Help Your Garden Thrive by Crossing These Plants
Like some people, some plants are more comfortable in pairs. Of course, they can survive on their own, but in order to truly thrive, they need a special (planting) someone close to them.
These pairs, known in horticulture as “companion plants” or “helpers”, have an FWB (foliage-with-advantage) relationship. Typically, this includes things like helping each other in sources of nutrients or keeping out pesky garden pests. Consider that he has a gardening buddy system.
If this sounds like something you might want to try in your own garden, Rachel Broome at BobVila.com has a few suggestions for growing companion plants. Here are some of them.
Plants that grow well in pairs
Need help playing plant matchmaker? Brouman has several recommendations :
Basil
- It goes well with : tomatoes, potatoes, beets, cabbage, beans, asparagus, eggplant, chili, bell pepper, marigolds.
Beet
- Pairs well with: cabbage plants, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, garlic, strawberries, marigolds.
Carrot
- Pairs well with : cabbage, leeks, lettuce, onions, garlic, peas.
Cucumbers
- It goes well with : beans, corn, peas, tomatoes, radishes, cabbage vegetables, marigolds, oregano, nasturtium.
Salad (includes romaine, bibb, and leafy varieties)
- It goes well with beets, carrots, onions, garlic, representatives of the cabbage family.
Melons (watermelon, melon, honeydew)
- It goes well with corn, pumpkin, radish, marrow, marigold, oregano.
Pepper (hot or soft)
- It goes well with: carrots, eggplants, onions, parsley, tomatoes, basil.
Potato
- Goes well with : beans, cabbage plants, corn, eggplants, peas, horseradish.
Zucchini (nut, carnival, other varieties)
- It goes well with corn, melon, pumpkin, marigold, oregano.
Tomatoes
- It goes well with asparagus, carrots, celery, cucumbers, onions, parsley, pepper, basil, dill, garlic, mint.
What’s next?
Enjoy a bountiful harvest! And if you’re unsure of what to make from a huge harvest of cucumbers and courgettes, Lifehacker’s Skillet ‘s vertical section has loads of recipes and other suggestions to help you eat well all summer long. If you grow more than you can eat or give away, we also have a lot of canned food and preservation- related materials for you to check out.