Whether you believe in it or not, what I’m about to say will surprise you. The controversy ends here with this explanation. You’ll have no choice but to agree. The facts are undeniable. All gardeners will benefit through this approach.
Let’s Start With This Example
Basic companion planting recommendations lists planting pole beans and tomatoes together as incompatible. Some would say this is hogwash because they have done it and they both grew just fine. Don’t assume that being incompatible means they are dangerous to each other.
An Explanation The Puts It Into Perspective
Let’s first consider some basic requirements of each plant. Tomatoes are heavy feeders and need a lot of water. Pole beans on the other hand don’t do as well with that much moisture in the soil. They like it better if the soil can dry out between watering.
Beans and tomatoes also have very different nutrient needs. Tomatoes like higher levels of nitrogen whereas pole beans do not. They are a legume and they produce their own levels of nitrogen from the air.
Beans will try to take over the tomatoes. If left unattended and planted too close they can actually strangle the tomatoes.
With that being said, not planting tomatoes and beans together is a little common sense and a little science based but certainly not hogwash.
Basic Companion Planting Goes Back Hundreds Of Years
There’s a companion planting method called “The Three Sisters”. It was practiced by Native Americans well before America was discovered by the Europeans.
The Indians would plant corn, beans and squash together in a mound. The would make a mound and start the corn first. Once the corn was about 6 inches tall they would plant the beans and squash.
The corn provided a source for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provided nitrogen to the soil for the other plants, and the squash provided shade to help prevent establishment of weeds. Plus the ground cover of the squash also provided a sort of mulch and micro-climate by helping to retain moisture. This is companion planting at it’s best because of the way these three crops worked together synergistically.
Why You Should Practice Companion Planting
Companion planting is simply taking advantage of how certain plants work together synergistically to benefit one another. If you plant marigolds in your garden because they help to keep pests away you are practicing a form of companion planting.
Some crops planted together help each other while some crops planted together don’t grow as well. That’s all there is to it.
Why would you plant two crops together that have completely different needs or cause problems for one another? Who would want to make gardening more difficult?
It makes much more sense to take advantage of the plant synergy.[/vc_column_text]
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