What is companion planting?
Companion planting is the idea that certain plants can benefit from each other when planted in proximity. A perfect example of companion planting is the “Three Sisters.” The three sisters, Corn/maize, Pole Beans, and winter squash were all planted together harmoniously by the Native American’s* because they recognized the value that each plant brought to the other. The stalk of the corn provides a pole for beans to grow up, the beans trap nitrogen in the soil for the squash and other plants to feed off of and the squash’s dense prickly leaves to act as “living mulch” which helps retain moisture in the soil as well as keep away pests.
There are plants that don’t work well together and will negatively affect the growth of each plant. Some grow too tall and shade out the slower growing plants, some require much more water than others, and some will absorb all the nutrients before the other has a chance. We’ve created a simple visual guide to illustrate which plants play well with others and which to avoid planting together!
