Companion Planting
Are you look for some plant to develop next to your corn this season ? There are many different option to prefer from ! In this article , horticulture expert Kaleigh Billon deal her favored corn associate , wiith names and pictures of each !
Contents
Whether you like your corn grilled , pour down , creamed , or land , you probably like it in one way or another . clavus is a great crop to add up to your backyard garden , and it ’s certainly a democratic choice among sodbuster in the US , with about 100 million acres dedicated to corn production .
You probably do n’t have that much infinite to spare in your garden , but that does n’t mean you ca n’t get your own meat . In fact , you’re able to plant corn with other plants to make the most of your circumscribed distance . Many flora benefit each other in one way or another , which will assist your plants grow better .
Corn does n’t have to be grown in a field with nothing else but more corn . rent ’s bet at some other plants you could add to your cornfield , no matter how diminished or expectant it may be .
About Companion Planting
fellow planting may seem like an ingenious illusion , but really , it ’s just nature doing what nature does best . Rather than keeping all your plants in separate seam , companion planting permit you to develop certain plants together to reap the benefits .
Instead of growing beans in one bed and lettuce in another , you could grow them together . Lettuce will assist do as a land cover to suppress weeds , and beans willadd nitrogen to the soilto help your lettuce formulate bounteous , healthier leaves .
If a flora has a pest problem , introduce a plant life that will keep that cuss away or a plant that will pull insects that will run through the desired pest . The more diverse an ecosystem you have in your garden , the good . Everything will go together and improve their conditions over time .
The most well - known companion planting method is the Three Sisters , which I ’ll be reference often since corn whiskey is a main element ! The Three Sisters method utilise Zea mays for a treillage , pole bean for atomic number 7 , and squeeze as a background cover . you’re able to apply several variations of this method , and I ’ll mention them along the way of life in this clause .
Corn as a Companion Plant
Corn is magniloquent and sylphlike and needs fart to be pollinate . How exactly can it be a companion plant ? That ’s what I used to wonder , at least ! Though corn can have some disadvantages as a industrial plant neighbor , it brings many things to the table .
If you need to salvage some money in the garden , apply Zea mays as a natural trellis . Vining industrial plant like pole beans can climb up the corn . No need to purchase trellises for circumstances of plant when corn will give you mass of peak !
For flora that need specter , corn can provide it . Spring crop like lettuce and dill weed bolt when temperatures move from warm to hot . furnish them with ghost can avail them abide the heat longer , render you a wider harvesting window so you’re able to love your favorite spring foods for longer .
clavus does n’t swear on pollinators to produce corn , but it will still draw in pollinator to your garden . They ’ll serve bring in bees , rainfly , and other dirt ball that will likely bask the rest of your garden , too .
clavus will tower over your garden , assuming it grows sizable as intended . While some plants apprize the shade , others wo n’t . When you plant Zea mays , keep in mind which plants necessitate full Dominicus exposure and where the Lord’s Day is throughout the day so you’re able to prevent shadow from being cast over your total garden .
Just as your grassy lawn call for a deal of water , so does corn since it ’s part of the pot category . It will need at least 1 inch of water each workweek , but you ’ll likely be watering it more often than this , especially in hot mood in the vertex of summer . If your Indian corn take so much water that other plants are unhappy , you’re able to put the others in containers nearby .
Companion Plants for Corn
You do n’t have to limit your Indian corn maze to just corn — you could have other thing in there , too ! Let ’s look at some great companions for corn .
Beans
Beans are a classic Three Sisters element that will serve all your plants grow . bean ( and other legume you may swop out to take the place of bean ) are N - fixture . They take atomic number 7 from the air and deposit it back into nodules on their roots .
Whenbeans are planted with corn , the corn whisky consumes nitrogen , which help oneself it develop taller and explicate more foliage . Corn gives back to the bean by provide a tall treillage for them to climb . after in the class , when you ’ve cut the bean vines down , give their roots in the soil . As they break down , they release their stored nitrogen back into the stain , replenish it for the next grow season .
edible bean like cheer and consistent watering like corn , so the two get along well . corn whisky has a cryptical root word scheme , while beans ’ root are shallow . Beans will dry out quicker than corn , so they in all probability wo n’t get overwatered when you have to give your clavus extra water .
Borage
Borage is abeautiful flowering herbthat tastes a lot like cuke . It ’s a good neighbour to corn because its scent is believed to repel various worms that care to eat corn , and its flowers entice in some predatorial good louse . Worms are one of corn ’s most cumbersome pest , so you ’ll likely need to go heavy on the Borago officinalis planting .
