Organic Vegetable Garden (OVG), May 9th:
While setting up your friends can have varying results, choosing the right companions for your vegetable plants can help ensure successful outcomes. Companion planting is the practice of pairing certain plants to maximize beneficial relationships. Some plants repel pests, other attract pollinators, and some enrich the soil. In our garden, we paired eggplant with arugula. For the past few years, flea beetles have been devouring our eggplant seedlings. Since flea beetles prefer greens to eggplant, we are hoping that our few sacrificial arugula will attract them away from the eggplant. If you are committed to organic gardening, companion planting is an important strategy for helping your plants to thrive.