mulch. It likes wet spots to grow in, is a traditional medicinal plantand a good trap crop for slugs.

Chili Peppers have a root exudate that prevents root rot and other Fusarium diseases. Plant where you have had these problems. Teas made from hot peppers are useful as insect sprays.

Chives improves growth and flavor of carrots and tomatoes. A tea of chives may be used on cucumbers to prevent downy mildew.

Dill improves the growth and health of cabbage, onions and cucumbers, but doesn't like carrots at all. Keep them apart, but plant near lettuce. Dill attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps. It can be planted away from your tomatoes to attract hornworms. It also is a favorite food for the swallowtail butterfly larvae.

Garlic will repel aphids, and garlic sprays are used to get rid of all sorts of pests, including deer. Used as a soil drench, the plants take up the garlic and become hardier and more pest repellent, but do not begin to taste like garlic! Many fruit and rose growers surround their plants with garlic to protect them from pests and encourage healthy growth.

Horseradish can be an invasive plant, but it is good for keeping away the Colorado potato bug. Plant in containers in the potato patch. You can also make a tea from the root that has antifungal properties and works as an insect spray as well.

Lavender repels fleas and moths. Flowering lavender nourishes many nectar-feeding and beneficial insects.

Lemon Balm has citronella compounds that deter bugs. Dried and made into a powder and sprinkled around the garden, it will keep many pests away. Rub the leaves on your skin to keep mosquitoes away.

Rosemary is a good companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage.

Tansy deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, ants and mice. Tie up and hang a bunch of tansy leaves indoors as a fly repellent. Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries.

Veggies:

Beans and peas enrich the soil with nitrogen captured from the air. In general they are good company for carrots, brassicas, beets, and cucumbers. Great for heavy nitrogen users like corn and grain plants. Pole beans, sweet corn and melons are a good combo. Keep beans away from the alliums. Beets are good for adding minerals to the soil. The leaves are composed of 25% magnesium. Companions are lettuce, onions and brassicas. They also are good for loosening compacted soil.

Brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages) benefit from chamomile, peppermint, dill, sage, and rosemary. They need rich soil with plenty of lime to flourish.

Flowers:

Flowering plants encourage beneficial insects and pollinators to the garden. Mix in flowers to keep your garden beautiful and lively. Four O'Clocks draw Japanese beetles like a magnet. They dine on the foliage and it poisons them on the spot. Be careful that your kids know they are also poisonous to humans.

There are lots of other plant partners that will make your garden more vigorous and pest resistant. This fascinating study has been going on for years as gardeners observe the combinations that work well in their own gardens. Watch yours and see what works!

Sacred Sisters

The term "Three Sisters" or "Sacred Sisters" emerged from the Iroquois creation myth. It was said that the earth began when Sky Woman who lived in the upper world peered through a hole in the sky and fell through to an endless sea. The animals saw her coming, so they took the soil from the bottom of the sea and spread it onto the back of a giant turtle to provide a safe place for her to land. This "Turtle Island" is now what we call North America. Later Sky Woman buried her daughter in this new land and from her grave grew three sacred plants - corn, beans and squash. These plants provided food for succeeding generations.

For centuries many Native American tribes have cultivated corn, beans and squash together. This ancient style of companion planting has played a key role in the survival of all people in North America. Grown together these crops are able to thrive and provide high-yield, high-quality crops with a minimal environmental impact. Corn, beans and squash have a unique symbiotic relationship in an American garden. Corn offers a structure for the beans to climb. The beans, in turn, help to replenish the soil with nutrients. The large leaves of squash and pumpkin vines provide living mulch that conserves water and provides weed control.

Corn, beans and squash combine to create a nearly perfect meal loaded with essential vitamins and minerals. In addition to its nutritional values, all Native American tribes that grew corn considered it a sacred and spiritually valuable plant.