Vegetable Compatibility Gardening: The Benefits of Planting Plants that Grow Well Together

To create a vegetable garden, we all go back to the basics--weeding, tilling the soil etc. We typically sow lettuce seeds in rows on one garden plot, and tomatoes on the other mound. We mix in potatoes and beets on other separate plots, and we keep a close watch on animal pests or diseases that may damage our crops.

Vegetable gardening is both rewarding and physically entertaining. Once the veggies get established in their respective plots, they are practically carefree--but not all of them. The plants still need to be watered and protected from pests. Planning your garden ahead will make you achieve a higher yield, but there is another method that makes your plants healthy and less prone to certain plant illnesses.

Companion Planting

The process simply means to plant two or more separate but compatible vegetables together. There are several reasons as to why we should do vegetable compatibility gardening.

• Control pest infestations and occurrence of diseases
• Enhance the flavor of certain vegetables
• Enhances nutrient availability
• Provide protection to other plants
• Facilitate in pollination

Plants Effective in Deterring Bugs

• basil to tomato (tomato wards off flies and mosquitoes)
• borage to tomato (borage repels tomato worm)
• cabbage family (brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kohlrabi, kale) to aromatic plants (e.g. rosemary, chamomile, dill, celery, thyme, sage, pennyroyal, onions) = [aromatic crops drive away cabbage worms]
• Dead Nettle to potato (dead nettle wards off potato bugs)
• Catnip planted in borders fight again'st flea beetles
• chive and carrots to fruit trees (chive & carrots prevent insects from climbing up the trees)
• garlic to raspberries/roses (repels Japanese beetles)- if planted with herbs, it will enhance production of essential oils and repel pests if mass planted with garlic
• horseradish to potato and plum trees (repels potato beetles and curculios from plum trees)
• hyssop to cabbage (hyssop drives away cabbage moths)
• Nasturtium to tomatoes, cabbage, fruit trees and cucumbers (it deters aphids and cucurbit pests)
• onion to lettuce, tomato, strawberries, beans and beets (lettuce protects onion from slugs; beans repel ants)
•  pot marigold to tomato (protects tomato from tomato worm; deters asparagus beetle and other pests)

*MARIGOLD (garden police!) -deters ground nematodes, repels a huge group of insects and pests

Plants Promoting Growth and Flavor of Vegetables

• Basil enhances the taste and growth of tomatoes
• Bee balm improves growth and taste of tomatoes
• Borage improves flavor and growth of tomatoes
• Radish improves the taste and plant life of chervil
• Cabbage improves health of dill
• Yarrow, when planted among'st herbs, will assist in their production of essential oils

*PETUNIA, SOYBEAN, TARRAGON, VALERIAN -very beneficial for plants throughout the garden