Companion Planting that Really Works_Growing in the Garden.

Companion planting, does it really work? The answer is yes, but maybe not in the way you think it does. You may be looking for a list of what to plant next to each other to help you be successful. We're going to talk about some of those proven companionships, but we're also going to talk about effective companion planting strategies that will help you have a healthy and beautiful garden. But if we haven't met before, my name is Angela from Growing In The Garden, and I love to share garden inspiration and helpful tips so you can be successful in your own garden. There are so many benefits to implementing companion planting principles in your garden. Some of the most obvious are fewer pests, increased beneficial wildlife and insect activity, and a beautiful garden full of a wide diverse assortment of plants. So we're going to talk about five ways that you can implement companion planting strategies in your garden. The first thing we'll talk about is what not to plant next to each other. There are a couple of different principles at play here. First, you want to plant things that have similar light and water requirements next to each other. Plants will be happiest if they are given the correct amount of sunlight and water. Next, avoid putting crops next to each other that have similar pests. You're making it easier on the pests if you put everything that they like all in one spot. The next tip is to implement polyculture practices in your garden. So what is polyculture? Let me tell you what it's not. Polyculture is not row after row of the same vegetable. That is a monoculture. Adding a wide variety of different fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers to your garden will benefit your garden more than any one specific companion plant pairing ever would. Polyculture is a variety of plants in each bed or each part of your garden. Think of adding as many different types of plants to each garden bed as you can. A simple way to do this is to always try and have a vegetable, an herb, and a flower in each bed. So I began my garden journey using square foot gardening methods. That's how I got started. That's what I still do today. One of the biggest reasons why I think square foot gardening is such an effective method is that it encourages you to plant a wide variety of different crops within the same bed. There is a natural polyculture that results when you practice square foot gardening principles. On the other hand, a monoculture is so inviting to pests. It's really easy for that pest or whatever crop that is to find its intended host. So how do we implement polyculture in our garden? Here are a few different ways. Learn how different crops grow so that you can plant different crops with similar light and water requirements next to each other. Don't be afraid to add a variety of vegetables to each bed. When a spot in your garden opens up, fill it. It's okay if it's different than what's growing around it. Add perennial herbs to your garden beds. Resist the urge to plant all of one type of vegetable in one location. Add it to different areas around your garden. Don't put all the squash in one bed. That's going to make it really easy for the squash bug to find all the squash. Learn which flowers grow well from seeds in each of your seasons and add those seeds to your garden when you plant. You will love seeing what flowers pop up next to the vegetables in your garden. Ultimately, it is the beneficial insects and pollinators that are going to do the heavy lifting of pest control in your garden. We want to create an environment and a habitat for them to thrive. We want to encourage those beneficial insects to come in. They are the natural predators for the pests that we will encounter in our garden. The first step and the most important is to eliminate all use of pesticides. Just don't do it. Don't use any pesticides in your garden. Most pesticides don't discriminate between the good guys and the bad guys and when the bad guys show up, believe me, you want the good guys there to help take care of them. You don't want to have to do it all on your own. Alright, what about organic pest control methods? Be very careful. Use those with a very light hand. Observation is definitely your best tool. Be very observant about what is going on with your garden because even organic pest control methods can have unintended consequences. Here are a few of the good guys that you're looking to attract to your garden. Minute pirate bug, lacewings, parasitic wasps, praying mantids, hover flies. They do a great job pollinating but many of those insects, their offspring, their larvae also help control pests. Learn to identify all stages of these beneficial insects and do everything you can to invite them into your garden. Provide diverse habitats and food sources. That means letting herbs go to flower, providing the beneficial insects with the type of nectar they like. Leave your flowering herbs and flowers in place past blooming and delay cleaning up. Practice organic gardening principles, adding organic matter, adding compost. Leave the stems of plants in place for nesting bees and other insects. Plant as many beneficial insect-friendly plants as possible. Here are some of my favorite beneficial insect-friendly plants. Alyssum, basil, forage, cilantro, cosmos, dill, lavender, lobelia, marigold, mint, parsley, queen anne's lace, rudbeckia, scabiosa, tethonia, and zinnia. So many of the plants on that list are really easy to grow and simple to add to your garden. Another great way to practice companion planting is to use plants as support for one another. One of the most famous instances of companion planting is the three sisters, the symbiotic relationship that exists between corn, beans, and squash when they are grown together. Those beans grow up the corn, the squash shields the soil. Plants next to each other that have different needs can help each other out. This first happened in my garden by accident. A cucumber found a nearby sunflower and happily grew up it, and I've implemented this in other areas of my garden. Plant tall plants that can provide vertical support for plants that love to climb and sprawl. Here are some of my favorite plants that love to grow nice and tall. Here are some of my favorite plants that love to climb. Plant these next to tall plants and allow them to grow vertically. Finally, use companion planting to help repel pests. It's not completely understood how the pests are repelled or attracted to certain plants, but some companionships have proven to be effective. So if you plant basil near tomatoes, they are less attractive to hornworms and thrips. Calendula next to collards helps with aphids. Chamomile, dill, sage, and thyme, when planted near brassicas, may help repel cabbage worms. Marigolds, when planted near brassicas and onions, may help repel onion root maggot fly and the cabbage root fly. Those companionships have been scientifically proven to work. I got those pairings from the book, Plant Partners, Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden. I'll link to that book here in the video. Another way to practice companion planting to help with pests is using a trap crop. The trick with using trap crops is to plant them before you plant your desired crop and to plant them around the perimeter. And when those pests show up, it's important to dispose of that crop and those insects so they don't reproduce and move on to your desired crop. Here are a few trap pairings that actually work. I will link to the studies and sources that I used for this information in the video description. For flea beetles, here are some possible trap crops. White flies, aphids, squash bugs, squash vine borer, cucumber beetle, cabbage worm, Japanese beetle, leaf-footed bugs, thrips, Colorado potato beetle, spider mites. As you begin implementing companion planting strategies in your garden, hopefully you'll see an increase in beneficial insects and pollinators, a decrease in pests, and an overall healthier garden. Thank you so much for watching.