Companion plantings are a foodflation fighting strategy in the intensive garden. According to advice from university extension services and Jeff Carter’s own experience, there are several potential benefits to companion planting:
• Species like basil, cilantro, dill, fennel and parsley provide habitat for a wide array of beneficial insects, predatory and parasitic.
• With a diversity of root systems, there are benefits related to soil aeration and the capability of plants to access soil nutrients is enhanced.
• Some species – the classic example is a combination of corn, squash and pole beans – can be planted together with negligible impacts on yield.
• Vegetables like radishes and lettuce establish themselves rapidly and are harvested within weeks rather than months. Once harvested, the vegetables planted close to them will have adequate room to grow.
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