What is Companion Planting?

Companion planting refers to the practice of strategically putting plants together that mutually benefit each other.

Benefits can include:

• supporting each other’s growth

• deterring pests

• improving soil health

• enhancing biodiversity

Planting chives alongside lettuce is beneficial as they help repel pests, enhance growth, and improve flavor.

This can be an especially helpful practice if you’re attempting to grow a vegetable garden in Florida’s harsh climate. Our intense sun, wet and humid summers, and sandy soil can make growing food crops a challenge.

Examples of Great Companions:

• Tomatoes and basil: basil repels tomato hornworms and give tomatoes a better flavor.

• Corn, beans and squash: the beans add nutrients to the soil, squash keeps the weeds away by shading the ground, and corn gives the beans something to climb.

• Onions and carrots: carrots loosen the soil for onions, and onions repel carrot flies.

• Marigolds and vegetables: the flowers keep away nematodes (damaging worms) and other pests.

• Nasturtium and beans: aphids don’t like these flowers and will avoid the area.

Examples of Bad Companions:

• Garlic and onions with beans or peas.

• Mint or onion with asparagus.

• Cucumbers, squashes, radishes or tomatoes with potatoes.

• Cabbages with strawberries.

• Kale and cauliflower.

For more helpful tips to make your life easier, download our Companion Planting Printable.

Stay Dirty,

Ashley