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If you want to use companion planting in your garden, you need to follow a few simple rules. First, avoid pairing plants that compete for sunlight, attract pests, or pollinators, and don’t plant the same kind of plant in the same spot in two consecutive gardening years. This will cause problems with disease and pests, as well as nutrient imbalances.
Avoid putting plants together that attract pests
Companion plants are two different types of plants grown close together to provide mutual benefits. For example, growing two types of flowers together will encourage pollination, which is good for both plants. Another good example is growing two types of vegetables side by side to confuse pests. Cultivating these plants will boost yields and improve flavors.
Companion plants are also beneficial to the environment. They can attract beneficial insects, deter pests, suppress weeds, and help prevent disease. They also can increase the productivity of your garden and make your space more efficient. Companion planting is one of the easiest organic gardening techniques. Some vegetables, like tomatoes and cucumbers, grow well together. You may find they have better flavors and produce more fruit.
The best companion plants for tomatoes and other vegetables include Sage, soybeans, and legumes. These plants provide nitrogen to the soil and deter pests. Some herbs, such as Thyme, can also be planted near your vegetables. Thyme, for instance, repels cabbage moths.
Some plants have allelopathic properties, meaning that they produce chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants. The walnut tree, for example, is said to be allelopathic. As a result, you should avoid planting tomatoes near walnuts and other plants that may attract walnuts.
While you may be planning to plant carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers, avoid planting them together with other plants that attract pests. For example, potatoes should not be planted near asparagus, fennel, and spinach. Some plants are good companions of carrots, so it makes sense to try a couple of complementary plants, which can provide a mutual benefit.
A companion plant that is known to repel pests is garlic. The sulfur in garlic repels aphids and other pests. It can be made into a tea or sprayed onto plants to keep pests away. Another plant that repels pests is coreopsis. This plant attracts pollinators and attracts tachinid flies, making it a valuable addition to a garden.
While spinach have many beneficial qualities, they don’t attract the same types of pests. As a result, you can use companion plants that can repel pests while enhancing the look and flavor of your garden. These plants can also deter parasitic worms.
Avoid putting plants together that attract pollinators
The best way to attract pollinators to your garden is to grow a variety of plants. Different pollinators are active at different times of the year. By mixing a variety of plant species and heights, you will attract a broad spectrum of pollinators. Wildflowers are excellent choices to attract native pollinators, which will feed your garden plants with pollen.
When planting your garden, try to choose plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. These plants will attract pollinators and provide them with nectar, which helps your garden produce more fruit and seeds. The best plants to attract these pollinators are those with bright flower colors, which make them attractive to pollinators.
Pollination is important for the production of many types of flowers. Without pollination, most plants will not produce seeds or fruit. The process begins when a pollinator lands on a flower and sucks the nectar from it. Pollen then sticks to the pollinator and rubs off onto a new flower. Pollination takes place as bees land on different flowers. When attracting pollinators, try to plant these flowers near flowers.
It is important to provide safe nesting sites for pollinators. You can create these habitats through manmade or natural means. Many solitary bees make their homes in hollow logs or other dead wood. If you are not able to build a natural nesting site, you can buy pre-made nesting tubes. If you must use pesticides, try to choose one that is not harmful to the pollinators. Always remember to use the least toxic ones and to spray at nighttime.
Remember that bees need pollen and nectar to reproduce. Choose plants with attractive, striking colour and abundant nectar. Also, plant varieties with a long blooming time and multiple petals are great for bees. Bees also like to visit plants with unusual shapes.
Plants that attract pollinators are important for the health and productivity of your garden. Pollinators affect our lives every day. In the United States alone, 150 crops depend on pollinators, including those used to feed livestock and fiber-producing plants like cotton.
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