Companion Planting with Sunflowers

Sunflowers are quite beneficial to nearly any garden, especially those with aphid problems. If you plant sunflowers in your garden you will notice the ants moving the aphids onto them. Sunflowers are hardy enough that they can survive the aphids and keep them distracted from your other plants.

Sunflowers also attract hummingbirds, this is beneficial not only for the pollination of your garden but also because hummingbirds eat white flies.

Sunflowers can also provide shading to plants that do not need as much sunlight or are easily blighted by the sun.

If your sunflowers are not helping control your insects in your garden as much as you would like, use a garden sprayer to spray your organic pesticide onto your plants.

Companion Planting with Corn

Corn is one of the original companion plants since it is a member of the planting method known as the Three Sisters.

The Three Sisters is a combo of plants that includes: corn, beans, and squash. The corn acts as a pole for the beans to climb up and the beans provide nitrogen to the soil for the corn and squash. The squash covers the ground helping to keep moisture in the soil.

But those aren't the only companions for corn.
Amaranth, beans, cucumber, white geranium, lamb's quarters, melons, morning glory, parsley, peanuts, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, soybeans, squash, and sunflower are also companion plants for corn.

When growing corn you should keep in mind:

• Corn needs nitrogen rich soil.
• If planting rows they need to be at least 3 feet apart
• Corn needs 1 inch of water a week

 To keep your corn and gardened watered you may want to look into watering hoses and sprinklers.

What are your tips for growing corn?

Radish Companion Planting

 

Radishes make great companions for radish, beet, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach, and squash.

Radishes can help to deter cucumber beetles and rust flies.

They can help protect squash from squash borers.

Radishes can also help corn by fighting corn borers, but you must let the radishes go to seed.

Radishes also lure leafminers away from spinach plants. The leafminers will damage radish leaves, but this does not stop the radish roots from growing. 

Radishes also make great container plants. So if you only have room for some flower boxes, you can still grow radishes.