It can be inferred that companion plantings have been around for a while, and have their place in the annals of agriculture history. Some of the earliest written documents on gardening discuss these relationships. Early settlers discovered American First Nations people were using an interplanting scheme of corn-bean-squash that balanced the requirements of each crop for light, water, and nutrients.
Over in Europe, Dutch farmers in the 19th century planted hemp around their cabbage field to eliminate nasty pests, mainly white cabbage butterflies. It is still a common practice nowadays for farmers and organic gardeners to grow more than one crop at the same time in the same area – this is a technique that is intended as a solution to many farming and gardening problems.
Companion planting, simply put, is the act of making plants help each other out and enhance each other’s functionality by planting them next to each other – some of the benefits include improved plant growth and less chances of getting hit by disease. But do not think solely of the pests being driven away when trying to choose your companion plants. Some other considerations include how plants would contribute or take away from the soil or how certain herbs, when planted next to your vegetables, can affect their flavor.
Avoid the juxtaposition of heavy feeders or plants with shallow roots. Having a strategic and well thought-out pest management system is imperative in most gardens, and one of the best weapons that can help achieve this goal is a fusillade of companion planting in an effort to drive those pests away. For instance, you can plant chives and garlic among your peas and lettuce to drive aphids away. Most bugs are dissuaded by the presence of marigolds in gardens of all kinds. Rosemary, thyme, sage, catmint, hyssop, or mixtures of all three between rows of cabbage helps deter the white cabbage moth. Potato beetles can be repelled with horseradish planted on the sides of your potato patches. Aphids can also be defeated and sent off by two different kinds of plants – garlic (which works best near roses) and Nasturium, which works in different parts of the garden.
As the limitations and ill effects of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and other modern practices become more apparent, scientists and researchers have begun to look at the old-fashioned method of gardening and farming. So down with the new and up with the old – companion planting is a method that is both functional and aesthetic in nature while remaining healthful and wholesome. In essence, companion planting allows us to help bring a balanced eco-system to our landscapes, allowing nature to do its’ job.
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