Companion Gardening

Thank you, Farmer's Almanac, for this useful information. Not only is this useful to know to keep bugs & varmints away, but it's also good to know if you have limited space for your garden . . .

• Some plants, especially herbs, act as repellents, confusing insects with their strong odors that mask the scent of the intended host plants.
• Dill and basil planted among tomatoes protect the tomatoes from hornworms, and sage scattered about the cabbage patch reduces injury from cabbage moths.
• Marigolds are as good as gold when grown with just about any garden plant, repelling beetles, nematodes, and even animal pests.
• Some companions act as trap plants, luring insects to themselves. Nasturtiums, for example, are so favored by aphids that the devastating insects will flock to them instead of other plants.
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• Carrots, dill, parsley, and parsnip attract garden heroes -- praying mantises, ladybugs, and spiders -- that dine on insect pests.
• Much of companion planting is common sense: Lettuce, radishes, and other quick-growing plants sown between hills of melons or winter squash will mature and be harvested long before these vines need more leg room.
• Leafy greens like spinach and Swiss chard grown in the shadow of corn
• Sunflowers appreciate the dapple shade that corn casts and, since their roots occupy different levels in the soil, don't compete for water and nutrients.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><