Why Vegetables Need Friends: Companion Planting Made Simple 🌺
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- Опубліковано 29 тра 2024
- Vegetables need friends too! Nature works in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways, and with a little know-how you can harness the powers of nature to boost and protect your crops as well as wildlife. Ben reveals some of his treasured secrets in this week's episode.
Our team of passionate plant nerds have been hard at work for many many months, thoroughly researching the science behind beneficial plants, bringing you tried and tested Evidence-Based Companion Planting methods.
All of this in depth information and more is available on our online Garden Planner software. See the link below.
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Great info Ben! I've always included a few companion plants in our gardens, but last year I really made a conscious effort to include as many as possible. WOW what a difference! The gardens were full of marigolds, zinnias, calendula, nasturtium, basil, and borage, and I can honestly say after almost 17 years this was the best my garden has ever produced, even with the terrible weather last summer. Not only were the beneficial bugs plentiful, but the pest population seemed much reduced, AND it was astonishingly beautiful. I loved going out to weed and to watch the bees, butterflies, wasps, hoverflies, hummingbirds, etc early in the morning. It was so peaceful. This year I have similar plants planned, with full rows of pollinator strips throughout. If anyone reading this hasn't tried companion planting yet, I highly recommend it!!!!! Even just a few zinnias and marigolds to start with are helpful, beautiful, and grow easily from inexpensive seed packets💚
Aaah thanks Jamie. That sounds wonderful and will def do this year. Much appreciated.
What a fantastic endorsement of companion planting, many thanks Jamie.
@@GrowVeg I love your Chanel, Great Job!! But just I miss the old music, was more catchy😀 Greetings from Chile🇨🇱 I hope you put it back🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
I miss the music too. Wonderful suggestions! Like Jamie, I have always used Marigolds around my tomatoes. But will definitely try to add more basil and some of the particular flowers mentioned.
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I heard something years ago that has to do with companion planting.
'If it tastes good together, it grows well together'
Certainly true for tomatoes and basil.
Interesting - and certainly true for that pair.
That's true, same with the garlic and potatoes 😋
Onions and beets!
@@AmandaComeauCreates I'll have to try that one 🙂
@@SugarMakesMePOP YES! Now I'm hungry....😂
2 years ago I was killing dozens of hornworms on my tomato plants. Last year I planted marigolds underneath and didn't have a single hornworm. My wife also planted an entire flower bed nearby with calendula for making soap and salve, and my garden was pretty much pest free other than the fall grasshoppers.
That is so great to hear Dustin!
I'm in Tennessee. I grew basil around my tomatoes last season and noticed a sharp decrease in pests in comparison to years past. You can't go wrong with basil between the benefits from companion planting, the smell, and cooking uses it's a definite win.
Definitely!
What area in Tennessee? It’s my first year here in Tennessee.
Hello Neighbors. I am also new to Tennessee. Will be settling in June. 🙂
Throw some marigolds I that garden and you'll get quicker pollination and even less pests
I'm in Middle Tennessee and planted the purple Basil 3 years ago and had it everywhere last year. I gave lots away and used it to freshen the chicken coop.
I want to thank you for noting differences from your garden and those in North America. I really appreciate those notes, it’s so kind of you. ❤️
You're welcome Marinda. Thanks for watching.
I’ve had so much success planting marigolds with tomatoes!
And they look nice together too!
Last year I mistakenly ordered Holy Basil or Tulsi instead of basil. It grew very well and attracted a huge number of different pollinators. It was at the edge of a path to the greenhouse and got brushed every time I walked by. The aroma was wonderful. I added it to my list of “companions” for this year. Easy to grow from seed with lovely little blue flowers. Highly recommended.
I've not grown it, but it's on my 'to grow' list - I look forward to trying it.
I actually made an app that did this exact thing as a school project a couple of years ago. We didn't have a lot of combinations in our app but I found it super cool
Nice work!
@@GrowVeg thank you haha. This video would have been super useful back then. I remember not having access to a lot of great information about which combinations actually worked. There was a lot of speculation out there and there probably still is.
I grow garlic the year round.
Agreed, at times there is no hope of a decently formed bulb, however, the leaves are edible, while the scent is still strong enough to do the job of repelling.
