Companion Planting

Companion planting is the practice of growing different crops in close proximity for a better harvest—often because some plants have complimentary characteristics and “help” each other out in terms of pest control, soil nutrition, pollination, beneficial insects, use of space, etc.

A familiar example of companion planting is the Three Sisters trio—maize, climbing beans, and winter squash—which were commonly planted together by various Native American communities due to the plants’ complementary natures: the tall corn supports climbing beans, the low-growing squash shades the ground to prevent moisture loss and its big, prickly leaves discourage weeds and pests; and the fast- growing beans are ‘nitrogen fixers’ which make nitrogen available to other plants.