Companion planting is the practice of planting different crops, herbs or flowers together because they benefit each other. Mixing Marigolds and herbs in the vegetable garden to repel pests is a common example. Some offer nutrients and increase crop production. This practice has its roots in garden folklore. Early gardeners saw that some plants did better when planted near others. Many companion planting practices combine folklore and fact. Gardening experimentation, as well as scientific studies, have shown many benefits. Some of these are: Masking or hiding crops from pests Serving as decoy crops, to draw pests away Providing a habitat for beneficial insects. See our Biological Control Pages and our Landscaping pages Many Folklore practices derive their success from naturally occuring substances inside the plants themselves. As these substances are identified, these companion plants could become the pest/disease controls of the future.

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