Companion planting is a system of allowing the plants in your garden to work with one another to help you get the best return. Potatoes, like vegetables, have insect pests and disease that could hinder their growth and reduce plant creation. But when you know what plants to place near the potatoes to help deter pests and help enhance growth, the potatoes are healthy and the companion plants gain as well.
Companion Plants
Certain plants assist one another in the garden by adding nutrients to the soil or repelling and attracting certain insects. Companion plants for potatoes comprise both vegetables and flowers. Beans, corn, eggplant, cabbage, peas, horseradish and parsnips all makes excellent companion plant for potatoes. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) Are beneficial, despite the fact that they are flower rather than a vegetable. In turn, potatoes are a good companion crop for beans, because they repel Mexican bean beetles. Potatoes return the favor to cabbage and peas by helping with increase.
Spacing
When planting companion plant for potatoes, there is no rule that states the plants must be right alongside one another to enjoy the advantages. You can plant the companion plants several feet away from the potatoes or even a few planting beds apart. Prior to using companion plants, be sure to know any important truth about the plant. For instance, horseradish tends to be invasive, and therefore you need to be careful when planting; placing only one plant at each corner of the potato patch if sufficient.
Benefits
Each companion plant gains the potato in its own manner. Beans and corn help by repelling insects, while eggplant actually work as a trap to the potato beetle and marigolds discourage insects, such as nematodes. Other plants, such as cabbage, peas and parsnips, help with potato growth and flavor; peas add nitrogen to the soil. Horseradish raises the potatoes’ disease resistance and protects plants against potato bugs.
Antagonists
There is always positive and negative, and the exact same is true with companion planting. Certain plants shouldn’t be used as companion plants for potatoes. These include turnips, pumpkins, cucumbers, rutabagas, sunflowers, tomatoes, raspberries and raspberry. These antagonistic plants may hinder potato growth.