Deterring pests: Certain plants act as insect repellents or deter critters.There are plenty of good reasons to plant certain crops together: Note: traditional seeds were different than today’s seeds. That could be as simple as growing nectar-rich flowers among crops to attract pollinators or two vegetables grown side by side to confuse or repel pests.Ī familiar example of companion planting is the Three Sisters trio-maize, climbing beans, and winter squash-which were commonly planted together by various Native American communities due to the plants’ complementary natures: the tall corn supports climbing beans, the low-growing squash shades the ground to prevent moisture loss and its big, prickly leaves discourage weeds and pests and the fast-growing beans are ‘nitrogen fixers’ which make nitrogen available to other plants.

So the benefit could go one way or be mutual. Your plants know this too! Companion planting is simply when two plants are grown close together for the benefit of one or both of those plants. Advertisement What Is Companion Planting?įriends can offer support and help protect you from some of the bad stuff out there.

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