Companion planting

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GYOFood Information Sheet issued September 2009

What is companion planting?

Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants together to provide a natural way of

controlling pests and allowing plants to help each other in lots of different ways. They can provide each

other with nutrients in the soil, offer protection from wind or sun or they can help by attracting friendly

bugs into the vegetable garden – even acting as a decoy for the not so friendly ones.

Simple companion planting Grow your sage in with your carrots or any of the plants in the cabbage family. Each of these have strong

scents that drive each other's pests away.

Try planting a few marigolds among your tomato plants, they not only look pretty, but look after your

tomatoes by producing a strong odour that help keep greenfly and blackfly away.

Plant nasturtium with cabbages – they look pretty too and are a magnet for caterpillars who will prefer to

munch on them rather than your cabbages.

Plant your carrots and leeks together for perfect harmony. Leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly

and leek moth, making them a match made in heaven.

Make sure companion plants are put in at the same time as your vegetables, fruit and herbs to prevent

pests from getting established in your food crops.

Try these friendly companions in your vegetable patch:

• Chervil to keep aphids off of your lettuces

• Chives, whose “onion” type smell ward off aphids from sunflowers plants and tomatoes

• Coriander helps ward off aphids, too

• Dill will attract aphid eating, friendly insects - like hoverflies and wasps

• Garlic plants will also deter aphids (aphids don’t like the smell)

• Tansy (a yellow flowering plant with a strong scent) will keep ants at bay

• Plants in the pea family (lupins, peas, beans and sweet peas, etc.) enhance the soil quality by taking

nitrogen from the air and storing it in their roots

• Yarrow (a flowering plant with lacy leaves). Yarrow can boost growth in other plants nearby, plus

when they are added to your compost bin, they enhance your home made compost by releasing

their ample store of phosphorous and calcium to the mix. They also attract friendly bugs such as

hoverflies and ladybirds.

Need help getting started? See our Seasonal & Planting Information @ www.GYOFood.com for help and advice.