Potatoes are a fun crop to grow, but they require some specific companions. If you’re new to growing potatoes or just want help with what goes well together, this article will give you the low-down on companion plants that work well with potatoes as your main focus.
Potatoes are often planted with other vegetables and herbs that help to keep pests away, provide nutrients for the soil, or attract beneficial insects. There are some plants that should not be planted near potatoes. Read more in detail here: what not to plant next to potatoes?.
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Have you been seeking for the finest companion plants for potatoes? This book covers not just the finest companion plants for potatoes, but also other aspects of the approach.
The sheer amount of options accessible to a beginner gardener might quickly overwhelm one. Today, there are a plethora of plants and kinds that may be readily planted in your garden to get the best aesthetic and food-generation results. However, it is critical to consider the impact of each plant on its neighbors.
It is important to prepare ahead of time in order to ensure a healthy garden. This ensures that each plant has adequate area to grow while also carefully positioning them so that nearby plants may benefit from one other. Companion planting is one of the most well-known methods for doing so.
Companion planting is beneficial to potatoes, just as it is to any other plant. They are high in carbs and are also one of the most important commercial crops.
In this post, we’ll go over some of the greatest and worst plants to grow with potatoes, one of the simplest foods to grow.
Contents
What Is the Purpose of Companion Planting?
Growing only one crop throughout the entire area of ground has never shown to be useful, whether you are a garden enthusiast or a farmer that depends on your plants to bring in money.
Monoculture means that your plant will be more vulnerable to pests and diseases, regardless of how cautious you are. Not only that, but cultivating the same plant again and over can deplete the soil of specific minerals over time.
Yes, high-quality fertilizers are available, but at the end of the day, the majority of them are comprised of chemicals and cost money.
Companion planting is the most straightforward option. This strategy improves harvests by keeping dangerous pests and insects at bay while attracting beneficial insects.
Using the friendship approach also guarantees that your soil remains healthy and that specific nutrients are not totally depleted.
Concerning Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the most cost-effective and simple-to-grow veggies on the market. They come in approximately 5000 distinct variations, each with its own texture and flavor.
What to Plant with Potato Companion Plants
It’s crucial to know which plants are ideal to grow with potatoes if you want to make sure your potatoes get the most out of their companion plants. We’ve split these plants into three categories for your convenience: veggies, herbs, and flowers.
Vegetables:
Horseradish, for starters.
About:
Armoracia rusticana is the scientific name for this plant.
It’s used as a seasoning and a condiment.
Properties of antibiotics
Horseradish is one of the greatest potato companion plants. It has a number of advantages for potatoes, including the ability to keep some caterpillars at bay.
It repels pests such as potato bugs, Colorado potato beetles, aphids, blister beetles, and whiteflies as a potato plant benefit. It also makes your patch resistant to illness.
Because horseradish grows quickly, it’s important to remember to place it in the potato patch’s corners, preferably in containers. Even a little portion of the root that is left on the ground may swiftly spread.
2. Corn
About:
Zea mays (scientific name)
Vegetables with a high starch content and cereal grains
Fiber content is high.
Corn roots in the shallow plane, but potatoes are an underground plant, allowing you to maximize your area.
Corn stalks grow tall, providing shade for your potatoes and minimizing the quantity of water drained from the ground. As a result, the potatoes will get enough water.
Corn may also be utilized as green manure for your potato crop, in addition to its immediate advantages.
Verticillium wilt, which may kill your potatoes before they reach maturity, can be greatly reduced by using corn as a green manure.
Lettuce, third
About:
Lactuca sativa is the scientific name for this plant.
Red, green, and oak are the three most frequent kinds.
Iron and other bioactive elements are abundant in this food.
This potato companion plant comes in 23 distinct types and doesn’t compete for nutrients. It’s another shallow-rooted plant that’s often grown in rows with potatoes to maximize yields and space.
This lush green also acts as a good ground cover, suppressing weeds and assisting in moisture retention.
Other leafy greens, such as spinach, provide similar beneficial characteristics.
4. Peas
About:
Pisum sativum is the scientific name for this plant.
Each peapod includes a number of yellow or green peas.
Antioxidant characteristics
Legumes are most recognized for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. Potatoes need a larger quantity of nitrogen than other plants, thus legumes with nitrogen-fixing characteristics, such as peas or beans, may be very beneficial to potatoes.
Potatoes also aid legumes by warding off the Mexican bean beetle, a pest that affects numerous legumes.
Peas come in a variety of varieties, but they’re all wonderful potato companion plants.
Herbs
1. Thyme
About:
Thymus vulgaris is the scientific name for this plant.
Incense and balms are made from it.
Have both culinary and medical applications
Thyme is a good potato companion plant because it attracts helpful predatory insects like the Syrphidae family. They devour aphids, which helps to safeguard your potato farm.
Not only do these fragrant herbs offer excellent ground cover, but they also enhance the taste of potatoes. Chamomile, parsley, yarrow, and basil are some other herbs that are thought to enhance the taste of potatoes.
Though thyme requires drier circumstances than potatoes, it may nevertheless be grown on higher land on the potato mounds’ southern side.
2. Tansy
About:
Tanacetum vulgare is the scientific name for this plant.
Leaves with a bitter taste
Assists with intestinal issues
Another plant that might attract helpful insects is tansy. It also protects against ants, mites, and moths, as well as Colorado potato beetles.
It has the ability to attract a big number of ladybirds. They like depositing their eggs on tansy and typically stay until the eggs hatch. They also feast on a variety of other dangerous insects at this period.
