People who practice organic gardening / herb gardening often use companion planting and natural pest repellent methods. Once you master companion planting, herb gardening takes on a whole new dimension. Basil loves tomatoes, carrot loves tomato, and borage loves strawberries and tomatoes. These are examples of companion planting in the vegetable and herb garden. Certain plants help each other thrive. Here is a brief list of herbs that are often planted near vegetables and fruits to encourage growth, deter pests, and even improve your soil.
Herb Gardening for Companion Planting
Basil - Plant three basil plants to every tomato. Basil loves humans and animals, and would like to be your best friend in the kitchen and on the patio since it repels flies and mosquitoes.
Borage - Helps strawberries to thrive. Assists tomatoes and squash. Borage loves bees (or bees love borage) and attracts them to pollinate your garden.
Chamomile - Plant with onion and cabbage.
Chives - Plant near your carrots and apple trees. Chives steeped in water makes a great spray to kill powdery mildew disease.
Dill - Plant near cabbage, lettuce, corn, and cucumber. Don't plant near fennel to avoid cross pollination.
Garlic - Plant near fruit trees and tomatoes. Repels red spider mites. Great insecticide steeped in water - see "Natural and Organic Pest Control."
Geranium - Plant near corn and grapes. It's also effective against red spider mite.
Horseradish - Loves potatoes but spreads prolifically. Repels potato bugs.
Hyssop - Plant near cabbage and grapes.
Lemon Balm - Great for tomatoes.
Lovage - The garden sweetheart - It loves practically everything.
Marjoram - A close second to Lovage.
Mint - Plant near cabbage but never near parsley.
Nasturtium - Loves cole crops (collard, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower), fruit trees, and radishes. Great insect repellent.
Oregano - Loves cole crops and grape vines. Insect repellent for cucumber beetle.
Parsley - Loves tomatoes, carrots, chives, and asparagus but cannot abide by mint.
Rosemary - Loves beans, carrots, cabbage and sage but not potatoes.
Rue - It is effective near strawberries and fig trees but never near basil. Plant it wherever you don't want cats to go.
Sage - Keeps company well with rosemary, cabbage and carrots but never with cucumbers.
Summer Savory - Has been seen in the company of onions and beans.
Tansy - Likes fruit trees.
Tarragon - Third to Lovage and Marjoram - likes almost everything.
Thyme - Keeps worms away from cabbage.
Herb Gardening to Enrich Your Soil
Valerian - Good in compost heaps and good for earthworms.
Caraway - Breaks down heavy soils because of its long roots.
Elderberry - Helps break down soil and compost. Dig it out and check out the black gold around its roots - rich topsoil.
Comfrey - This herb is often used in compost and as organic fertilizer made into a compost tea. A great soil enricher.
More about Herb Gardening and Organic Gardening
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