Ben my wife and I have learned so much watching your videos! Thank you for taking the time to make them!
Thanks so much for watching Michael. :-)
I’ve been doing this for the last few years, and saw that it does work and help. Nasturtiums were amazing! They saved a lot of my veggies bc they migrated to them instead. They taste so good as well, and help with pain. I ate the leaves when I had a toothache and it relived my pain until I was able to get to the dentist.
For years now, I put carrots and onions together. Succesfully. Thank you for your videos!
Big fan of companion planting, planting flowers and herbs alongside my vegetables. Interestingly nettles have so much benefit in the garden, they deter blackfly and attract lady birds. I grow clumps of yarrow which is a great compost activator and attracts lots of hoverflies. I like to plant flowers which attract insects and birds into the garden, Teasil is said to attract Goldfinches and Sweet Rocket attracts the Orange Tip butterfly. Flowers herbs and vegetables look beautiful interplanted and it's so nice when working you smell all the lovely smells of Chamomile. mint and thymes
It's great that so many of these companions just look and smell beautiful too. And agreed about the nettles - it's well worth leaving a few clumps of them dotted about.
Moved to a new state last year and put in a rushed garden. It did well, even though for the past 75 years it was dry grass hay fields. I did a couple companion plantings around the tomatoes and peppers. This year I'm going hog-wild. I am even doing my corn, half traditional rows and half 3 sisters. I am also looking at companion plants that can be dried and used as tea. Every plant and every animal on my place has to do their own share of work.
Great to get multi uses from your plants - that's the best way.
I love marigold below my tomatoes 🍅
I’m trying to do more companion planting this year. I do know for a fact Basil does indeed keep bad bugs away from pepper plants. I had planted my Basil at the end of my pepper plants and never had any problems at all with any of the plants. In fact they were the prettiest plants in my garden. The yum yum mini peppers and jalapeños peppers produce the most and the green bell produce a lot too, however the peppers were on the small side. I now know to plant Basil next to my tomato plants and plan to grow different varieties of Basil too. Still learning as I grow! Thank you for sharing your knowledge as to what works!
We’re always still learning Christine, that’s one of the joys of gardening. 😀
I have 2 raised beds about 3.5 ft x2.5 ft and 30 inches tall. I have tomato’s on a string trellis in one along with bush type zuchini and squash and the other has squash peppers Pak choy along with of course nasturtium and onion,and calendula In both. I started a flower bed in ground this year, with plenty of cosmos, nasturtiums, phlox, zinnias, allysum, snapdragons, and many others! I also started a small in ground garden plot where I put my brassicas. I have lettuce, radishes, carrots tucked in into many spaces in all the beds. I have a smaller container with turnips, beets, peas and Swiss chard. I planted many grow pots with several types of peppers and tomatoes as well as plant towers with herbs, another with all bush beans, and another with strawberries. I have okra (wish me luck) planted along the fence that faces the road (chicken wire and wood) in with morning glories to climb the fence. In another corner I’ve just planted corn, sunflowers, and made a new obelisk with cucumbers and (new to me) lemon cucumber, with spaghetti squash a few feet away on one side, and acorn squash on the other. This is a rock bed, however I moved all the rock, amended the soil, planted everything , and then added the rock back. I’m probably over reaching my abilities but I love planting everything from seed and “playing in the dirt”. I enjoy working in the garden every day and am hoping for a bounty of flowers, birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects as well as a great continual vegetable harvest all year! I am going to try to succession plant this year, as many of my crops were all started at different times. I really enjoyed this video, thank you! I have borage around the perimeter of the yard along with other flowers as well! I’m so excited for everything to grow more! Doing my best for companion planting too!
Wow! So much growing - amazing! Definitely good for the soul to 'play in the dirt'! :-)
Love this software. Gives me some excellent day dreaming during the winter months and allows me to maximize what I can grow throughout the year.
Did you catch what is was called?
Looking for the name also?
Maintaining a 3500 sq ft inground garden is ever so much easier with the Garden Planner! I've been using it for years now, and it not only helps with companion planting, but it keeps track of where I planted, making crop rotation a breeze!
