Companion Plants

Companion planting is planting different types of plants in close proximity to each other with the goal of helping the other plants in the area. One of the uses of companion planting is to manage pests and is more commonly known as Organic Pest Management. Companion planting helps with the natural balance of the environment, and for farmers, it reduces the use of pesticides and increases the crop yield. There seems to be a lot of information about the historical use of companion planting, however, there is no scientific information to validate it.

It will take some experimenting to see what works for your area. Some plants can be used as borders. If there is a particular insect that you are trying to bring to your area, make sure you use a plant that the insects are familiar with for your particular area.

There are techniques to use with companion planting, such as one called a trap crop. A trap crop protects other plants from harmful insects. For instance, lettuce and cabbage often attract caterpillars, which will destroy them. However, if nasturtium is planted near the lettuce or cabbage it will protect it from the caterpillar because the caterpillar is more attracted to the nasturtium than the lettuce or cabbage.

There are various types of companion plant categories. The following are a few of those categories: Flavor enhancement changes the flavor of the other plants around it. Protective shelter is used to protect a plant from wind or shade. Lastly, there’s pattern disruption, which prevents insects from being able to go from plant to plant quickly because there other plants dispersed between them.

Companion Plants

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