If you’ve been gardening for any amount of time, you’ve likely come across companion planting charts—maybe you’ve seen advice like “plant basil with tomatoes” or “marigolds repel all pests.” But how much of this is actually true?

Companion planting can mean a lot of things, depending on what our goal is. We can either be going for pest repelling properties, keeping weeds down, soil health benefits, or just enhancing flavors or saving space.

Today on Just Grow Something, we’re sorting fact from fiction. Some companion planting practices do have solid science behind them. But many claims are more anecdotal than evidence-based—and in some cases, well-intended pairings might even backfire. I’m looking at you marigolds. Let's dig in!

References and Resources:

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Companion Planting: Fact or Fiction?: https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2019/04/01/companion-planting-fact-or-fiction/

Companion Planting & Botanical Pesticides: Concepts & Resources: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/companion-planting-resources/#4

Companion Planting | West Virginia University: https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/companion-planting

Phytoremediation episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/focal-point-friday-are-sunflowers-good-or-bad-for-the-garden

IPM episode: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/integrated-pest-management-in-the-home-garden-ep-228

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