Expert gardeners know that a diverse mix of plants makes a healthy and beautiful garden, as many believe that plants also like the company of other plants to help them thrive. This is called companion planting, and just like other gardening methods, applying this method of planting in your aquaponics system can provide benefits not just to the plants but the whole system.
It is because companion planting is a great way to enhance your crops' health and productivity while promoting a diverse and sustainable ecosystem in your garden. So why not give it a try and see the benefits for yourself? This article discusses the best companion plants for aquaponics to guide you in growing your favorite crops in your aquaponics garden.
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a gardening strategy that maximizes the growth of crops by
Planting a combination of flowers, herbs, and vegetablesto improve the health and yield of your garden crops
Some plants grow fine and complement each other, while some have adverse effects. Choosing the right companion plants can give a lot of benefits to your garden.
What Benefits Does Your Aquaponics Garden Get From Companion Planting?
Your aquaponics system can certainly get a lot of benefits from companion planting. One of them is pest control. Given how tricky it is to control pests in your system, it is undoubtedly worth considering planting pest-resistant herbs like chives or dill in your grow bed to prevent aphids.
The most useful takeaway for companion planting in aquaponics is paying close attention to the growth habit of your plants. Which plants grow taller, and which one's spread out more? Knowing these things will help you efficiently use your grow bed's space and light exposure. Consider planting lower-growing and lower-light crops like lettuce alongside taller and more light-hungry plants like peppers.
Benefits of Companion Planting
- Companion planting can increase growth and pollination rate.
- It helps prevent pest problems.
- Taller plants protect smaller plants from the sun. For example, tall plants can provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants.
- It uses the garden space efficiently.
- It helps attract beneficial insects.
The Best Companion Plants Combinations
Below is the companion planting chart to serve as your guide in planting combinations for your aquaponics garden.
|
Vegetable |
Companion Plant (s) |
Incompatible Plant (s) |
|
Lettuce |
Carrot, Radish, Beetroot, Parsnip |
Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower |
|
Tomato |
Onion, Carrot, Dill, Basil, Celery, Cucumber, Parsley, Pepper |
Fennel, Cabbage Family, Potato |
|
Carrots |
Lettuce, Cabbage,Leek, Onion, Pea, Radish, Sage |
Dill |
|
Swiss Chard |
Onion, Beetroot, Cabbage |
|
|
Onion |
Carrots, Lettuce, Cabbage, Beetroot |
English Pea, Beans |
|
Radish |
Spinach, Peas, Carrot, Cucumber, Lettuce |
|
|
Peas |
Beans, Carrots, Turnip, Radish, Cucumber |
|
|
Cucumber |
Cabbage, Corn, Beans, Radish |
Aromatic Herbs |
|
Beans |
Almost all herbs and vegetables |
|
|
Asparagus |
Parsley, Tomato, Basil |
|
|
Cabbage family (including cauliflower and broccoli) |
Celery, Onion, Beets, Chard, Spinach, Aromatic Herbs |
Pole Beans, Strawberries, Tomato, Dill |
|
Celery |
Bush Bean, Tomato, Onion family, Cabbage family |
|
|
Eggplant |
Beans, Marigold |
|
|
Parsley |
Asparagus, Tomato |
|
|
Spinach |
Strawberry |
|
|
Beetroot |
Broccoli, Onion, Cabbage, Swish Chard |
|
|
Basil |
Tomatoes |
|
|
Chives |
Carrots |
|
|
Mint |
Cabbage, Tomato |
|
|
Rosemary |
Cabbage, Beans, Carrots, Sage |
|
|
Garlic/ Onion |
Carrots, Beetroot, Strawberry, Cabbage, Tomato, Lettuce |
Peas, Beans, Parsley, Leek |
|
Peppers |
Tomato, Basil, Carrot, Onion |
Beans, Kale, Cabbage family |
|
Rosemary |
Carrot, Cabbage, Sage, Beans |
Common Planting Mistakes to Avoid
Your crops may suffer the consequences if you make the mistake of planting the wrong plants next to each other. So avoid these common mistakes to ensure your companion planting helps your crops.
1. Not Providing Enough Space
Make sure to give enough space to your plants. Providing enough space will prevent plants from competing with the nutrients and give them enough airflow and room to grow and bear fruits.
2. Mixing Onions with Beans
Avoid planting members of the onion family neat members of the beans family. Alliums produce a compound called ajoene that can hamper the growth of legumes.
3. Wrong Timing
Timing is everything with inter-planting. The best companions complement each other's growth over time. For example, you can quickly harvest lettuce and radishes with tomato beds if they are transplanted at the same time as tomatoes. When your tomatoes start taking off and shading the grow bed, the lettuce or radishes will be ready for harvest.
4. Maintenance Needs
Avoid combining crops with different maintenance requirements. The secret to companion planting is keeping like with like. Birds of a feather flock together! So make sure you are aware of the maintenance needs of your crops before combining them.
5. Avoid Wasting Space
Inter-planting is a great way to maximize space and yield from your garden. But you can miss valuable opportunities to increase your yields if you don't know how to use your planting space.
6. Too Many Companions
Sometimes, a beginner can be a little overzealous with their inter-planting and want to plant ten or more species in a grow bed and end up with an overgrown mess. It can be hard to tend many species in a small area and difficult to know which plants are serving their purpose.
Conclusion
When planning your aquaponics garden, remember that choosing the best plants for your system and the best companion for your plants is essential for its success. So make sure you choose the right companion for your plants to get the most out of your garden. Thank you for reading our article. Feel free to leave your comment below.
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