Companion Planting | Portland Nursery (2024)

FAQs

How close to plant when companion planting? ›

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.

Undoubtedly, plants influence each other. Sometimes this is positive and sometimes negative. Companion planting is the art of growing plants near each other, because of their ability to enhance or complement each other.

Companion planting is a traditional gardening practice, designed to improve crop yield by attracting pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Putting plants too close together in a garden can stress them out, which limits their growth, beauty, and overall health.

But some vegetables are happy to grow closer together, and in fact benefit from it. If the soil is good—properly amended with compost and any necessary nutrients—there is no reason to give plants more space than they need. Relatively small, fast-growing annual vegetables thrive in what looks like crowded conditions.

A general recommendation is to place tomato plants about 18-24 inches apart, but plant spacing actually depends a lot on the type of tomato variety you're planting. Research the variety or follow spacing guidelines on the seed packet or plant tag.

Tomatoes. Although it's usually recommended to not plant tomatoes and peppers right after each other in the same bed every year, they can be grown together in the same garden bed (and then rotated to another bed next season).

What should you not plant near cucumbers? ›

Brassicas: Almanacs and home gardeners recommend avoiding planting brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, cauliflower) near peppers because they require different soil acidity levels and can deter pepper plant growth.

Plants that have known beneficial relationships (friends) should be planted within two or three rows of each other. Plants that are known to have detrimental relationships (foes) should be planted at least 2-3 rows apart.

The easy way to determine spacing between different plants is to use the average of their mature sizes. As an example, when planting a 5-foot-wide hydrangea planted next to a boxwood that grows up to 3 feet wide, space the plants 4 feet apart. Remember to measure from the center of one plant to the next.

As a general rule, herbs can be planted relatively close together, but it is best to leave enough space for each plant to grow and thrive without competing for resources. A good guideline for planting herbs in a raised bed or container is to space them about 6-8 inches apart.

Science has discovered they can feel touch, so if touched by another plant it can cause a genetic defense response that reduces growth." Alongside this, houseplants that touch could become more easily infested with pests. So the short answer is no, houseplants should not touch each other.

Here are general guidelines for spacing perennials: Small perennials – 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm.) Medium perennials – 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm.) Large perennials – 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm.)