Catmint is another potato companion plant, or rather herb, that has comparable qualities.
Cilantro is the third ingredient.
About:
Coriandrum sativum is the scientific name for this plant.
Spice that is widely used.
Antioxidant characteristics
Cilantro, also known as coriander, is made up of umbrella-shaped green leaves that work wonders for potatoes by attracting beneficial insects such as hoverflies. Pests are what they eat.
Potato bugs are also deterred by it.
4. Lovage
About:
Levisticum officinale is the scientific name for the herb Levisticum officinale.
Roots are used as a vegetable, seeds as a spice, and leaves as a herb.
Properties that are anti-inflammatory
Lovage, when planted in conjunction with other plants, improves their health and consequently their development.
Because of its lovely blossoms, it attracts a variety of beneficial insects and pollinators, including as bees, as a potato companion plant. It also draws certain beneficial wasps and beetles.
Plants that bloom
Nasturtiums (nasturtiums) are a kind of
About:
Tropaeolum is the scientific name for this plant.
Flowers that are both colorful and edible
Grown on a yearly basis
Nasturtiums have a unique way of working as a potato companion plant. They attract aphids and potato beetles, as opposed to other plants.
Gardeners often plant them aside from their vegetable area to keep dangerous insects away from their crops. As a result, it serves as a trap crop.
2. Clover
About:
Trifolium is the scientific name for this plant.
Cooked, boiled, or sautéed
Protein- and vitamin-rich
The red and white clover cultivars, when fully bloomed, attract helpful pollinators such as honeybees.
Clover contains nitrogen-fixing qualities, which is beneficial to the soil and your potato crop.
3. nettle that has died
About:
Lamium is the scientific name for this plant.
Leaves that are edible
It’s a sedative.
Even though it is a weed, dead nettle is an excellent potato companion plant.
It not only enhances the flavor of potatoes, but it also repels a variety of pests and vermin. Dead nettle is also beneficial to the development of potatoes.
Alyssum is number four.
About:
Alyssum is the scientific name for this flower.
The scent is sweet and mild.
It’s simple to grow
Alyssum helps to retain moisture by forming a beautiful ground cover for your plants. As previously stated, this trait is particularly beneficial as a potato companion plant.
Predatory wasps that hunt on dangerous insects and pests are attracted to the lovely blooms.
To begin, there are tomatoes.
Tomatoes are members of the nightshade family, which includes potatoes. Never grow this family’s members together since it might make them very vulnerable to pests and insects. Peppers and eggplant are two more frequent nightshade members.
Carrots, number two
Carrots and potatoes need quite distinct growing conditions. Whereas potatoes demand a somewhat moist environment, carrots require a much drier environment.
They both have the potential to be detrimental to each other. Remember that carrots may stunt potato growth and development. The carrot plantation may be damaged if potatoes are harvested, since they are both root crops.
Asparagus 3
Not only does asparagus inhibit the development of potatoes, but its roots spread widely and are readily injured by the ground movement necessary for the potato plant’s growth and harvest.
Raspberries (4)
Raspberries are more vulnerable to blight when planted alongside potatoes. Other plants that share this feature include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkin.
Potatoes may also be harmed by the following plants:
Tips for a More Successful Potato Harvest
Seed potatoes should be purchased from a trusted supplier. Seed potatoes from the store are more vulnerable to pests and illnesses, so they might be problematic. To keep them from sprouting, they’re often coated with growth inhibitors.
Choose the kind that best suits the climate in your location.
Plant potatoes of both early and late varieties at the same time. This allows you to harvest throughout the main season when the early varieties are ripe, as well as after the main season when the late varieties are ready. Furthermore, your potato harvest season will be extended as a result of this.
The more sunlight there is, the better. Plant them when the sun is shining brightly, but keep the potato tubers out of direct sunlight so they don’t turn green. This is when hilling comes in handy (placing a mound of soil near the stem as it grows).
Regardless of the potato companion plants you pick, keep the soil neutral to acidic. The pH level should be between 5.0 and 6.0; a higher pH might generate rough patches on the potatoes.
Ensure a constant supply of water. Potatoes are very vulnerable to drought. Mulching around the plants typically aids in moisture retention.
During planting, try to fertilize with liquid comfrey fertilizer.
To get a head start, chill or pre-sprout your potatoes.
To maintain your soil healthy and nutrient-rich, grow potatoes in a crop rotation with other plants.
Bonus tip: For some much-needed order in your gardening habits, check out these garden tool packs.
In conclusion,
Intercropping or interplanting with different plant kinds, not only potato companion plants, may help you get the most out of your garden area.
It also keeps the soil nutrient-rich and allows you to harvest numerous crops at the same time. Given the lack of scientific data to support the companion planting notion, it’s vital to remember that this method might yield a lot of hits and a lot of misses.
It’s not essential that companion plants that have worked for others will work for you. It’s possible that one companion plant thrives in your potato patch the first year but not the next.
This is most likely owing to these plants’ significant dependency on atmospheric conditions. To keep your soil healthy, remember to rotate crops.
Potatoes are a great vegetable to grow and you can plant them with many different plants. Some plants that are great to grow with potatoes are tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Reference: companion plants for tomatoes.
Born and raised in Austin, TX I come from a background of home renovation. By helping my family in my younger years with their construction business, I learned the ropes quickly and as I grew it became my passion that I still do today. Looking to share my knowledge with others. I invite you to leave comments on any post as I know you will have questions that you are not finding anywhere else.
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