Companion Planting
Bio-Intensive Gardening has three major components: Compost, Double-Digging, and
Companion Planting. All are very helpful when done individually of course, but
when combined with one another, you can maximize the yields of healthy vigorous
crops. Not only will the vegetables be healthier to eat because they won’t be sprayed,
but the costs of production will be much less overall. The excess money that won’t be
spent on chemicals can now be spent on more important family needs. Furthermore,
this growing can be done in a smaller amount of space due to the technique of
companion planting.
The two major beneficial results of companion planting are: 1) soil and space
conservation; and 2) insect deterrence.
I.
Soil and Space Conservation
A) Living Mulch
-What we call living mulch is the result of maximizing the available space that
you have available to grow vegetables
1) Since the plants are placed as close to one another as possible
without interfering with each others’ growth, the soil structure will be
stronger and therefore more resistant to erosion
2) As your plants grow larger, they will block potentially harmful rains
from eroding the top layer of soil
3) Your soil will retain more water because it will be shaded more by
the leaves, and will not dry out as much. Also, when the soil isn’t
constantly dry, it is better able to receive water without having the
water run off
4) Weeds will have less area to grow, and it will be more difficult for
them to grow with a lack of available sunlight
**It is important to realize that the plants will not be able to serve this
function in the early stages of growth. So, organic mulch can be used
to temporarily serve the same purpose as what the living mulch will
eventually be able to do. Things that can be used for mulch are any
natural browns, examples are: dried leaves dried banana leaves, hay,
corn husks, etc. Once the plants do become big enough to work as
living mulch, the two types of mulch can work together to achieve
maximum health.
B) Efficient Planting (think triangles)
-Rather than planting your vegetables in rows, it is possible to plant them so
that each plant is the same distance from the next. When this is done
throughout the entire bed, one can clearly see that more plants can be grown
using this method than by planting in rows. (The distances that should be used
can be found on the chart that is attached)
C) Crop Rotation (Leaf – Fruit – Root – Legume)
-Different plants interact in different ways with the nutrients in the soil. Some
take a small amount of nutrients and they are called Light Feeders (LF), some
take a large amount of nutrients from the soil and these are hard Heavy
Feeders (HF), and some plants give nutrients back to soil and they are called
Heavy Givers (HG). One can’t expect to have healthy soil every year when a
Heavy Feeder is planted year after year into the same soil. Plants need to be
rotated so that the soil doesn’t become totally depleted of nutrients. So, every
one or two seasons, the plants that you have been planting in one area should
be changed. (Refer to the charts on the following pages that label each plant
as LF, HF, or HG)
Breaking disease and insect cycles through crop rotation is critical for garden
success. Follow this simple leaf-fruit-root-legume cropping pattern as much
as possible to encourage healthy fertility and less insect and disease.
II.
Insect Deterrents
A) Crop Variation
-The main objective here is to make it more difficult for insects and disease to
attack your plants.
1) Each plant releases different chemicals into the soil, which can sometimes
be very good for other plants, these are called companions. However,
plants can also release chemicals that can be bad for one another, and these
are called antagonists. This is why it is important to plant vegetables next
to one another that will help both to grow stronger. As the plants are
strengthened, they are less susceptible to pests and disease. (There is a list
of companions and antagonists on the following pages)
2) Crop variation is important because your crops will be less susceptible to
large disastrous invasions by a pest. Insects can more easily attack one
large field of one type of crop than one that has many different types.
Therefore, variety in each bed is a type of natural protection.
B) Use of Beneficials
-The beneficials are usually flowers or herbs that give you a natural way to
make your plants more resistant to insects and to make your garden look nice
all at the same time
-The beneficials attract “good” insects that eat the “bad” one’s: predator vs.
prey; instead of killing all the insects with pesticides, allow the “good” one’s
to help your plants
TRANSPLANTING
Growing seedbeds in order to transplant is beneficial for a number of reasons.
1) You can select which seedlings you want to transplant. This means that you can
take the healthiest seedlings rather than planting a seed directly into your bed that
might not germinate at all.
2) Seedbeds require much less water than do crop beds. A great deal of water and
time can be saved by using this technique because there is much less space to
water.
3) You can control how the plant will grow. When you transplant, if you place the
plant in the ground up to its’ first leaves than it will insure a strong stem for the
plant. If done improperly than the plant will develop a week stem (see picture),
and the plant won’t grow to its’ full potential.
4) If transplanting is done in the evening, it is best because the seedlings have an
opportunity to adjust over night when the sun isn’t out. This will prevent
excessive wilting of the plant and will allow greater opportunity to grow.
