Companion planting

One traditional practice was planting of corn (maize) and pole beans together. The cornstalk would serve as a trellis for the beans to climb.

Companion planting was widely touted in the 1970s as part of the organic gardening movement. It was encouraged not for pragmatic reasons like trellising, but rather with the idea that different species of plant may thrive more when close together.

The combinations of plants also make for a more varied, attractive vegetable garden. Many of the modern principles of companion planting were present many centuries ago in the cottage garden[?].

For example:

Nasturtium are well-known to attract caterpillars, so planting them alongside or around vegetables such as lettuce or cabbage will protect them, as the egg-laying insects will tend to prefer the nasturtium.

Crops which suffer from greenfly and aphids may benefit from the proximity of marigolds: these attract hoverfly[?] and are also said to deter other pests.

Biblical Reference

Companion planting and use of nurse crops are proscribed in Leviticus 19:19, part of the same list of commandments often cited by Christians who oppose homosexuality.

Related Topics

Monoculture Nurse crop