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Every year I plant potatoes because it is an excellent cash crop. Get the potatoes right, and you can reliably fill a wheelbarrow from each row. Companion planting can make them even more productive.
That’s right, this reliable, high-carb vegetable can be improved. Potatoes respond very well to companion planting.
If you’ve never used the concept of companion planting before, potatoes are the perfect crop to start with, so let’s look at how to do it.
Contents
Good companion plants to grow with potatoes
Potatoes are suitable for polyculture principles where you plant a number of different plants in a garden. You can generate an amazing harvest with companion planting.
1. Brassicaceae
Plants in this family, which include cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and broccoli, work well with potatoes because they have shallow root systems. Potatoes have a deep, tuberous root system, so the two plants don’t compete for nutrients.
Sometimes crucifers prefer more alkaline soil than potatoes, which prefer slightly acidic soil. I overcame this problem by mulching the potato rows with pine bark.
2. Legumes
Legumes replace the nitrogen in the soil that gourmet potatoes gobble up. This improves both the quantity and the quality of potato harvests. In turn, potatoes deter pests like the Mexican bean beetle and others.
Consider:
- Black Eyed Peas
- beans
- Chickpeas
- Lenses
You might even consider planting peanuts as a companion plant. They have similar growing needs to potatoes, including soil pH and nutrients.
Keep them far enough apart in case one needs harvesting before the other.
3. Corn
Corn has relatively shallow roots and provides shade for potato plants. Don’t let it take all the sun away, so plant while being aware of where the sun is moving in your garden.
Corn can also enhance the flavor of potato tubers and this pairing maximizes space in the garden. For anyone who has grown corn, you know how long it takes to mature and become super sweet. It’s about the same time as the potatoes, so they really make a good pair. Be sure to feed both crops well.
They are also cultures where you can take a little and leave the rest. Perfect for a quick dinner.
4. Horseradish
Although not a common choice in home gardens, horseradish is an excellent companion for seed potatoes. It is said to make potatoes taste better and horseradish repels the dreaded Colorado potato beetle.
Horseradish can also help potato plants fight off other diseases by boosting their overall resistance.
Other pests that horseradish is known to repel that injure potatoes are:
- aphids
- blister beetles
- whiteflies
- Some species of caterpillars
Horseradish spreads quickly and if you leave any of the roots in the ground it will grow back. I find the best way to plant horseradish and potato together is to put the horseradish in pots between rows of potatoes that are in the ground.
5. Coriander
Cilantro is to potatoes what basil is to tomato plants – a classic match. If I only planted one herb near the potatoes, it would be cilantro. It attracts beneficial insects to the potato field such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps and hoverflies.
These beneficial insects devour the Colorado potato beetle.
Other cilantro repellent insect pests include:
- aphids
- Mites
- Certain species of moths and flies
6. Leeks
This is another shallow-rooted vegetable that draws its nutrients from a different level of soil than potatoes. Leeks also pair perfectly with potatoes in many dishes, so you might as well harvest a few potatoes and a leek and you have a meal. Leek and potato soup anyone?
seven. nasturtiums
Plant nasturtiums as a companion plant, but place them away from potatoes to keep pests away. We call this practice trap culture. Aphids and potato beetles love nasturtiums, so the goal is to get them there, rather than the potato plants.
With nasturtiums, you may want to put them in containers and collect the seeds in the fall from the ground or they will quickly spread and take over an entire area.
8. Chive
Chives work well in front of potatoes as a border. They have shallow roots and appreciate the shade that taller potato plants provide. They also pair perfectly with a baked potato and butter.
9. Salad
If you’ve never tried planting lettuce with potatoes, you should. It has shallow roots and can fit between rows of potatoes. It works for lettuce you choose as one, or choose and return types of lettuce.
ten. Thyme
This delicious herb is said to improve the taste of your potato crop by making it earthier. Thyme repels flea beetles, and if you let it bloom, sage attracts bees in abundance.
11. Wise
Flea beetles eat many holes in the leaves of potato plants. Sage repels flea beetles, so plant them as close to your potato rows as possible.
