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Companion Planting: A Guide for Beginners
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a natural way to keep your garden healthy and productive. It involves growing different plants together that help each other grow better. For example, planting marigolds with tomatoes can help deter whiteflies, which are pests that can damage tomato plants.
Benefits of Companion Planting
Companion planting has many benefits, including:
- Improved crop yields
- Reduced pests and diseases
- Increased pollination
- Enhanced flavor
Common Companion Plant Combinations
Here are some common companion plant combinations:
- Mint and brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower): Mint’s strong scent deters flea beetles, which can damage brassicas.
- Marigolds and tomatoes: Marigolds’ strong scent deters whiteflies, which can damage tomatoes.
- Carrots and leeks: Carrots’ strong scent deters leek moths, while leeks’ scent deters carrot flies.
- Lavender with carrots and leeks: Lavender attracts pollinators, which can help increase yields.
- Wormwood and beans: Wormwood’s strong scent deters aphids, which can damage beans.
- Calendula and beans: Calendula’s flowers attract aphids away from beans, and its strong scent attracts beneficial insects that prey on aphids.
- Sage and brassicas: Sage’s strong scent confuses pests of brassicas, such as flea beetles.
- Borage and strawberries: Borage’s flowers attract pollinators, which can help improve strawberry flavor.
- Thyme and roses: Thyme’s strong scent deters blackfly, which can damage roses.
- Calendula and courgettes: Calendula’s flowers attract pollinators, which can help increase courgette pollination.
Plants to Avoid in Companion Planting
There are a few plant combinations that you should avoid, such as:
- Tall plants next to short plants (tall plants will block sunlight)
- Thirsty plants next to drought-tolerant plants (one plant will get too much or too little water)
- Plants that release chemicals that inhibit growth of other plants (known as allelopathy)
Conclusion
Companion planting is a great way to improve the health and productivity of your garden. By following the tips in this article, you can create a beautiful and thriving garden that is full of healthy plants.