While Borago officinalis keeps worms away , it also draws in pollinator with its dainty low flowers . flux with corn , the two plants will make bees and their friends buzz around your garden .
Cucumbers
If bonce are n’t your thing , you canuse cucumbersas one of the members of the Three Sisters . They can climb up clavus stalks ( but may ask additional backup ) , or you may train them to raise out to work as a ground cover to replace squash rackets .
cuke are always covered in bee when I grow them , so you ’ll in spades desire to produce these by your edible corn to make certain everything gets pollinated . They fly high with as much sunshine as you may provide , but they wo n’t mind being part shaded by maize stalk , although you may see a decrease in yield output .
Dill
I absolutely love dill , so I ’ll commend you grow it by almost everything ! My personal prejudice aside , it really is a great herb to spring up with corn . Earworms , cutworm , and aphids often gobble up corn . Fortunately , Anethum graveolens attracts good dirt ball that predate on those pests , such as parasitic wasps that go after caterpillars and ladybugs that run through aphid .
Dill has a long taproot that may compete with corn antecedent , so it ’s good when place on the ends of edible corn rows or with at least 1 foundation of infinite between the corn whiskey and Anethum graveolens . Since the mutual welfare are about pest control rather than nutrient , it ’s not detrimental for you to produce these in close quarter . They ’ll do good each other if they ’re in the same neighborhood .
Lettuce
Lettuce is an easy - going craw that willwork well next to corn . The shallow roots wo n’t intervene with corn roots , but they ’ll do good from the wet and nutrient the edible corn draws up from deep within the soil . Feel free to get your plants a little cozy , especially if your corn is already establish when you add in wampum .
clavus will drop spook over your lettuce , which will allow you to acquire lettuce a little longer into the hot summertime months . Since lettuce can be eaten at any stage , you may harvest it as soon as needed if it grow too close to your corn whisky .
Marigolds
Marigolds are a pest - fighting raw material in many garden . They ’re consider to repel several pestilence like beetles , squash bugs , and hornworms . They also keep away root - knot nematodes which can be prejudicious to any plant in the garden .
Because of their shallow roots and stocky size , you may grow marigold virtually anywhere without stimulate too many problems . It should n’t be an issue if they acquire near to your clavus .
Melons
melon vine make a swell alternative to squelch in the Three Sisters combination . They like as much weewee as you’re able to give them , as does Indian corn , so your tearing schedule wo n’t be a balance act .
Their magnanimous vines and leaves will represent as a ground covering that will protect edible corn and bean rootage , prevent erosion , keep the soil moist , and prevent weeds from popping up . Not to name , you get fruit out of the mountain , too !
If you apply melons as a “ sis , ” seek to keep the vines on the ground rather than the corn . Ideally , dome or peas will trellis up the Zea mays . Melons may be a little too enceinte once they start producing yield . Plus , the plants will be easier to manage if you could easy get at the yield .
Mint
Does anything grow more vigorously than mint ? You may not desire to plant it in the earth with the corn , but you ’ll surely want it in containers nearby . Deer love to nibble on corn , and they detest the smell of batch . you could keep your corn crops to yourself if you leave mint nearby .
Mint will develop a thick matting that will suppress weeds and pretty much anything else . If you plant it in - ground near naturalized corn , it should n’t be a problem as long as you keep it in check , but it will in all probability crush young corn whisky seedlings if it ’s too close .
Mint has shallow roots , so aside from downright aggressive growth riding habit , it should n’t interfere with maize too much . You ’ll definitely involve to keep it pruned if you want it in the background , though .
Nasturtium
Nasturtiumwill bring a bright pa of color to your vegetable garden , attracting pollinators of all kinds that will gain your corn . This flower also functions well as a yap crop for aphids . works it far enough away from the edible corn that the aphids ca n’t well travel between the two but penny-pinching enough that the aphid will get it . Let the aphids feast on the plant instead of your corn .
Nasturtium call for about 1 column inch of water per hebdomad , so they ’ll be happy if you keep the same tearing schedule as you do with corn .
Peas
pea plant are the upright alternative to bean in the Three Sisters method since they do the same affair . Peas are also N - fixing legume that will give your edible corn a much - needed rise . They ’ll climb the corn and will appreciate the good afternoon shade the corn give them as the weather condition wake up .
Since peas are a fountain industrial plant and corn is n’t planted until after the last hoar , you ’ll likely need to trellis your peas beforehand . Once it ’s Indian corn season , you could plant the clavus right next to the peas . The nitrogen boost will serve them grow promptly , and the pea will enfold around the corn as everything grow .
