If you strive to grow an organic vegetable garden–and we recommend you go organic–consider companion planting to help repel pests naturally and increase biodiversity in your garden. By planting insect-repelling herbs and flowers near your vegetables, you can avoid excessive infestations. Likewise, plants that attract beneficial predators can be planted in your garden to promote natural pest management and a healthy ecological balance. Other ways that companion planting works include:
- Trap cropping: by planting a “decoy” crop that pests love to eat, you can lure insects away from the vegetables you want to grow.
- Nitrogen fixing: legumes such as beans, clover and peas are natural companions that help draw nitrogen from the air into the soil, increasing soil fertility.
- Increasing yield: by placing ground-level plants that need more shade underneath tall plants that need more sun, you can boost a higher yield in a smaller amount of space.
Here are just a few examples of companion planting:
- Tomatoes + basil, zinnias, marigolds: these pungent aromas repel whiteflies, mosquitos and aphids, and attract pollinators.
Tomatoes and basil not only taste great together, they grow well together!
- Beets, spinach, chard + chrysanthemums: the flowers deter and kill root nematodes.
- Carrots, salad greens + dill and cosmos: this herb and flower combo attracts many beneficial garden insects.
Lettuce + cosmos = great garden companions.
Dig deeper: For a permaculture perspective on companion planting, click here.
For a helpful list of companion plants and their attributes click here.
There is still plenty of time to plant your summer vegetable garden. If you are inspired to go organic but need help with an ecological garden design and plant choices, give us a call at 707-789-9786.