The quantity and quality of the harvest depends on several criteria - this includes competent agrotechnical care and the correct placement of plants in the garden. Experienced gardeners use a compatibility table to determine the optimal proximity of vegetables in the beds. In this case, the plants will not oppress each other and take away nutrients. If you arrange the crops correctly in the garden, the number of harvested fruits will increase noticeably.
The importance of plant compatibility
Novice gardeners do not pay enough attention to the correct proximity of vegetables in the beds, as a result of which crop yields are reduced by at least 25%. When planning a garden, they take into account not only the crops’ requirements for watering and lighting, but also the location of the plants in relation to each other. If you choose your neighbors wisely, crops develop more intensively, are less likely to get sick and are damaged by pests.
Experienced gardeners practice mixed plantings, in which several varieties of plants are planted in one bed to promote the full development of neighbors. These are not necessarily vegetable crops - greens, flowers and other varieties are sown nearby.
In this case, the owner of a personal plot receives several advantages:
- saving space in the garden and rational use of planting areas;
- reducing soil depletion and eliminating the need for constant crop rotation;
- increasing productivity and improving the taste of harvested fruits;
- low consumption of fungicidal and insecticidal preparations for treating crops against diseases and insect pests and, as a result, an environmentally friendly product;
- reducing the amount of weeds. There are crops that completely cover the soil, forming a lower tier, making it difficult for weeds to break through to the surface.
Vegetable compatibility table
When planning planting plants in the garden, experienced gardeners use a detailed table of crop compatibility; this will help avoid mistakes when placing seedlings and seeds and increase productivity.
| Main crop | Suitable neighbors | Useful action |
| Eggplant | It is recommended to plant spinach or bush beans in the same bed. | Thanks to neighboring crops, it is possible to scare away pests such as the Colorado potato beetle from the garden and improve the composition of the soil, saturating it with useful substances |
| Melons and watermelons | Sunflower, peas, beets, corn | These plants saturate the soil with nitrogen, and sunflowers and corn protect melons from the scorching rays of the sun |
| Garden strawberries | Beets, garlic, cabbage, radishes, onions | Phytoncides, which are contained in spicy vegetables, act as pest repellents. The remaining neighbors improve the quality of the soil and stimulate the growth of strawberries |
| Peas | Corn, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes | If you plant green peas near corn, it will serve as a natural support on which it can climb |
| Zucchini | Peppermint, beans, corn, nasturtium | These crops promote the rapid growth of zucchini |
| Potato | Lettuce, cauliflower, radish, cabbage, coriander, horseradish | When planting potatoes and horseradish in the same bed, the latter repels the potato bug, and when planted together with legumes, the number of pests such as the Colorado potato beetle decreases |
| Cabbage | Mint, tomatoes, borage, spinach, bush beans, chicory, beets | Fragrant and spicy herbs repel insects such as cabbage butterflies, caterpillars and snails |
| Onion | Chamomile, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries | Some crops promote the formation of larger heads, while others repel onion flies |
| Tomatoes | Basil, onion, lemon balm, sage, parsley, lettuce, celery | Neighboring crops contribute to the rapid growth of the root system, repelling insect pests, and better storage of crops |
| bell pepper | Marigolds, petunia, coriander, marjoram, geranium | When planted next to these plants, the taste of the fruit improves and the yield increases. |
If you follow these recommendations, you will be able to grow and harvest a rich harvest even on a small plot.
Landing rules
Summer residents who have been growing vegetables and fruits for several seasons keep a special diary in which they record last year’s placement of plants and draw a diagram of the garden. When planning plantings, the following recommendations should be taken into account:
- The entire area allocated for growing vegetables is divided into several parts. The tallest crops, whose fruits take the longest to ripen, are placed in the middle.
- Plants belonging to the same family are not planted in the same place.
- Greens and herbs are placed around the perimeter of the garden plot; you can also plant garden strawberries and grapes closer to the edges of the garden.
- Crops with strong and weak root systems are placed nearby so that they do not compete for nutrients.
- Neighboring crops should have similar requirements for lighting, humidity and soil type.
Herbs useful for the garden
Aromatic and medicinal herbs are considered good neighbors for fruit crops. Each plant performs its own functions and helps to reap a high harvest, for example:
- oregano repels most insect pests;
- thyme prevents caterpillars from settling in cabbage heads and spoiling them;
- nasturtium effectively prevents the reproduction of aphids, distracting them from cultivated plants;
- borage promotes intensive growth of beans, peas and strawberries;
- peppermint and marjoram enhance the taste of tomatoes and cabbage;
- coriander, thanks to its powerful root system, loosens the soil and promotes its saturation with oxygen;
- chamomile and yarrow increase the natural immunity of fruit crops and repel pests.
Examples of successful plant combinations
Thanks to a successful combination of crops in one bed, it will be possible to prevent many problems when growing crops. One of the most successful neighbors, which even novice gardeners know about, is considered to be planting onions and carrots. They repel pests that attack the companion crop.
What plants are best not to be planted next to each other in the garden?
There are combinations of plants in the beds that should be avoided, for example, do not plant next to:
- cabbage strawberries;
- onions, legumes;
- fennel carrots;
- nightshade cucumbers;
- eggplants, garlic and onions.
If you adhere to the crop compatibility table, you will be able to grow healthy and strong plants that will delight you with a rich harvest at the end of the season.
