Companion planting is about growing mixed crops side by side so they make the best use of the sun, soil and moisture in a bed. Good companions are naturally compatible, or they draw on the soil at different times, so they don't compete. They can also help the main crop by opening up the soil, giving support as they grow and keeping pests away.
Vegetables that grow well together
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Beans with potatoes and cucumbers
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Carrots with peas and onions
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Corn with peas and beans
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Lettuce with carrots and radish
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Tomatoes with onions and carrots
Companion planting for pest control
Companion planting brings balance to the garden by controlling pests naturally and attracting beneficial insects.
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Onions and leeks help protect carrots from carrot rust fly by masking their smell.
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Borage, dill, foxglove, flowering parsley and rosemary bring bees into the garden.
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Pyrethrum daisy has a pungent smell that helps protect against a range of insects.
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Marigolds attract hoverflies, which eat aphids, scale, mealybug and thrips. They help with pollination too.
Start with good soil
Mixed planting means more plants drawing on the same bed, so make sure the soil can keep up. Before planting, work Daltons Compost through the existing soil, or top up raised beds with Daltons Garden Mix. Both are available in bulk from your local Daltons Landscape Supplies yard.
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