If you want to get the most out of your vegetable garden, it would make sense to know what you can plant next to potatoes. By strategically growing crops that fit together, you can protect your garden beds from pests without the use of chemical insecticides. Additionally, your potato plants can benefit from appropriate neighborhood plants as they grow by supporting each other. All of this would be a sustainable way to grow more crops at the same time and generally improve your harvest. Here is some useful information and examples of companion plants to consider when starting your vegetable garden.
Why companion planting is beneficial and what can you plant next to potatoes?
It is already an established practice for many gardeners to use certain mixed crops when growing vegetables in order to optimize their yield. The selection ofNeighboring plants in the vegetable patchHowever, it can also be challenging because potato plants cannot cope with every other crop. Some herbal plants, flowers and other vegetables benefit potatoes as they grow and act as a deterrent against Colorado beetles, aphids and caterpillars. Additionally, the benefits of companion planting could make your potato plants not only absorb more soil nutrients but also become less susceptible to pests.
Planning beds in this way can be particularly advantageous in smaller vegetable gardens. This allows your plants to compete less for nutrients, which leads toimproved soil conditionsand contributes to natural insect defense. Some types of flowers, such as marigold, are known to be able to keep pests away from potatoes. With other companion plants you can also attract beneficial insects, which are known to be predators of potato pests. In addition, these crops have similar requirements for plant nutrients, irrigation and hours of sunlight, which would make plant care of the garden bed easier.
How can you help potato plants thrive?
Most potato varieties needed deeper soil to thrive. This means that the best companions are those with above-ground habits. Such growths will not affect the tubers of potato plants. Some of the most common examples of this are spinach, lettuce plants, radishes and scallions. All of these plant varieties have shallow root systems that are ideal for the spaces around potatoes. Harvesting is late season, which is early vegetablesideal neighborsmakes if you are wondering what can you plant next to potatoes. This takes place long before you dig up the potatoes.
In addition, there are also mint plants and other types of plants that are known to improve the taste of potatoes. These include dead nettle, horseradish and the marigolds mentioned above. Other good neighbors for potato plants would be green beans and other legumes, as such crops increase nitrogen levels in the soil. As for horseradish, this plant could make your potatoes more resistant to some plant diseases. Use cruciferous plants, stone herbs and nightshade plants such as petunias to attract beneficial insects that eat Colorado beetles. Other allies in the fight against such pests are catnip, tansy and coriander.
Which neighbors would be unsuitable and what can you plant next to potatoes?
Like petunias, potato plants are also a genus of plants within the nightshade family. For this reason, you should avoid growing them next to other similar vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, or okra. In addition, you should know what can be planted next to potatoes and not use the same growing site of other nightshades.
They have the same genetics, and the same growing location would make the new plants susceptible to the same pests and diseases. Therefore, when crop rotation, you should wait at least two years before replanting members of the same plant family in the same growing location. Otherwise, bad neighbors for potato plants also include cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, carrots, onions, pumpkins, raspberries, sunflowers and beets. With this in mind, you can consider choosing some of the most suitable companion plants for your potato bed by considering the examples described in more detail below.
Choose neighborhood plants suitable for potatoes
When choosing companion plants for the garden beds, there are actually several good neighbors for potatoes. A general rule of thumb you could follow is that any plant that has short roots can make a good companion in the bed. However, a thoughtful choice could bring all of the benefits described above and allow for a richer harvest without much effort. Numerous herbs and flowering plants, as well as vegetables, can make the potato plants in the garden bed stronger and keep them pest-free without having to resort to toxic pesticides. Here are some of the best of them.
Tips for optimal vegetable cultivation and what can you plant next to potatoes?
- Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage– Get the most out of your garden bed by growing broccoli, kale or cauliflower alongside potatoes. The short roots of these companion plants enable the potato plants to absorb sufficient soil nutrients, although they are heavy feeders and should be fertilized regularly.
- Stonewort or sea cress– These are delicate annuals that not only bloom beautifully, but can also attract beneficial organisms for potatoes to the garden. This allows you to attract hoverflies and ladybirds, for example, to combat the pests naturally. The main advantage of these plants is that as ground cover they inhibit weeds, which would make your potatoes grow healthier and bigger.
- Spring onions– You can use such plants as natural insect repellents in the garden bed with potato plants. The strong aromas of spring onions and chives have a repellent effect against many pests. Another advantage of spring onions as companion plants is that when harvested at the same time as potatoes, they provide healthy and delicious ingredientsDishes like potato and leek soupscould be.
- sage– This is a popular herb that, as a companion to potatoes, keeps flea beetles and other pests away and has many uses in the kitchen.
- Coriander– You can grow this great pest control plant next to potatoes to get rid of aphids and Colorado potato beetle larvae.
- Salad plants– Growing lettuce among your potato plants will help you make the most of your garden space without losing soil nutrients.
- Pea and bean plants– Legume worries provide more nitrogen in the garden soil and keep Colorado potato beetles away, allowing for more nutrients and healthy plant growth.
- Marigolds– These ornamental plants not only improve the look of your garden, but their flowers act as a repellent against a variety of pests.
- Nasturtium– Last but not least, these plants are suitable as neighbors of potatoes as they keep harmful insects away from the potato plants.
