Companion Planting

If the answer is yes, this is the right book for you

In the early days, before there were pesticides and herbicides, companion planting was used by the settlers to repel harmful pests and enhance the crop yields.

Plants were often paired up or often tripled up so as to balance out the levels of nutrients that were found in the soil. The nutrient that one plant needed was often a surplus or sometimes waste product of another and thus, a grouping could live in harmony. This also reduced the need for harmful pesticides and also fertilizer since these plants could actually make their own.

So what does companion planting entail anyway? This is actually a method of gardening where specific species of plants are put in close proximity in order to keep away pests and to increase the growth of each type as well.

This doesn't mean however, that you can just put any two vegetable plants together. Some species just won't do as well with this method unless properly paired up with the right partner.

It is important to study these plants in order to figure out which ones need more water and take up a lot of nutrients from the soil. If you should happen to grow a pair of plants in the same area that will suck up a lot of the moisture, they will actually be harmed by this practice instead of being helped.

This book covers:

• What's Companion Planting?
• Benefit Of Companion Planting
• Companion Planting Strategies
• Types of Insects: Good And Bad Insects
• Garden Planning
• Companion Planting Chart
• 
  
• Perfect Combinations
• How to Get Started
• Companion Vegetables
• Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

...And much more

It's a good idea to calculate two species that will benefit each other in order to make each one thrive. For example, a hay crop may be grown in the same area for two years consecutively but it will tend to delete the soil of all its nutrients. Farmers have found that planting the same space with oats will help to put these back in order to put in a field of hay once again. This is kind of how companion planting works. It is a smaller version of an ecosystem that lets Mother Nature do her thing.

Not only does companion planting work well with plant growth, but it can also help to repel harmful insects as well. Remember though, not all insects are harmful as some actually will benefit both the soil and the plants.

One good plant species that will help you to control aphids is marigolds. Not only are these flowers beautiful to look at, but they act as a natural barrier that helps to keep out bugs.

Another type that will perform this same action is garlic as its pungent odor is a natural deterrent. It's a good practice to plant garlic around potato beds for example to keep the potato beetle from invading this prized tuber.