Maximize your summer harvest with companion planting
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EmailCompanion planting, also known as intercropping, is “cropping” up on social media as if it is the latest garden discovery. But companion planting can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations.
Recent scientific research has proven many of the “wives' tales” and garden folklore we have been told over the years have actual scientific merit. Companion planting, also known as intercropping, is “cropping” up on social media as if it is the latest garden discovery. But companion planting can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations. There is archaeological evidence of companion planting for as long as people have been farming. One popular example of intercropping is “The Three Sisters Garden.” This method of planting corn, beans and squash together was practiced by indigenous people for thousands of years, as the three plants nourish and protect each other.
There are libraries full of books and thousands of websites, including university articles and research, about companion planting. Companion planting techniques are simple and easy to follow. All one needs to know is which vegetables are compatible and will benefit from their planting location, in relation to other vegetables, flowers and herbs. It is equally important to know which plants don’t like to be planted in close proximity to other plants.
Thinking about how fast crops grow can also be advantageous to get the most from your garden space. The right combinations will help you to grow bigger, tastier vegetables, while increasing insect and disease resistance, improving pollination and soil health, and maximizing your garden space. Fast-growing plants (such as lettuce, radishes and spinach) planted with slower-growing plants (such as tomatoes and peppers) will allow the slower-growing plants to have room to mature once the first crop (from the fast-growing plants) is harvested.
Another thing Michigan State University Extension encourages you to take into consideration when choosing companion plants is the plant's roots: think about where in the soil the plant’s roots are. Place deep-rooting plants near more shallow-rooting plants so that their roots will be absorbing the moisture and nutrients they need from different depths of the soil. Some examples of this are: carrots with peas; strawberries with bush beans; asparagus with tomatoes and parsley. Don’t forget that flowers and herbs play a role in your garden, too, especially when companion planting.
Although it is beneficial to plant companion plants together, keep in mind that some plants don’t like to be planted near each other. Common examples of this are: beans do not like onions or garlic, cabbage is not a companion of tomatoes, and potatoes do not do well with vine crops, tomatoes or sunflowers.
With a little research, you will have happy plants in a thriving garden!
