Basil Companion Plants

A companion plant basically refers to those plants that can be planted closely together successfully. In determining whether plants are companions, factors like pollination, nutrient requirements, amongst others are considered. Basil companion plants are what we will be looking into.

Basil is one of the herbs that can be easily grown alongside other plants in a garden. Basil plant is known for helping neighboring plants in areas like protection from pests, attracting pollinators, and even insects prevention.

Now, let’s delve into basil companion plants.

Basil Companion Planting Herbs

Here is some of the list of plants that can do well with basil plants being planted closely together:

1.    Basil And Tomatoes

These pair do very well when planted together. Some gardeners even argue that the flavor of both plants gets greatly improved when they are grown together. Both plants also require very similar nutrients to flourish, making them even more compatible.

2.    Peppers – Basil Companion Plants

These are another two highly compatible plants to grow together. They are both very good pest repellents, providing dense ground cover. Furthermore, pepper plants do very well in humidity, while basil can very easily get heat and moisture from the atmosphere. Indeed, great companions to pair.

You must however monitor watering both plants carefully so as to keep the balance. This is because too much watering may suffocate the root of the pepper but in some cases, it is good for basil.

3.    Basil And Root Vegetables

Another great companion of Basil in the garden is root vegetables. Basil can easily flourish with radishes, carrots, beets, parsnips, and turnips.

The great scent that basil gives off helps to deter pests from coming around root vegetables. The absence of a plant-like Basil exposes the planted root vegetables to root-infesting pests.

4.    Basil And Chillies

Planting Basil and Chillies together is another great pairing that you can do in your garden. Basil can readily repel a large host of insect pests that usually interfere with the growth of chilies.

Chilies also thrive in very similar conditions as Basil, especially during summer. Plants like eggplants and capsicums, which bear very similar attributes to chilies also pair well with Basil. Planting these plants alongside Basil will to a large extent improve their individual performance.

5.    Basil And Parsley Or Chives

These plants do very well when planted together primarily because of their environmental preferences. These plants all like full sun and have very similar water and soil requirements.

Planting them together will therefore save you any extra effort that would have been expended in tendering them. You just need to care for them as you should care for your Basil plant and they will come out fine.

6.    Asparagus – Basil Companion Plants

Asparagus is a perennial crop that thrives well in sunny conditions. It usually takes between 2 to years to reach full maturity. Basil and Asparagus are good companions to plant together.

This companion will attract ladybugs to your garden. The advantage of this is that ladybugs help to weed out notorious cabbage aphids. In addition, basil also repels the asparagus beetle which is a pest that disturbs asparagus growth.

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7.    Parsley And Basil Companion Plant

These two plants also do very well when planted together. The reason for this is that they basically require almost exact water and sunlight for growth. Planting them together would therefore result in a splendid yield of both plants.

8.    Potatoes – Basil Companion Plants

Planting basil and potatoes do not only improve their individual taste but also brings some beautiful order to your garden. You must however be careful when applying fertilizer to the plants. While potatoes need lots of phosphorus and potassium, basil needs more nitrogen.

Both plants are however sunlight and water-loving plants. Whereas many other plants will affect the growth of potatoes if planted as a companion, the reverse is the case with basil.

Plants That Do Not Complement Basil

As we have seen that there are different plants that complement basil well, there are also plants that don’t do well with basil. These plants should not be planted close to basil as this will affect the growth of both basil and the plant.

Some of these plants that should be taken far away from basil are common rue, thyme, sage, and cucumbers. The reason why these plants do not complement basil varies widely. The reasons range from differences in the nutrient requirement to differences in sunlight and water requirement.

Benefits Of Companion Planting

Companion planting which is also referred to as inter-cropping comes with varying advantages. Some of these specific benefits of adopting the practice of companion planting are:

• Repel Insect Pests: the adoption of this practice has a major advantage of detrimental pests being repelled. Some plants naturally secrete toxins or scents that have the ability to repel these detrimental pests. Some of these pests cannot be killed by pesticides.
• Attract Beneficial Insects: just the way this practice will lead to the repelling of detrimental insects, it also attracts beneficial insects. Some beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, and birds can be lured into your garden by planting the right companion like a marigolds lure.
• Improvement of Soil Nutrients: some plants have the ability to add specific nutrients to the soil. Planting such a plant in your garden relieves you of the daunting task of getting that nutrient and applying same in your garden. Nitrogen for instance can be added by Legumes.
• Provide Cover for the Ground: where some of the soil in your garden is open and not covered by any plant, the room is given to weeds to grow. Planting companion plants that spread on a low level across the ground like oregano will therefore help with this greatly.
• Provide Shade: where you wish to plant a crop that does not require direct sunlight, you may decide to plant as a companion another plant to give shade. For instance, planting a crop that grows tall and leafy like the zucchini and asparagus may be a good solution to this.
• Serve as Markers: where you wish to demarcate your farm or garden, you may decide to plant fast-growing plants that will rise and provide the necessary demarcations as quickly as possible.

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Conclusion On Basil Companion Plants

As you have seen above, companion planting comes with a lot of advantages. Basil is one of those plants that can complement other plants in the garden. Some of the plants that are well complemented by basil are discussed above.

This should be a good guide to you if you are planning to begin companion planting using basil. Ensure not to plant alongside basil those plants that don’t do well with basil mentioned above.

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