What three plants go together?
The
Did you know corn, beans, and squash are called the “Three Sisters”? Many Native American tribes planted this trio together because they thrive like three inseparable sisters.
The Iroquois and the Cherokee called corn, bean, and squash “the three sisters” because they nurture each other like family when planted together. These agriculturalists placed corn in small hills planting beans around them and interspersing squash throughout of the field.
Crop Name | Companions |
---|---|
CORN | Beans (pole) Cucumbers Dill Melons Peas Squash Sunflower |
CUCUMBERS | Beans Borage Dill Lettuce Nasturtiums Oregano Radish Sunflowers Tansy |
LETTUCE | Chives Onions Oregano Peas Poached Egg plants Radishes Scallions Zinnia |
ONIONS | Beets Cabbage Carrot Chard Lettuce Strawberry Tomatoes |
- Mint and brassicas. Bronze and green mint foliage. ...
- Marigolds and tomatoes. Planting tagetes marigolds with tomatoes. ...
- Carrots and leeks. Carrots and leeks growing together. ...
- Wormwood and beans. Silver foliage and yellow flowers of artemisia. ...
- Calendula and beans. ...
- Sage and brassicas. ...
- Borage and strawberries. ...
- Thyme and roses.
Asparagus | Fennel, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes |
---|---|
Chives | Beans, Peas |
Chrysanthemum | Lettuce |
Cilantro | Fennel |
Cucumber | Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Fennel, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Potatoes |
The tall and sturdy corn stalks provide support for the vining bean plant, while the beans' roots provide nitrogen-fixing bacteria by pulling nitrogen out of the air to share with the corn. Then, the large squash leaves provide shade to minimize weeds and conserve moisture for all three plants.
Corn planted into sunflower residue is likely to emerge faster and be able to utilize the sunflower root channels during root development. Since corn produces ample residue, evaporation in a corn-sunflower rotation would reduce the percentage of moisture lost to evaporation at the soil surface.
But most sunflowers grow as tall as corn (or even taller!), so you won't need to worry about these plants outcompeting each other if you grow them as companions. In smaller garden spaces, you can use dwarf sunflower plants as a border around corn patches to draw in beneficial insects that will keep corn pests in check.
Planting in groups of three leads to a more natural feel and is very pleasing to the eye. There are several ways to incorporate an odd number of plants into your design other than in a simple straight line.
How do you arrange plants together?
There are two basic rules when arranging plants in the beds: 1) space the individual plants so that they touch each other when they reach their mature size, and 2) overlap the masses of plants and connect them so that they flow without space between them. Avoid gaps or large open areas between masses.
The main rule of successful cohabitation of different plants in one pot is that you can plant them together only if they have similar subsistence requirements. Pay attention to lighting, watering, temperature, ground mixture, and growth factors; they must be similar.
In general, plants with known positive relationships should be planted within two or three rows of each other. Plants that have negative or detrimental relationships, should be planted at least two to three rows apart. Infestation of pests or disease can occur more quickly if you plant all the same crop close together.
- Apricot: Avoid planting peppers near apricot trees. ...
- Beans: Peppers and beans have incompatible soil nutrient needs. ...
- Brassicas: The brassica family—broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kale—has different soil preferences than peppers.
The Rule of Three is a design concept that's so easy to use you almost can't go wrong! Simply line up three of the same plants, in the same pot, to create a visually pleasing series. For example, a series of identical pots lined up on a stone wall creates a simple (yet satisfying!)
Shrubs and perennials: Plant in groups of 3–7 each, depending on your garden size and the statement you're trying to make.
In most cases, the grounds are too acidic to be used directly on soil, even for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas and hollies. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.
Type of Vegetable | Friends |
---|---|
Cabbage | Beets, celery, chard, lettuce, spinach, onions |
Carrots | Beans, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, tomatoes |
Corn | Climbing beans, cucumber, marjoram, peas, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, zucchini |
Onions | Cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes |
Marigold companion planting enhances the growth of basil, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, kale, potatoes, squash and tomatoes. Marigold also makes a good companion plant to melons because it deters beetles. Beans and cabbage are listed as bad companion plants for marigolds.
- Beans. Beans fix nitrogen levels in soil to balance the pH level.
- Borage. Borage is a flower that not only attracts beneficial insects like bees, but can deter pest worms from your zucchini.
- Dill. ...
- Garlic. ...
- Marigolds. ...
- Mint. ...
- Nasturtiums. ...
- Oregano.
Do zucchini and corn grow well together?
CORN – one of the most common companion planting schemes is that of the three sisters, which includes planting corn, beans and squash together. Zucchinis are a type of squash. Corn and zucchini do not necessarily benefit one another but they do grow well together and enjoy similar soil conditions.
Corn isn't a great choice next to broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or kohlrabi—the corn provides too much shade for the sun-loving plants, and they are all heavy feeders, which means corn and cabbage-family plants will compete for nutrients in the soil.
What should you never plant near sunflowers? The two plants that are the most impacted–meaning their growth is completely stunted if sunflowers are growing nearby–are potatoes and green beans. I know many folks think sunflowers would make a nice stake for climbing beans to grow up, but resist the temptation.
You'll find a few of the negatives of growing sunflowers here. Sunflowers can kill. Of all the issues with sunflowers, perhaps the most interesting and dire is their tendency to repress the growth of other plants. This is because sunflowers are allelopathic - they exude toxins that stop nearby plants from growing.
- Tomatoes: The quintessential companion for marigolds. ...
- Cucumbers: Cucumbers benefit from marigolds' ability to repel aphids and beetles. ...
- Carrots: Marigolds can help deter carrot fly, and their strong scent masks the carrots' enticing aroma to pests.