
Companion planting can help prevent this by offering shelter as taller plants protect smaller ones.
Regulate Shade & Wind – Too much sun can damage tender and fragile plants. Prevent Weeds – Alternating upright plants and sprawling ones can create a thicker cover across the majority of the open land in your garden area, which will ultimately prevent weeds. Nitrogen is also important to many plants, and some, such as peas and beans, actually help to draw nitrogen in, making it more available in the soil for the plants that need it. The nutrients can then benefit those plants with shallow root systems. Plants with long taproots like parsnips and carrots will lift nutrients from the depths of the soil. Optimize Soil – A plant’s root system can easily affect the soil it is in. And when done right, the soil can then change or improve the flavor of other plants in the area. Additionally, as nutrients are pulled from the soil by one plant, the result can actually change the entire biochemistry of the soil. By eliminating competition between plants, you allow one to absorb what it may need without depriving the other. Plant Health – Growing plants next to their companions can improve the overall health of both plants. The sprawling crops can use the taller plants as a trellis. An example of this would be planting tall sunflowers next to cucumbers or snap peas. Natural Supports – Plants and flowers that grow tall and strong will lend themselves as natural, organic supports to crops that grow low or sprawl. Most gardeners would agree, the more help you can get to achieve a productive, fruitful garden, the better! What and how can companion planting help? There are many benefits to companion planting. In this case, companion planting would eliminate the competition between the two plants. A companion plant may need less of one specific nutrient while its neighbor desperately needs it to thrive. It is also important to look at the nutrients individual plants need.
Another plant may act as a repellent for a bug that might be harmful to the plant next to it. For example, one plant may attract an insect that might protect a companion plant. Popular Companion Plants for VegetablesĬompanion plants are plants that complement one another in terms of growth and production.
Learn which flowers and veggies work well together, and which ones should be planted far from one another. It is believed that growing certain plants in close proximity to others may help deter pests, promote growth and even improve flavor-or on the opposite end of the spectrum, certain plants, when planted close to one another, may actually stunt each other’s growth. The process is known as companion planting. But did you know that the right (or wrong) combination of certain plants could actually make them more (or less) productive? Gardeners know that a diverse mix of plants, from annuals and perennials to flowers and vegetables, makes for a healthier garden.