12. Parsley
Parsley attracts hoverflies. They eat a lot of pests that can harm potato plants. Parsley is also said to improve the flavor of potatoes. Worth a try, isn’t it?
13. Chamomile
Plant plenty of chamomile in your vegetable patch, not just around potatoes. It has a strong scent that repels pests, but beneficial insects love it. Place the chamomile around the potatoes or in the garden nearby. As a bonus, you get a sturdy plant that you can use to make herbal tea.
14. Basil
Basil goes with so many plants as a companion, including potatoes. It repels pests like aphids, whiteflies and various beetles. It also attracts pollinators and butterflies to the garden.
15. Peas
Peas grow tall when well supported and can provide shade for potato plants. Don’t let them grow too tall or your potatoes won’t be able to ripen in time. Peas also add nitrogen to the soil.
16. Worry
Potato beetles hate marigolds, so make sure that if you have space, you plant them near rows of potatoes, or even in the space between rows.
Sometimes gardeners like to mix vegetables with flowers. This is especially the case when you only have a limited space to grow. Marigolds serve a dual purpose as they are edible and useful in repelling pests.
17. Yarrow
Yarrow improves soil condition because the long, spreading roots break up the soil. Apparently, planting them nearby as a companion plant also adds flavor to the potatoes. They also attract beneficial insects.
18. Petunias
Petunias attract beneficial insects and pollinators without interfering with potato growth.
19. Alysse
This is one of my favorite flowers to plant with potatoes. They’re like a colorful ground cover, keeping weeds at bay and helping to keep the soil moist. Alyssum attracts beneficial wasps that prey on garden pests, and I find it responds well to the liquid potato fertilizer I use.
20. Clover
Clover corrects nitrogen deficiencies in the soil. It is also an excellent groundcover, keeping weeds at bay and the soil moist.
Plants to avoid planting with potatoes
Now that we’ve looked at these plants that make great potato companions, let’s take a look at which ones you should avoid.
1. Onion
Onions have a retarding effect on potatoes. If you plant onions in the same garden, keep them at least four rows away from the potatoes.
2. Fennel
As fennel matures, it has an effect that hinders the development of potato tubers. Fennel is also a favorite crop of swallowtail butterflies. They will lay their eggs on the fennel and the caterpillars from these eggs will travel to the potato plant.
3. Cucumber
Cucumbers are very susceptible to blight, and for this reason it is best to keep them away from potatoes which also suffer from it. Cucumbers will also compete with potatoes for nutrients as they are very hungry plants.
4. Raspberries
Raspberries can increase the risk of burns in the potato field.
5. Pumpkin
Pumpkins and potatoes will suffer and not thrive when planted as companions. Given how long it takes for pumpkins and potatoes to grow, you don’t want crops to fail for months. Keep these vegetables well away from each other.
6. Zucchini
Potatoes and zucchini are very greedy and they will compete for nutrients. Keep them both away.
seven. Sunflowers
Bees and bumblebees love sunflowers. Attracting them to the garden should be every gardener’s goal, but the fact is that sunflowers can cause problems for potatoes if planted too close.
Do not plant them next to each other. Plant sunflowers in at least two rows. This is because sunflowers can make potatoes look small or misshapen due to the terpenes and phenolic compounds they release into the soil.
Giving them space but having them close will remedy this, but if you are unsure or have a small space to plant, keep them away from each other right away.
5 tips for a panting mate with potatoes
- Use seed potatoes from a reliable source. Potato diseases can spread quickly through the soil and through the air, and you don’t want to affect your entire garden due to poor seed potato health.
- Companion plants that provide shade for potato roots and maintain soil moisture. Being big eaters, potatoes appreciate moist soil where nutrients are easily accessible.
- Use comfrey fertilizer in liquid form. Potatoes love it, as do most other plants.
- Try including several different companion plants with potatoes. They produce a much better crop than when left alone.
- Being heavy feeders, provide the potatoes with soil full of rich, well-rotted manure and compost. This prevents the potatoes from stealing all the nutrients from their neighbours.
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