The Victory Garden- Companion Planting
We’ve all heard the phrase, but what exactly is it? Companion planting is a method of gardening where different plants are grown together to enhance each other based on their characteristics. This could be their ability to control pests, provide habitats for beneficial insects, draw in pollinators, improve the soil’s health or structure, or maximize space. However, it’s important to note that just as some plants benefit each other, others can hurt each other if planted together.
Companion planting yields numerous benefits but, it’s important to note that if you are also trying to apply the rules of crop rotation, your garden map will take a bit more planning on paper. Your plan can still be done in blocks but everything you have planted in that block will need to be repeated in the following block the following year. Because this method places heavy, medium, and light feeders all in one area, there will be an overall draw of soil nutrients that you will need to watch more closely.
Our friends at UT Extension put together a wonderful chart that shows what plants work together and which plants don’t. Rather than reinvent the wheel we will share this with you below.
If you have never tried companion planting give it a whirl!!
