Companion Planting
Many plants when grown next to each other improve the quality of plants near them and attract or repel certain pests. Here are a few common plants you may already grow without knowing their benefits.
Plants that Improve other plants
Basil: improves the flavour of tomatoes.
Borage: increases fruit production when planted near tomatoes, squash and strawberries.
Chervil: when planted near radish increases growth and flavour.
Chives: when planted near roses increases the scent.
Plants that Attract Helpful Insects
Bees: Help pollinate plants: plant thyme, lemon balm, lavender, bergamot, cornflower, hyssop, rosemary, sage, borage, cat mint, oregano, savory, chives and marjoram.
Hover flies: Lay their eggs into aphid and they die: plant marigolds. Allow onions and dill and a few carrots to flower.
Lady bugs & their larvae: eat aphids: plant out plenty of dill, fennel and alyssum.
Plants that Repel Insects
Anise: aphid, flying insects
Basil: Aphid, fruit fly, white fly, house flies and mosquito's.
Borage: Tomato worm
Catnip: Fleas, beetles and ants.
Cress - Land Cress: Dead end trap for cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.
Dill: White cabbage moth.
Fennel: fleas
Garlic: Aphids, black fly.
Hyssop: Cabbage moth.
Lavender: flies
Marigolds: nematodes
Nasturtium: squash bugs, pumpkin beetle, aphid and white & black fly.
Nettle: Aphids, Black Fly
Oregano: White cabbage moth.
Pennyroyal: Flies, mosquito's, fleas, ants and mice.
Potato: Bean Beetle.
Rosemary: Cabbage moth, bean beetle, carrot fly, snails, slugs & mosquito's.
Rue: Japanese beetles, snails & slugs.
Sage: Cabbage moth, carrot fly, flea beetle and slugs.
Spearmint: Ants, Aphin, Black Fly.
Southernwood: Aphids, Black Fly.
Tansy: flying insects, beetles, squash bugs, ants, flies, fleas, cutworms, cabbage worms and fruit moth.
Thyme: cabbage worm
Wormwood: small animals, flea, mosquito, mice, caterpillars and moths.
Plants that Improve other plants
Basil: improves the flavour of tomatoes.
Borage: increases fruit production when planted near tomatoes, squash and strawberries.
Chervil: when planted near radish increases growth and flavour.
Chives: when planted near roses increases the scent.
Plants that Attract Helpful Insects
Bees: Help pollinate plants: plant thyme, lemon balm, lavender, bergamot, cornflower, hyssop, rosemary, sage, borage, cat mint, oregano, savory, chives and marjoram.
Hover flies: Lay their eggs into aphid and they die: plant marigolds. Allow onions and dill and a few carrots to flower.
Lady bugs & their larvae: eat aphids: plant out plenty of dill, fennel and alyssum.
Plants that Repel Insects
Anise: aphid, flying insects
Basil: Aphid, fruit fly, white fly, house flies and mosquito's.
Borage: Tomato worm
Catnip: Fleas, beetles and ants.
Cress - Land Cress: Dead end trap for cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.
Dill: White cabbage moth.
Fennel: fleas
Garlic: Aphids, black fly.
Hyssop: Cabbage moth.
Lavender: flies
Marigolds: nematodes
Nasturtium: squash bugs, pumpkin beetle, aphid and white & black fly.
Nettle: Aphids, Black Fly
Oregano: White cabbage moth.
Pennyroyal: Flies, mosquito's, fleas, ants and mice.
Potato: Bean Beetle.
Rosemary: Cabbage moth, bean beetle, carrot fly, snails, slugs & mosquito's.
Rue: Japanese beetles, snails & slugs.
Sage: Cabbage moth, carrot fly, flea beetle and slugs.
Spearmint: Ants, Aphin, Black Fly.
Southernwood: Aphids, Black Fly.
Tansy: flying insects, beetles, squash bugs, ants, flies, fleas, cutworms, cabbage worms and fruit moth.
Thyme: cabbage worm
Wormwood: small animals, flea, mosquito, mice, caterpillars and moths.
COMPANION PLANTING: Companion planting is a garden method used to deter and hide plants from insects by planting them among other plants, this confuses the insects and they move along. Companion planting is also used to aid plant growth and development including taste of fruits by placing plants near each other or away from each other. [1] picture companion planting
Ref: [1] http://www.permaculturenews.org/images/Companion-Planting_afristar.jpg