Thanks for the feedback Carol. I hope you have a stunning 2023 garden planned - I'm sure you do! :-)
As a graduate of Iowa State University, I really appreciate all your videos and the Garden Planner Almanac website.
Thanks Sara. That’s lovely to hear. 😀
I really believe plants help each. I had a Prayer plant that did not do much for a year. Never seen to grow. I put it by my Peace Lilly and now there's no stopping it. It is almost as big as the older one.💚💚💚💚
Every time I've had nasturtium in my garden I find that they actually attract more cabbage butterfly larvae to both them and everything around them than when I haven't - they reeeally love them! So my advice is to use them sparingly unless you do plant a lot of cabbage and broccoli type plants.
Yeah, that recommendation doesn’t make sense to me. If you feed them, won’t there be more? But maybe planting them far from the cabbage would draw the moths away. Maybe. But next year, there would be more because you fed them your favourite food. I’m not sold on it.
Love your dog!😁
Well, I was accidentally doing good things, lol. I have planted marigolds in the garden for years. But the last two or three, I planted nasturtiums, just because. And a plant we call “4 o”clocks”. This year my garden was so lovely with all the flowers. But I will definitely put them around the potatoes ! I fight that battle every year ! And basil with tomatoes, whoda thunk it ? There’s also the “3 sisters”. Corn, squash and beans. American Indian staple.
We are in a deep freeze here. It’s a welcome video before I get on my piles of garments and go feed the animals . Brrrr ! Have a Blessed Sunday!
And you Tonie. Here's to a splendid companion planting-fuelled growing season!
I had just a few nasturtium sprouts last year... They kind of struggled along for a little while but then boom! They became the most vibrant plants in the garden. They almost took over a whole raised bed, and the offspring of that are sprouting this week as volunteers. All the blooms on last year's variety were hot tomato red.
They certainly know how to put on a show!
Another great video. I’ve always grown marigolds everywhere in the veg patch, and started planted onions in the carrot bed a number of years ago. I’ve had great success eliminating the carrot fly. I tend to plant calendula and nasturtiums everywhere, so I guess that’s a good thing 🤓👍🏻🌱
Absolutely!
I had a game my family bought on our only trip to Europe (I live in Melbourne) as a kid that was called the Garden Game, and I remember it mentioned companion planting.
Sounds like a very thoroughly thought-out game Megan!
I used the Garden Planner last year and their suggestions for companion planting and felt it really helped me step up my game!
That’s really great to hear. 😀
I'm only just getting into companion planting - I'm testing it out in my school's vegetable garden, now that I've stepped up to take it over. I've found that many of the pests here are familiar - the ubiquitous cabbage moth must apparently live everywhere that humans have brought cabbage. But some are quite unique to this land, and yet enjoy many of my crops with the same voracity of their well-cited cousins in the west. For instance, I'm not battling tomato horn-worms (yet, fingers crossed - Japanese hornworms I've seen are huge), but there's a bristly-looking fellow my kids tell me is "biri-biri" (electric shock onomatopoeia) if I touch it. It has the head all too reminiscent of the famed suzumebachi, so it already struck a little fear in me. It's haemolymph is the color of actual blood, so they're best not squashed in good company. I've found them gnashing on everything on basically everything in my garden, but I've only just started introducing my companion starters, so I'm hoping to have more luck, from here on out.
Anyway, my question is: does your scientific companion planting app take into account the various species of pests from around the world (where similar crops are grown)? If not, would you be interested in more region specific data from citizen scientists, if offered?
Thanks Jakob. The software companion planting feature was based on any scientifically peer-reviewed evidence of any benefit. This won't necessarily take into account every pest. We may look to invite more region specific data at some point. You may be interested in our Big Bug Hunt, which is inviting feedback from gardeners: www.bigbughunt.com
This is my first year gardening. Or trying. My puppy is making it hard. LOL but I was starting to grow marigold so happy to know they'll be well welcomed by the veggies.
I have an allotment based in the UK. I planted nasturtiums in courgette and Bean beds last year and had great success. Bees and flowers everywhere. Am expecting the nasturtiums to have self seeded so , same again this year. Basil and peppers was also a great idea.
