Companion Planting in Your Garden

Companion Planting in Your Garden

Article by Dayelle Swensson

Companion planting is all about planting things together in your garden that get along and benefit each other. One important benefit of companion planting is pest control. One plant can hide another plant from pests or produce odors that keep pests away. Some plants can be used to attract pests away from other plants. Another benefit is pollination where one plant attracts insects, like bees, which help pollinate the other plant. Some plants add needed nutrients to the soil that benefit their companion plants.Companion planting has been done since the days of the Romans. Native Americans are known for their technique called the Three Sisters technique in which they planted corn, pole beans and squash together. The beans would climb up the cornstalks and the beans would provide nitrogen for the corn. The squash spreads along the ground preventing weeds and add mulch which retains moisture in the soil. Companion planting became popular in the seventies when the organic farming movement began. There is still limited science to support its benefits in large scale farming but home gardeners espouse its benefits.Marigolds are a popular companion plant particularly for tomatoes. The smell of the marigolds keeps pests away because they don