Why Vegetables Need Friends: Companion Planting Made Simple 🌺
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 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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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 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....😂
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'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. 🙂
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.
Does perennial basil work the same way? Love that stuff.
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 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 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.
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’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.
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’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. 😀
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.
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 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?
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!
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.
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. 😀
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!
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!
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. 😀
Extremely helpful information Ben, I’m definitely going to do more companion planting! Many thanks 😀🐞🐝🦋
I love the companion planting guide on the garden planner. So helpful and easy to use.
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.
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.
I do plan on trying companion planting. I love the thought of plants being beneficial to other garden plants.
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! :-)
Yes, I plan to do more companion planting this year...thanks for the tool to help me do it even better.🙂
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you so much. Love any new info for the garden. I have known of some,but learned of others.
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.
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.💚💚💚💚
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!!! 😉
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 😉
I sure will ! Wow !!!! You made this very clear and the comments too especially that one where the writer added such joy
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!
Exceptionally helpful! New environment to create gardens in, starting from scratch, this will be my guiding light for garden success!
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 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 love marigold below my tomatoes 🍅
Thank you! Simple and straight to the point!
You're undoubtedly a better grower l, so I'm working on my land 👍
That’s how I started my whole garden 🪴
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. :-)
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!
Excellent stuff. Am currently planning my veg patch, so will definitely bear this in mind
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 will definitely do more companion planting this year! Thank you for this video! ❤🙏
That's really great to hear. :-)
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.
Love your videos, great wealth of info in each one. Keep them coming.
Thank you for the information that was a real help so hopefully I will get a better crop of tomatoes and cucumbers this year I’ve ordered my seeds ready and waiting for sow.
Thank you Ben for this information. Last year was the first time I tried companion gardening. It worked quite well. Plus it is so refreshing to see your vegetable gardens willed with flowers.
I'm really looking forward to planting more companion flowers this year - you can never have enough I reckon.
cuccs and dill, tomatoes and basil. nasturtiums and other flowers. sounds good! Thanks a bunch!
Will definitely do more companion planting this, thank you so very much.
Thanks for the info! I've been really looking into this lately. I will have to check out that garden planner!
Brilliant video oh I didnt know about the garlic and potatoes this is fantastic. I definitely agree with tomato’s and Bazil. I do this, I think the Bazil also enhances the flavour of the tomato’s yum
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. :-)
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!
Interesting & informative video Grow Veg. Companion planting is essential for organic gardening so I am planning to do it.
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!
SO BEAUTIFUL.. TX Ben..not all marigolds are created equally..some are more useful companions than others, i read.
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’m certainly going to do more companion planting this year thanks to your video(s) and I’ll be subscribing to the planter. One companion planting I did last year was hot peppers along with my garlic - it worked brilliantly!
Thanks for the tip on the garlic and peppers - that's a great idea. :-)
Thank you Ben. As always a treasure of useful tips. We let two of our fennel go to flower last year and wow the amount of life that lived on it was astounding!! Love the insect sounds and rhythm they all add.
Absolutely Michael - fennel is a great one for that. :-)
I will be planting basil with my tomatoes and Borage also, thank you !
Thank you very much for sharing this video 👍
Excellent video!.. Thank you...
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 😀
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! :-)
Always lovely to hear from you mate l, Nasturtiums work work well for my tomatoes and yes I've been garlic along side other crop, I've found timing a key feature 👍
Thanks for the great info as usual!
🙏🙏🙏 Ben! I planted Stevia in my garden last year and the bees loved it! And I also planted Marigolds, yet didn't know the benefits until now! Lol I just thought they were pretty! Thanks for all of this information! Be Blessed!
Thanks for the heads up on stevia - I'll look into that. Be blessed also!
Ty much Ben! Just what we needed :)
oh yes - love your videos i find companion planting very fun i love doing the research finding what goes with what
Such great information. One thing I have noticed when I planted kale next with garlic hardly no pests..
Great video! I started companion planting a few years ago and it really helped with pests. I learned a lot from you today that I will implement this season. Thanks!
This is my first time planting lettuce. I live in south america.....it's a very delicate plant....I need all of the help I can get.
Wow I love that garden planner makes life so much easier giving time to sit back and enjoy all of your hard work …thanks so much
So pleased to hear that Isabella. :-)
I started companion planting seriously last year . It works!
That's super to hear Don!
Brilliant Ben.
I’ve only done a small amount of companion planting in the past to try and stop pests. Will be trying a few more after watching this 👍
Nice one Mark! I need to take a leaf out of my own book and do much more companion planting too. That's my goal for this year.
Fantastic video love your enthusiasm
Great info, and for a first-time gardener such as myself absolutely crucial! I'm aiming for something akin to a Cottage Garden and already got most of the things planned, but ran into trouble because of pest control, since we got dozens of cats roaming the area and I don't want to hurt them. This is a splendid idea; not only will it keep the pests in check and make the garden more colourful and versatile, but I'm certain, the kitties will appreciate the abundance of flowers, too.^^
You could use prunings and/or netting to cover sown areas so they aren't disturbed by the cats.
Hi Ben, I absolutely have been enjoying your very helpful and informative much needed information. I want to start my own veggie garden. You sure have given me the inspiration I need. Thank you 😊
That is so lovely to hear. Thanks so much for watching - and the very best of luck with your new veggie garden. I'm sure you will ace it! :-)
Thank you so much. Just as I’m getting ready to put my garden in. We’re a little late up in Canada.
The dog is soooooo adorable!
So glad I found this 🤩 thank you!
Thank you for your enthusiasm, its infectious. I have brought flower seed to compliment and assist the vegetable plants.
Great move! :-)
I love your videos! Thanks for the info.
Thank you for the good information
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. :-)
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!
Thank you for sharing 😊
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?
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!
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!