The nasturtiums almost always self-seed, so hopefully they’ll come good for you this year Philip.
Very thought provoking video, I'm suffering from spring fever watching this and we're about to get the worst winter storm of the year in midwestern Ohio! 🥶 Thanks for the tip about nasturtium and brassica's 😉
SO BEAUTIFUL.. TX Ben..not all marigolds are created equally..some are more useful companions than others, i read.
I bought a book on companion planting but much of it has so far been basics of setting up a garden . I learned a lot just listening to you. Thanks for verbal and visual advice.
So pleased the video was helpful Nancy. Best of luck with this year‘s garden.
Your cute fur baby reminds me of mine. When ever my husband and I are out in the backyard in our garden he just wants be by our side constantly. Happy gardeing
She's a great companion.
I finally got nasturtium to grow last year--yeah! I must have been lucky with brassicas also as nothing chewed on them--that cabbage, broccoli and Brussels were all producing and picture perfect. The nasturtium were only in the bed with broccoli and I had let some parsley and cilantro grow from last year. Now, if I could only find a way to vanish the dreaded squash vine borer and Japenese Beetles I'd have it made.
By happy accident, I used companion gardening without knowing it until I started watching videos like yours. 😊Thank you! I planted nasturtiums by the arugula and the arugula spread like crazy and did very well. I had quite a big crop and was able to share with friends and family last year. It was so healthy I was able to harvest it until November. I live in upstate New York in the USA and most harvesting ends in October so it was a real treat to be able to continue adding fresh arugula to my salad! I am enjoying your videos and they are so helpful. Keep them coming!
That's really super to hear Lisa. Thanks for the comment - and we'll keep them coming I promise!
Typed in two different topics...same guy comes up. Subscribed!!
Haha - nice one. A very warm welcome to you!
Love these videos! I use my exercise bike in the morning, while watching Bens videos. I’ll be ready for spring gardening.
Ready to garden and super-fit to do it Patricia!
I started using the companion planting this year in my garden planner. This is my second year with the garden planner app and I plant to take advantage of more of the features, including weighing my harvest so I can see how I do on certain plants!
I hope the companion planting is making a difference Ashlee.
Interesting & informative video Grow Veg. Companion planting is essential for organic gardening so I am planning to do it.
Love it! I've already got garlic, marigolds and lavender in my small Vege garden, but I'm delighted I can now indulge myself with more flowers!!! 😉
Always enjoy your videos.I appreciate how you let us know here in the states the difference in how plants do from your location to ours. I am doing more and more companion planting each year. I try different plants each year.
That’s great to hear Steve. Companion planting can be so powerful.
Brilliant! Companion planting is my favorite way to attract the good guys who beat up the bad guys. So many of the companions are beautiful too!
You're undoubtedly a better grower l, so I'm working on my land 👍
The dog is soooooo adorable!
Thank you for a very informative video. Not only does the addition of flowers to the vegetable beds help with fighting disease and pests and attracting beneficial insects, it also makes it a more pleasant experience for the gardener to work among all those flowers and vegetables. Loving all the updates to the Garden Planner. I have been using it for a few years now. One of my must have tools for gardening now got even better!
So pleased to hear you're enjoying the Garden Planner Anita. Flowers are fab in the veggie garden for sure!
Years ago I purchased two books by the same author. Roses Love Garlic and Carrots Love Tomatoes. They have great information in companion planting. Love your videos!
I love Nasturtiums ❤
I am new to gradening i have just started growing my own food this year and i am going to be adding more flowers round my garden next year as i think this is most not only to get good crops but to help the beneficial bugs and out just as much as they help us and i feel i am picking alot up from watching your channel with some other i watch as well so thank you very much for helping us with tips and hints
Definitely worth including flowers in the vegetable garden. :-)
I've learned so much from using the Garden Companion Planter (in my 4th year!) Love the recent enhancements of showing if plants are helping or helped by another plant or flower. My favorite flowers are borage, marigold, nasturtium and zinnias - they attract a TON of pollinators (although it's dangerous in the morning, when I am trying to harvest veggies and they are enjoying their feast) LOL
Hopefully the pollinators are too distracted to worry about you! :-)
I set out a dish of honey water or 100% fruit juice in the sun upwind and well away from where I'm working outside... the pollinators make a beeline for it.
