Just as we don’t always get along with certain people and find them hard to take or to be in their presence, your plants have the same problem. We’ve looked at those plants that happily grow together, but what about those that don’t like being in close proximity?
While it may seem to be impossible to believe, some plants really don’t like each other. Certain herbs when planted next to vegetables improve the flavor of the veggies while others may give a strong and unpleasant taste to neighboring plants. Those with shallow root systems too will compete and steal nutrients and water from other plants. When this type of competition occurs, neither plant does well.
Here are a few examples of plants that don’t like being next to each other. Beans do not like being near onions and garlic. It doesn’t make any difference if they are bush beans or climbing beans. Peas also do not like being in proximity to these two strong vegetables.
Corn does not like being a neighbor of tomatoes any more than strawberries like to be in the presence of cabbage. Carrots do not like to be near dill, while cucumbers do not appreciate being near any strong herb.
One of the ideas behind the companion planting or buddy system is that certain plats help deter certain pests, as we saw in this earlier article. Plants that give off strong odors often deter pests and protect other plants. Marigolds belong in this category. They succeed in not only managing by their strong smell to confuse pests on the lookout for their favorite plants, but the roots of the marigold also give off a substance which repels nematodes, a form of roundworm that unlike other good worms you don’t want in the garden.
This idea of plants that don’t like each other doesn’t just apply to the vegetable garden. It can apply to the flower garden as well. An example is the black walnut tree, which if planted anywhere up to 60 feet of an azalea, rhododendron, lilac, peony, or apple tree will affect its growth as it gives off juglone, a toxin harmful to other plants.
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