Companion planting isn’t an exact science, more of a gardening art, but when it works it proves the old adage “stronger together” can refer to gardening team-mates and not just human ones. The concept is simple, different types of plants have different capabilities, besides that of producing yummy vegetables, or beautiful blossoms. Some plants are naturally capable of deterring various pests, or attracting useful propagators. Others add valuable nutrients to the soil. Still others can provide shade, or a place to lean for their less sturdy neighbors. For example, tall corn stalks can provide support for bean vines, which add nitrogen to the ground. Squash aids other its vegetable neighbors by keeping hydration in the soil and checking the growth of weeds. This triumvirate of helpful plants is so well known for working well together that they are known as the Native American Three Sisters planting method. Get to know which plants grow well with others and you should see your garden thrive as a result.
Key Takeaways:
- Companion planting, is not exactly a science, but it is a gardening technique that involves leveraging individual plant strengths to work together.
- Some plants have an innate ability to attract propagating insects, or deter pests, which shields and assists them and those plants around them.
- Some plants are able to provide shade, or support, for neighbors that are too small, or too limp, to do these things for themselves.
“The Native American Three Sisters planting method, which involves corn, bean and squash, is one of the best examples of how companion gardening works.”
Read more: https://www.offthegridnews.com/survival-gardening-2/vegetable-companion-planting/