I do plan on trying companion planting. I love the thought of plants being beneficial to other garden plants.
Hi Ben I love watching your videos, nasturtiums don't like being transplanted better off sowing direct.
Thanks Anthony. Maybe I’ll just poke the seeds in where they are to go. Save me a job transplanting too.
I will be planting basil with my tomatoes and Borage also, thank you !
Great Presentation Ben. Miss your daughter....
She'll be delighted you said that! I'm sure she'll be making an appearance in a video soon!
Yes! I have a few combos for each bed that I'll be trying this year. I went more with a "tree guild" mindset in my planning. The three sisters is one I have in a few beds, with the addition of some pest deterrents and pollinators attractors. For my smaller pots I picked a buddy or two for each pot. I think it's not only beneficial for the plants, but is also a great way to maximize space. My squash beds take up a lot of room, but if I can plant a bunch of corn throughout, that's extra veg in the same space that doesn’t compete for the same growing area. Looking forward to seeing how well they fare! Best of luck with your garden this year!
It sounds like you've got a really good plan of action for this growing season. Bounty and delicious produce awaits!
I just subscribed to the app, and wanted to say how much I love, love, LOVE it! I've been juggling spreadsheets and Visio diagrams until I thought I would lose my mind. The app does everything I needed and more - to scale, no less. Varieties, zone-appropriate info, companions, all the symbols... too much to list, and the month over month views are icing on the cake. Thank you so much!
That's so lovely to hear, thank you for the feedback. :-)
What’s the app called?
The more I watch this channel, the smarter the previous owner of this townhouse (or her gardener) looks. She has garlic, walking onion, and a wild strawberry cover crop already in place, though there's not enough space to do a serious vegetable patch. I've put in fruit trees and crossed my fingers.
Great job with the fruit trees.
Isn't it great to buy into a place where the previous owner(s) planted food that stayed?
@@MamboDogFace yes! The asparagus is mature, even. I'm still not sure why all the trees are ornamental (except for the mulberry.)
When my family members mentioned my "woodchips" as a detraction from home sale, I told them that I have put in over $10,000 worth of edible landscaping. They laughed. Some people just don't get it.
I am adding Calimintha to attract green lace wings this year. Sadly I have a lot of aphids in the garden and I’m hoping that this will help to even the score!!
Love seeing your dog in the clips!
Inspired by Tony Smith, Emmas Allotment Diaries, Green Side Up, Lifesabooch, Malcolm Kingswell, Jessie at Plot 37 and now you. Not sure when I'm going to find time to watch all the blogs and still get the work done on my Allotment. Have access to a large plot (0.75 of an acre). Plan is to create a community resource. Have a few volunteers in the team so far and made connections with a local food bank and support groups for survivors of domestic violence and people suffering from anxiety. I'm going to record the progress, not initially for blogging reasons but for progress reporting. Thank you for inspiring me. My seed potatoes will start chitting this week I think. Red Duke of York is one of mine. No idea what I am letting myself in for. Very little experience. But I find myself really excited. Time to graft ......
Wow - what a great idea for a project. I wish you the very best of luck with it. :-)
It's my first season in the allotment and I am thinking to mix vegetables, herbs and flowers together, thank you for the information xxx
I sure will ! Wow !!!! You made this very clear and the comments too especially that one where the writer added such joy
I love the companion planting guide on the garden planner. So helpful and easy to use.
Cute dog, so funny
In North America, I would replace tansy with goldenrod. It serves a lot of the same purposes and it’s native
I've been planting marigolds with tomatoes for years... Very few sphinx moths. Didn't know basil did the same thing, although being planted 10-20 feet away from the tomatoes might have had an influence also.
The basil may well have had an influence. :-)
Thank you very much for sharing this video 👍
I love the online Garden planner. I have been using it for several years now. The companion planting and square foot gardening features are both helpful.
