With their aromatic leaves, small dimension, and low upkeep wants, culinary herbs are a number of the greatest companion vegetation for flowers and greens. Not solely do herb companion vegetation repel backyard pests and enhance the expansion of neighboring veggies, however companion planting with herbs can be useful for suppressing weeds and attracting helpful bugs. Plus, herbs are simple to slide into container gardens – a particular boon for city gardeners and anybody on the lookout for methods to develop extra edible crops in a small area!
Discover ways to use herb companion planting to your benefit in a container or vegetable backyard, and uncover some glorious companion plant pairings within the ideas under.
Companion Vegetation For Herbs
What Is Companion Planting?
Natural gardeners have been utilizing companion planting for generations for pure pest management and different perks. The idea behind companion planting is straightforward: some backyard vegetation naturally complement one another’s development, and planting these companions collectively makes gardens develop higher.
Many flower and vegetable vegetation can be utilized as plant companions, however herbs are particularly good candidates for companion planting since they provide quite a few advantages to their neighbors.
Advantages Of Companion Planting
The most typical cause gardeners use companion planting is for pest management. Some strongly scented vegetation naturally repel undesirable pests, like Japanese beetles, carrot root flies, white cabbage moths, and the bean beetle. Different vegetation entice predatory bugs, like hoverflies and ladybugs, that feed on plant pests.
Nonetheless, there are numerous advantages of companion planting past pest management, together with:
- Fewer weeds. Low-growing vegetation, like creeping thyme, are sometimes used as pure groundcovers to scale back weeds and lock in soil moisture ranges.
- Improved plant development. Legumes, like beans and peas, naturally enhance soils and enhance the expansion of different vegetation.
- House financial savings. Tall vegetation, like corn, perform as pure trellises for vining beans, whereas small herbs will be planted on the base of taller crops to fill in empty area.
Companion Planting Fundamentals
When selecting companion vegetation, it’s at all times a good suggestion to analysis the rising wants of the vegetation you’d wish to develop. Though many herbs, flowers, and veggies will be planted collectively, vegetation with very completely different care wants gained’t make nice plant companions within the backyard.
For example, Mediterranean herbs love well-draining, sandy earth, in order that they aren’t good companion vegetation for veggies that crave moist soil!
For greatest outcomes, choose vegetation with the identical fundamental mild and water wants and decide whether or not vining vegetation want trellising. As a common rule of thumb, mild feeding vegetation will be grown collectively, however heavy feeding vegetation, like tomatoes and potatoes, ought to be avoided different heavy feeders.
You’ll additionally wish to analysis whether or not vegetation are annuals or perennials, as planting perennial herbs in a backyard mattress stuffed with annual greens could make tilling and mulching a bit of tough.
When you’ve settled on the kinds of vegetation you’re excited by rising, double-check that your backyard has sufficient area to accommodate your plant choices. Good airflow is important for wholesome plant development and for stopping points like powdery mildew. Many herbs develop fantastically in small, 6” pots, however you will want extra space if you wish to develop a number of herb and vegetable vegetation collectively!
Fundamentals of Herb Gardening
Most herbs are full solar vegetation, which implies they want a minimum of 6 to eight hours of vivid mild day by day. Nonetheless, dill, cilantro and some different tender-stemmed herbs will develop higher in scorching climates with mild afternoon shade.
Tender-stemmed herbs want common watering, whereas herbs with woody stems, like lavender and oregano, favor to develop in well-drained soil with much less moisture. Typically, herbs are mild feeders that don’t want a lot fertilizer however can profit from a month-to-month dose of diluted, liquid natural fertilizer in the course of the rising season.
For much more planting choices, most potted herbs will be grown indoors with a develop mild and harvested 12 months spherical!
Are you new to herb gardening? Our newbie’s information to herb gardening shall be a useful resource for you.
Companion Vegetation For Well-liked Herbs
Basil
Basil is a flexible herb that companions properly with most veggies and tender-stemmed herbs, however it’s a very good match for tomato vegetation! When planted with tomatoes, basil repels pests like tomato hornworms, whereas taller tomatoes return the favor by shielding basil leaves from sunburn.
Oregano
Since most pests keep away from oregano’s robust aroma, oregano is an effective plant to develop for common pest safety. Oregano is particularly good for controlling cucumber beetles on melons, pumpkins, and different members of the Cucurbit plant household.
Thyme
Whereas thyme can be utilized for pest management, it’s additionally a unbelievable plant for weed prevention. Attempt rising creeping thyme as a low upkeep groundcover or plant widespread thyme or lemon thyme close to Brassicas to repel cabbage worms!
Chives
Chives and different vegetation within the Allium household are well-known for his or her robust scent, which deters a variety of pests. Develop chives as border vegetation round your backyard to maintain deer and rabbits from searching in veggie beds, or pair chives with carrots to discourage carrot flies. When you hold roses, plant chives close by to forestall black spot.
Parsley
Parsley can be utilized as a companion plant for a lot of greens, however it’s usually paired with asparagus for asparagus beetle management. If you wish to use parsley to draw hoverflies and different helpful bugs, let a few of your parsley vegetation flower!
Mint
Aphids, flea beetles, and cabbage loopers keep away from mint vegetation, making mint an excellent companion plant for tomatoes and Brassicas. However you could wish to develop mint in its personal pot close to your backyard to maintain mints from rising aggressively.
