Companion Planting

Companion planting is a popular way of maximising space usage and crop yields by planting complementary plants together in the same bed.

It is especially popular with organic gardeners, as careful choices of plant partners can greatly reduce pest problems and can even boost growth and crops.

An example is to plant leeks and carrots together. The scent of the leeks repels carrot fly, while the scent of carrots repels leek moth and onion fly. In this way each plant protects the other in a win-win situation.

It's not just about scent though - taller, bushier, sun-loving plants can provide a sheltered spot for smaller shade lovers, while certain plants such as peas and beans will 'fix' nitrogen into the soil to the benefit of their companions.

More on companion planting:

BBC - Gardening - Basics - Companion planting - "Companion planting is a way of managing your garden organically, by using plants in a complementary way..."

The Herb Society - Companion Planting - "Companion planting can help reduce our reliance on spraying with chemicals when things go wrong in the garden..."

Royal Horticultural Society - "The principle of companion planting is that growing specific combinations of plants together brings mutual benefits in health and vigour, and a consequent reduction in pest and disease problems..."