So pleased you find the Garden Planner useful. :-)
Fantastic video love your enthusiasm
I will definitely do more companion planting this year! Thank you for this video! ❤🙏
That's really great to hear. :-)
I love kale but they are attacked by whiteflies in my garden. This year I planted marigolds all over the kale and will be planting more nasturtiums based on your video. Thank you so much!
This was soo helpful!!
Exceptionally helpful! New environment to create gardens in, starting from scratch, this will be my guiding light for garden success!
Thank you Ben, it is something I am definitely looking into this year. I'm going to pop in garlic for space fillers all over the garden too.
I will definitely be upping my companion planting game this year. And I'm loving the garden planner to keep track of what I want to put where. Thanks!
Hi Ben. I sure like your hands on videos. They help me so much. I need to see how things are done and you always come through. Thank you for all you do.
Diana in Forrest Lakes, Colorado
Not at all Diana, it’s a pleasure. Thanks for watching 😀
You're very inspiring. Only tried houseplants but giving our garden a bit of TLC this year and companion planting is a new avenue as well
So pleased to hear that - you'll enjoy giving the garden some TLC I'm sure - the rewards will be plenty!
Your garden planner is the best I’ve seen .. I’m definitely going to sign up.. impressive !! Great job.,
That's really kind of you to say, thank you. :-)
It’s true!! Also love to hear you say “ adds a splash of cheer “.. makes me smile.
I will focus more this year on having companions
Love your videos, great wealth of info in each one. Keep them coming.
I have to say Ben, I am, as the name suggests, a bit on the wrong side of young and sprightly. I have minimal gardening, and vegetable growing, experience but I am about to move house (1st July) and there is a reasonable sized yard which is split between concrete slabs are and lawn. I am really eager to get started on growing and I am particularly keen on the raised bed method. I also hope to build a pretty basic greenhouse over the coming weeks (or months).
I tripped over one of your videos and I absolutely adore your down to earth and enthusiastic style. I will be buying your book, but I feel the garden planner is a tad expensive for my pension. I will probably have to forego that privilege.
Hopefully, I can get a bed or two organised for a late season of growth this year, but I am looking forward to having a plethora of raised beds and hanging containers ready for spring 2024 - Probably with a couple of arches at least as well.
How exciting to be starting a new garden - wonderful! I hope it grows well. Remember to enjoy it and take a step back from time to time to admire your work. :-)
Thank you for the good information
Thanks for the info! I've been really looking into this lately. I will have to check out that garden planner!
Ty much Ben! Just what we needed :)
Yes, I plan to do more companion planting this year...thanks for the tool to help me do it even better.🙂
Thank you so much. Love any new info for the garden. I have known of some,but learned of others.
Will definitely do more companion planting this, thank you so very much.
So glad I found this 🤩 thank you!
I have all these seeds. My garden will be gorgeous this year. I'm from Wyoming USA. Zone 4. Last frost date is end of March. First frost date is in September.
I'm sure it will Nancy. Happy gardening! :-)
I have just made a video about my new kitchen garden beds Ben, edibles and herbs as companions in one so all edible and edibles and companions in the other. Kind of a homage to Geoff Hamiltons "Ornamental Kitchen Garden TV series. Also growing Tansey here but be careful it self seeds like mad...Steve...😃
Thanks for the warning Steve. Geoff Hamilton was a really inspiring fellow.
Extremely helpful information Ben, I’m definitely going to do more companion planting! Many thanks 😀🐞🐝🦋
Thanks for the great info as usual!
I love your videos! Thanks for the info.
cuccs and dill, tomatoes and basil. nasturtiums and other flowers. sounds good! Thanks a bunch!
Really helpful channel, I'm just starting my gardening journey and this channel is so helpful. It helps it seems less intimating!!
So pleased to hear that. Welcome to the channel!
Excellent stuff. Am currently planning my veg patch, so will definitely bear this in mind
Thank you for sharing 😊
Thank you for this video! I’m so excited for 2023 garden journey! Every year i learn from my mistakes, and get better with my discernment on what my garden needs😊! I’m definitely gonna look into the garden planner, because it seems like a GREAT tool for beginners and even those who are experienced!
Great stuff! I hope you have a superb 2023 - with lots of tasty harvests! :-)
oh yes - love your videos i find companion planting very fun i love doing the research finding what goes with what