You ’ll call for to pull out the peas before the maize ’s ready to harvest , but you may duple - crop by leave the pea plant roots in the ground and popping attic in to protrude the oscillation afresh !
Potatoes
Corn and potatoesare a great combinationon the dinner party board , but they also work well together in the soil . Many say that Indian corn enhances the flavor of tater , but the real welfare comes from the ghost it provides .
tater like full sun in the leaping , but once summertime arrives , they often ca n’t take the heat . implant your corn whisky in a wrangle on the south side of your garden and your spud north of the edible corn will give them the shade they involve to abide coolheaded and finish developing . If you go this route , make certain your corn is only shading potatoes and other plants that involve shade rather than the sun - loving plant in your garden .
Pumpkins
Pumpkins are another option for the Three Sisters in place of other types of squash vine . Make certain you have plenty of room for these since everything about the plant is immense unless you opt a small potpourri . The leaves are magnanimous , the vines are longsighted , and the fruit can be jumbo . You wo n’t want these creep up your corn !
Like other ground - level Three Sisters flora , pumpkins will do an excellent task at suppressing weeds , maintaining moisture , and protecting ancestor from eating away . You will ask to fertilize these throughout the time of year ( along with your Zea mays ) as both can be sonorous feeders , but the noodle ’ roots will finally let go nitrogen into the soil as they decompose , so the soil will be quick for the next time of year of growth .
Spinach
Like dinero , spinach plant will savour the nicety cast by the Indian corn . you’re able to aid stave in off bolt in early summer by institute prickly-seeded spinach at the base of corn whisky or alternating rows with it . Plant corn in your spinach bed once the threat of frost is gone .
These leafy greens like as much H2O as corn seedlings , so they ’ll get along well in the same garden bed . When the summertime heat up too much for the spinach , you’re able to pop another heat - resistant crop in its lieu !
Sunflowers
You might call back corn and sunflower wo n’t play nice together since they ’re both grandiloquent with deep root systems , but you ’d be surprised at how well they can coexist in the same quartern .
There are several means to approach the corn andsunflowercombo , but the wide-eyed method is to set them together in alternate wrangle . It may sound counterproductive , but the cryptic taproot go direct down and wo n’t tangle up too much .
The sunflowers will draw in a plethora of pollinator while also providing support and a shelterbelt for the Zea mays . you’re able to easily adapt this method to the Three Sisters — attic and mash also get along with sunflowers , and everyone let a pollinator encouragement !
you may also go the path of Farmer and rotate corn and helianthus crops . Have a corn whisky seam and a helianthus bed right next to each other and alternate them each year .
The roots will dig deep into the territory , pull out nutrients and water upward . Next twelvemonth , the other crop growing in its position will have pre - dug distribution channel to snake its rootage through , allowing them to grow faster and deeper and get even more nutrients .
Thyme
Thyme is an important works to keep near corn since it repels the dreaded corn earworm . Earworms are ably named since they ’ll devour your ear of Zea mays , so you certainly do n’t require them around . Luckily , they hate thyme and often delay out of the area if you plant it nearby .
Thyme is drought - tolerant and does n’t need as much H2O as corn , so it will be happy as a container works . you’re able to also plant it on the ends of maize rows if those areas are a little drier than the interior of rows .
White Clover
peradventure the Three Sisters method acting is n’t your cup of Camellia sinensis , but you ’d wish to bask the benefits of nature - made nitrogen . If that ’s the case , try ashen clover . Though it ’s growing in popularity as an alternative lawn , it will work well between clavus rows as a exist mulch . This grass - like flora is a legume that will sum up nitrogen to your territory and suppress weeds .
The clover can develop around your corn since the shallow origin wo n’t cause job . If you plant clavus in an subsist trefoil while , you ’ll desire to clear out a small country for the seed so it can have room to grow . As long as it is n’t choking out the seedling , you wo n’t need to worry about them being close together .
Winter Squash
wintertime squash is the sort of squash that works well in the Three Sisters method . There areseveral sort of winter squashes , such as acorn , butternut , delicata , and spaghetti . Though it ’s called wintertime squash rackets , you ’ll need to establish it about the same sentence as maize so it can have a longsighted summer to develop and be harvested in the fall .
big squash leave of absence protect tender roots and prevent weeds from belt down up between plants . The root word will prevent eating away and body of water runoff , keeping your plants happy and healthy .
Final Thoughts
you’re able to easily link corn into the remainder of your garden byplanting it with trusted companionsthat will give and take and make it part of your backyard ecosystem . No need to commit one-half of your yard to one harvest !
