2uandtrilogy.com

It's only the beginning of spring.

Yet many people are beginning to feel the call of this season in the air.

The snow is melting, the birds are returning from their winter exile, and avid gardeners will soon begin to sow seeds in their garden.

One of the best ways to ensure the health and vitality of your vegetables and herbs is to surround them with plants that are complementary to them.

This technique is well known: it is called companion planting.

The principle is that every plant needs vital nutrients, and also expels nutrients that are beneficial to other organisms.

When you plant herbs and vegetables in small, neat rows, they are much less likely to thrive.

Why ? Because they are isolated and helpless in the face of attacks from pests, for example.

Whereas if you plant them mixed with "friends", their health and growth will be boosted by its mates.

The example of the "Three Sisters"

The best-known example of companionship is called: "the three sisters". Who are they ? the corn, climbing beans and squash :

- Corn grows high. It provides climbing beans with a kind of natural trellis to hang on.

- Beans, on the other hand, help stabilize corn, as corn roots are very shallow.

- Squash leaves provide a kind of mulch for beans and corn because they retain moisture.

- Beans produce nitrogen in the soil, which corn and squash love. Squash leaves are pungent and deter animals from stealing beans and corn.

This is all pretty cool, right? If only human brothers and sisters would do the same ...

Did you know that many plants establish this kind of symbiotic relationship? By encouraging them in your own garden, you will see dramatic results.

Your vegetables will be healthier and tastier. You will find fewer pests ravaging your garden.

Plus, it's nice to see these different colors and textures of plants against each other instead of long, strict, straight rows.

How to do

You must first choose what you want to sow in your garden. Then, look at which plants pair well with your chosen ones.

While some vegetables and herbs grow very well together, others can be downright harmful to each other.

Use this companion crop guide when planning your plantings.

You can draw the plan of your garden, making sure that each plant is well associated with its neighbors.

Here is a short list of the most common plants sown and their beneficial and harmful companions:

1. Basil

It goes very well with tomatoes. It will repel tomato worms and promote their growth. It is especially important not to grow it near cabbages or snap beans, as it will reduce their growth and lower the yield. He doesn't get along well with sage either.

2. Dill

It goes well with cauliflower, broccoli, and other crucifers (like Brussels sprouts). But keep it away from fennel (as they hybridize with each other), and carrots.

3. Chives

It gets along well with tomatoes, carrots and even roses.

4. Beans

They go well with most plants. But they hate anyone from the onion family (onions, chives, garlic), or beets.

5. Celery

It grows well with tomatoes, beans and cabbage. But you can't plant it near melons, cucumbers, or squash.

6. Rosemary

Excellent near cabbage, beans, and carrots. But don't plant it near the basil, otherwise your rosemary will die.

7. Zucchini

It gets along well with tomatoes, squash, beets, lettuce, and all of the mint family. But keep it away from the potato. They will cause each other to rot.

8. sage

Perfect with all Brassicaceae (cabbage family), as well as cucumbers and beans. But it should not be placed near the onions.

9. The Complete Guide

First decide which vegetables and herbs you like the most. Then then see if they will develop in your area. Finally, check out this guide to pairing your plants:

Take notes

It is important to take and keep notes so that you can track the growth of your plants.

These notes are also essential especially for planning your garden for the following year.

Indeed, crops must always rotate from year to year. This maximizes the absorption of nutrients (and therefore the health of the plants).

Remember that some plants cannot be placed near their "enemies". They cannot therefore be placed in the soil where these plants grew the previous year.

Unless you have an infallible photographic memory and remember what you planted and where you planted them, take notes and photos.

Document yourself

If you're interested in learning more about companionship, home food production, or permaculture, here's a list of books.

Many of them should be available at your local library, or you can purchase them online, by clicking on the links, and keep them for permanent reference:

- Permaculture: the guide to get started

- Permaculture in practice: For your garden, your environment and the planet!

- Companion plants in the organic vegetable garden: The guide to associated crops

Do you like this trick ? Share it with your friends on Facebook.

Also to discover:

23 Clever Tips To Make Gardening Simple.

How to Weed Your Garden Naturally and Free?