Dill
Dill flowers entice helpful bugs, like hoverflies and parasitic wasps. Hold pests at bay by planting this annual herb close to Cucurbits, Brassicas, lettuce, and candy corn, and don’t pull up your dill vegetation once they begin to bolt!
Sage
Sage acts as a pure insect repellant for flea beetles, cabbage loopers, and carrot flies that focus on Brassicas and root veggies. Simply keep in mind to plant sage in a spot the place it gained’t overshadow smaller vegetation — sage is a perennial that grows fairly giant.
Cilantro
Cilantro flowers are extremely enticing to predatory wasps that feed on pests like spider mites and cabbage loopers. Take full benefit of cilantro’s pest stopping properties by rising this herb close to vegetation that entice pest caterpillars, like tomatoes, spinach, and Brassicas.
Rosemary
Beans, Brussels sprouts, and different Brassicas all profit from rosemary’s skill to repel pests. Nonetheless, as a result of rosemary vegetation aren’t cold-hardy, you could wish to develop this herb in a pot and produce it indoors within the winter.
Right here’s a listing of companion vegetation for rosemary, in addition to a information to pruning oregano.
Frequent Errors & How To Keep away from Them
Though most herbs develop properly with greens and different herbs, there are a number of exceptions. Rising chives close to beans and peas can intrude with legumes’ nitrogen-fixing properties. Dill and carrots additionally don’t get alongside as these two vegetation are carefully associated and entice the identical pests.
Apart from incompatibility points, it’s additionally essential to do not forget that woody-stemmed herbs can develop root rot in the event that they’re stored in overly moist soil. If you wish to develop these vegetation close to water-loving herbs and veggies, separating them into completely different pots or beds could also be clever.
To keep away from points with overcrowding, at all times learn plant labels and seed package deal directions and comply with the beneficial spacing tips. Rising too many vegetation collectively in a small area can have an effect on their total well being and result in mildew points or stunted plant development.
We’ve assembled a information with herb backyard necessities and the instruments to develop herbs.
Seasonal Suggestions & Upkeep
Harvesting herbs all through the rising season makes vegetation extra productive, however you may as well prune vegetation in the event that they want reshaping. Reduce stems to a leaf node to encourage branching, however don’t minimize woody-stemmed herbs again into their woody sections, and by no means take away greater than 1/3 of the plant’s leaves without delay.
Apart from pruning and harvesting, herbs have to be watered often and will profit from fertilizer in spring and summer time. Chilly hardy perennial herbs will be left outdoors in the course of the winter, however mulching over the soil to guard their root techniques is often clever.
Warmth-loving herbs, like rosemary, will be grown as annuals or overwintered indoors in pots, whereas true annual herbs, like dill, should be planted yearly until vegetation are allowed to self-sow.
Brief on area? This information to rising herbs in raised beds will provide help to out.
Companion Planting For Herbs In Pots
Utilizing herbs as companion vegetation in container gardens is a brilliant option to squeeze extra vegetation right into a small area. To not point out, you should utilize these tasty herb leaves so as to add taste to the greens you develop in your container backyard!
Be certain to maintain your potted vegetation in an space that receives a minimum of 6 to eight hours of vivid mild, and select an appropriately sized pot to suit the vegetation you’d wish to develop. Whereas a single basil plant can slot in a 6” container, if you wish to develop basil with tomatoes or one other vegetable plant, bigger 5 to 10-gallon develop luggage are often a greater choice.
Guarantee that any container you employ has drainage holes within the base, after which fill it up with well-draining soil supposed for container gardens.
When you’d wish to develop herbs and greens collectively in a single pot, check out a few of these plant combos:
- Tomatoes with basil
- Bush cucumbers with dill
- Bush beans or bush peas with rosemary
Taken with rising your personal? Study rising herbs for a tea backyard, plus rising 22 herbs for cooking.
FAQ’s Companion Vegetation For Herbs
Sprawling vegetation like pumpkins rapidly drown out smaller herb vegetation. Nonetheless, you could possibly develop these spreading vegetation with herbs for those who select small pumpkin varieties and practice their vines to develop on trellises.
Woody-stemmed herbs and tender-stemmed herbs usually don’t combine within the backyard as they’ve completely different soil moisture wants.
Basil is likely one of the greatest companions for tomatoes, however you may as well attempt companion planting herbs like chives, parsley, dill, and oregano close by for a bountiful harvest of tomatoes!
Conclusion
Fragrant herbs make very best companions for different herbs, greens and flowers, however they can be used to taste your homegrown veggies when harvest season arrives. For much more planting inspiration, contemplate planning out a salad, salsa, or pizza backyard, full with all of the greens and herbs you take pleasure in utilizing in your recipes.
Hold some oregano in your pizza backyard to enrich the style of the tomatoes you develop, or plant cilantro in your salsa backyard to boost these homegrown onions, peppers, and tomatoes. The proper companion vegetation not solely make gardens develop higher, however in addition they come in useful within the kitchen!
Pleased gardening,
-Lauren
Lauren Landers is a Grasp Gardener and gardening author dwelling in Maine. After working a small natural farm in New England for a number of years, Lauren transitioned to freelance writing and loves serving to others uncover the great thing about natural and pollinator gardening!
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Lauren Landers is a Grasp Gardener and gardening author dwelling in Maine. After working a small natural farm in New England for a number of years, Lauren transitioned to freelance writing and loves serving to others uncover the great thing about natural and pollinator gardening!
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