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Friends in the garden: what to plant next to what

IRENE VIRAG

May 4, 2008

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Make friends in the garden

Even though it hasn't been scientifically proven, generations of organic gardeners swear by companion planting. That's why marigolds are a mainstay of many vegetable and flower gardens. They're everybody's best friend, repelling root nematodes in the rose beds and whiteflies in the tomato patch.

Speaking of tomatoes, they're supposed to wipe out asparagus beetles and banish black spot - I've even heard from gardeners who concoct a juice out of tomato leaves, water and cornstarch to spray on rose foliage. And if you want to keep your tomatoes happy, plant basil nearby since the herb is said to offer protection from flea beetles and hornworms. But keep your tomatoes away from corn and potatoes, which suffer from the same worms and blight.

Potatoes are good neighbors for beans, however, because they shoo away Mexican bean beetles while the beans repel Colorado potato beetles. And beans are one of the "Three Sisters" cultivated by American Indians, who knew a thing or two about listening to the good earth. They grew beans, corn and squash together and thought of them as sisters who nourish each other and grow in harmony. Beans replenish the nitrogen that corn sucks from the soil, while corn offers a sturdy support for the beans and a cozy spot for the squash to spread into a thick prickly mat, which in turn foils raiding raccoons.

Chives and cilantro are aphid-busters. So are nasturtiums and basil, which act as lures to trap the little sapsuckers before they decimate tastier treats like dahlias. Onions and leeks keep carrot rust flies and cabbage loopers away. Radishes are said to banish squash vine borers and striped cucumber beetles. And garlic is supposed to be good for roses - maybe that's why it's called "the stinking rose."

Save space, interplant

Get more from your vegetable garden by interplanting crops that don't mind sharing space and resources. The technique works especially well with combinations of fast-maturing plants like radishes and slower-growing ones like carrots and onions. Sow spinach among the pole beans, or lettuce around rhubarb. You can tuck lettuce in just about anywhere - under the shade of a bush summer squash, in the asparagus bed, among flowers. Plant carrots or leeks among bush beans. Shallow-rooted kohlrabi and deep-reaching beets make another great combo because they don't compete for soil nutrients. Or try cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower between hills of corn - by the time you're pulling out the corn stalks, the late-season crops will carry the garden into autumn.

Succession planting

Don't plant everything at once. By staggering your plantings, you extend the harvest and ensure a steady supply of vegetables through the season. Wait a week or two after you put in the lettuce or radishes, then plant another round. Plant a third crop about two weeks after that. Succession planting works best with beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, corn, lettuce and other greens, onions and radishes.

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