5) If seedlings are attacked by a “pest” you can choose not to plant those plants in the
growing bed so that the plants don’t introduce the “pest” to the other plants
Spacing Distances for Plants
Plant
African Eggplant
Amaranth (for greens)
Asparagus
Basil
Beans
Beets
Broccoli
Chin. Cabbage
Cabbage
Carrots
Comfrey, Russian
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Collards
Corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Horseradish
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce, Head
Lettuce, Leaf
Mustard
Nightshade
Okra
Distance (Spacing)
60cm
10cm
30 cm
15cm
17cm
10cm
35cm
25cm
35cm
7cm
30cm
35cm
20cm
28cm
40cm
25cm
44cm
10cm
28cm
35cm
15cm
30cm
22cm
15cm
20cm
15cm
HG, HF, or LF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HG
LF
HF
HF
HF
LF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
LF
LF
HF
LF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
Onions
Parsley
Peas
Peppers, Hot
Peppers, Sweet
Potato, Irish
Potato, Sweet
Pumpkin
Radishes
Shallots
Soybeans
Spinach
Strawberries
Swiss Chard
Sunflower
Tomatoes
Tomatoes, Cherry
Turnips
Watermelon
Zucchini
10cm
10cm
10cm
30cm
30cm
22cm (15cm depth)
22cm (15cm depth)
50cm
5cm
10cm
15cm
15cm
30cm
20cm
45cm
40cm
40cm
10cm
50cm
45cm
LF
HF
HG
HF
HF
LF
LF
HF
LF
HF
HG
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
HF
LF
HF
HF
A List of Common Vegetables, Their Companions and Antagonists
Companions
Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil
Antagonists
Asparagus
Beans
Almost all vegetables
Onions, garlic
Beets
Onions
Some beans
Cabbage Family
Aromatic herbs, potatoes,
(cabbage, cauliflower, kale, dill, sage, mint, rosemary,
beans
nightshade, broccoli)
beets, onions
Strawberries,
tomatoes, some
Carrots
Peas, lettuce, chives,
Onions, leeks, rosemary,
Sage, tomatoes
Dill
Chives
Carrots
Peas, beans
Corn
Potatoes, peas, beans,
Cauliflower, cabbage
Cucumbers
Beans, corn, peas, radishes,
Sunflowers
Eggplant
Leeks
Beans
Onions, carrots
Potatoes, aromatic
herbs
Lettuce
Carrots (very good with lettuce
And radishes), strawberries,
Cucumbers
Onions (and garlic)
Beets, strawberries, tomatoes,
Lettuce, parsley
Parsley
Tomatoes, asparagus
Peas
Most vegetables
Onions, garlic,
Potatoes
Potatoes
Beans, corn, cabbage,
Horseradish, marigolds,
Eggplant
Pumpkins, squash,
cucumbers,
sunflowers,
Pumpkins
Corn
Potatoes
Radishes
Peas, nasturtiums, lettuce,
Cucumbers
Soybeans
Grows with anything
Spinach
Strawberries
Squash
Nasturtiums, corn
Strawberries
Beans, spinach, lettuce
Cabbage
Tomatoes
Chives, onions, parsley,
Asparagus, marigolds,
Nasturtiums, carrots
Potatoes, fennel,
cabbage
Peas, beans
tomatoes,
Herbs and Flowers : deter insects and strengthen soil.
Basil
Companion to tomatoes, dislikes rue intensely. Improves growth and
flavor. Repels flies and mosquitoes.
Chives
Companion to carrots; improves growth and flavor.
Dill
Companion to cabbage; dislikes carrots; improves growth and health of
cabbage
Fennel
Plant away from gardens. Most plants dislike it.
Garlic
Deters beetles.
Hyssop
Deters cabbage moth; companion to cabbage.
Marigolds
The workhorse of the pest deterrents. Plant throughout garden; they
discourage many insects including beetles and nematodes.
Mint
Companion to cabbage, and tomatoes; improves health and flavor;
deters white cabbage moth.
Nasturtium
Companion to radishes and cabbage; plant under fruit trees. Deters
aphids, squash bugs, stripped pumpkin beetle. Improves growth and
flavor. Eat the leaves as well as the flowers.
Petunia
Protects beans.
Calendula
Companion to tomatoes, but plant elsewhere in the garden too. Deters
asparagus beetle, tomato worm, and general garden pests.
Rosemary
Companion to cabbage, beans, carrots, and sage; deters cabbage moth,
bean beetles, and carrot fly
Sage
Plant with rosemary, cabbage, and carrots; keep away from cucumbers.
Deters cabbage moth, carrot fly.
Tarragon
Good throughout garden.
Wild
Morning
Glory
Grow with corn.