![]() Not only does companion planting offer protection from diseases and pests, it also maintains healthy soil without the use of potentially harmful chemicals. A solution that our ancestors understood intimately. There is, however, a much simpler solution. If a farm concentrates solely on cultivating corn, where does the necessary nitrogen come from every year? In most cases, the answer is chemical fertilizers. Corn requires more nutrients (particularly nitrogen) than practically any other commercial crop grown in the United States. ![]() Increased disease, pests and artificial fertilizers have all become commonplace in the commercial farming industry. Unfortunately, monoculture farming leads to a variety of problems. If the price of a bushel of corn went down, for instance, a farmer might decide to switch to soybeans or some other crop offering a higher profit potential. Sometimes, farmers would change which crop they focused on depending on current market prices. In the past, farmers decided that focusing on a single crop was the best way to reap maximum profits. Granted, most of us don’t have access to acres upon acres to grow our crops, but believe it or not monoculture is never beneficial. Think about it…whenever you drive through rural America you are likely to encounter countless fields filled with row after row of a single crop. No discussion about companion planting would be complete without first tearing apart our current monoculture (single crop planting) ideas about gardening. So don’t see this as an exact science, but more as an exploration guide for your own learning. Much more research is needed to understand the intricate relationships between plants and other living organisms. John Jeavons, How to Grow More Vegetables, page 102.īefore we jump into the good stuff, keep in mind that while Nature has perfected companion planting over billions of years, it’s still an experimental field for us humans. He goes on giving a more accurate, living, and spiritual description:Ĭompanion planting is the growing together of all those elements and beings that encourage life and growth the creation of a microcosm that includes vegetables, fruits, trees, bushes, wheat, flowers, weeds, birds, soil, microorganisms, water, nutrients, insects, toads, spiders, and chickens. (Want to know about three companion plants that absolutely LOVE each other? Click to grab How to Grow the 3 Sisters Garden) What is Companion Planting?Īs John Jeavons writes in his excellent book How to Grow More Vegetables, a scientific definition of companion planting is: “The placing together of plants having complementary physical demands.” In this guide you’ll find a list of 67 common vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit trees with their companion plants as well as antagonistic plant enemies that can actually hinder their development. So let’s look at companion planting what it actually is, why it’s beneficial and finally, just how easy it is to accomplish at home without years of gardening experience. We talk consistently about permaculture, organic gardening techniques and ways to improve crop yields regardless of how much (or little) space you have available. ![]() It’s easy to become overwhelmed when planning a new garden or improving an existing one. Companion Planting Charts Companion Planting Plant Index ![]()
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