The Complete Guide to Companion Planting: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Garden Successful

by Dale Mayer

The idea of companion planting has gained popularity in the gardening community as a viable take on how gardeners should grow and cultivate their plants. Pairing certain plants together and making sure others are separated can create beneficial relationships for all your plants. Whether you are planting tomatoes and onions or carrots and corn, properly pairing plants can have a major impact on your harvest and the quality of your vegetables. The Complete Guide to Companion Planting: Everything You Need to Know to Make Your Garden Successful REVISED 2nd Edition shows you updated information on everything you need to know to effectively pair your crops to ensure you get the most out of every seed. You will learn the basics of crop rotation and how the Iroquois first used companion planting to improve their harvests. You will learn how to work with natural conditions in your garden and which pairings will give you the best produce and the most vibrant flowers. You will learn about how to prepare your garden and how to create an easy-to-follow gardening schedule. This book teaches you the best and worst companions for annuals, perennials, fruits, vegetables, shrubs, and vines.

We've interviewed several gardeners who use companion planting and have seen the difference it makes compared to standard gardening practices. This book offers you current tips and methods for this style of gardening, as well as information about which plants bring beneficial insects and which ones keep pests away. The Complete Guide to Companion Planting will give you everything you need to know to plot out and plant your perfect garden.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, How To

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Lorilin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are lots of ideas for companion plants (I especially like the sections on companions for herbs and perennials), but there's also a lot of repetition. And the suggestions aren't always that exciting. But this book has been a good starting point. I ended up liking Companion Planting more.

[Terry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Currently reading this. Author actually recommends using pressure treated and/or stained wood for raised bed gardens and planter boxes. While there are some pressure treated woods and even some stains which would be non toxic in this application they are the exception and not the rule. This advice is likely leading some trusting folks to poison themselves and their families unknowingly. This is dangerous and a very serious breach of public trust. And shame on the publisher, the proof reader, and especially the author for misleading and unqualified statements about the safety of using toxic materials in a vegetable garden. Zero stars

[Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone that is planning to garden should read this book. I was only slightly interested in the subject but after reading for a short while in this book I became completely absorbed. I had no idea how important companion planting could be. Full of information. Maybe all you need to know about companion planting, but you need to know it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Complete Guide to Companion Planting” by Dale Mayer is a book that shows the reader how to get the best out of their garden. As the author states in the introduction, “companion planting is best described as the practice of planting two or more plants together to enhance the growth and quality of nearby plants; to provide maximum ground cover; and, when possible, to improve the soil.” If this was the information you were looking for, then this is the book for you!

Ms. Mayer gives examples in the first chapter about companion planting pairs and defines what such terms as perennials and flowering shrubs mean. She also discusses full-sun gardens, shade gardens, container gardens, window-box gardens, small corner (mini) gardens, raised bed gardens, and border gardens and gives the pros and cons of each in easy-to-read tables. She covers the good and bad bugs that usually come with gardens as well as birds, bats, frogs and toads.

Then onto the actual plants themselves. Starting with Chapter 6, Ms. Mayer goes into detail about companion herbs (with pictures!), vegetables, annuals, perennials, fruits and more. She definitely shows that she knows what she is talking about with her descriptions and her suggestions about what to plant with what (i.e. Dutchman’s Pipe Vine is a good companion for plants requiring dense shade and the flowers will attract birds and butterflies, in particular the swallowtail butterfly).

This is definitely a good book to have on hand when planning and executing any type of garden!

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago when I grew all of our own vegetables I used companion planting. I got away from having a garden but feel it is time again to embark on sustainability. I have forgotten much of how to companion plant so this book certainly gave me a flashback and brought into light much of what I have forgotten.

Although it takes time upfront to plan out the garden plot or the container assembling it is worthwhile. You will find that your plants will flourish but even more so the need for insecticides or pesticides will be nonexistent. In fact, with companion planting many good and necessary insects and garden creatures will be attracted.

One of my favorite herbs is dill. Not only is it easy to grow it is a good planting companion to cabbage and lettuce by "improving the plants' health and growth, and does well beside onions, sweet corn, and cucumbers." On the other hand dill shouldn't be planted by carrots because it will diminish the yield. As well, putting dill beside tomatoes will attract tomato horn worms. Dill repels aphids and spider mites but attracts butterflies, bees, and predatory wasps.

Information about companions is of utmost importance to anyone that is planning on gardening or is in the midst but having issues with low yield and pests. Learning the tools in this book beforehand will being you much satisfaction in harvesting and consuming your own fruits and vegetables. I encourage you to invest in this book - you will not regret it.

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are you interested in becoming a gardener? The Complete Guide to Companion Planting gives you a basic understanding of what vegetables and flowers to use.

You’ll be informed by the history of companion planting, and where to place your garden. You’ll learn the biological benefits of combing plants, how to pick out your plants, where to plant, and ways to feed your garden. There are chapters on companion herbs, annuals for your garden, companion perennials, wildflowers and weeds, bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes, shrubs, bushes, and vines, and companion fruits.

With organic vegetables becoming popular, and the prices of vegetables going up in the grocery stores, it is no wonder why gardening is becoming a popular hobby. My favorite chapter 3 is my favorite. It lists the insects and bugs that you do and do not want in your garden. Author Dale Mayer has written a wonderful guide to new and advanced gardeners.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Companion planting promotes the idea that certain plants help other plants grow better. I purchased this book for information about companion planting, but it is much more. It includes the care and planting of plants and plant recommendations for many useful things including fly prevention. She discusses all kinds of plants that work well together. It is easy to read, but not particularly easy to use since it is written in paragraph form. Perhaps charts or groups would have been easier to read. I purchased the Kindle edition, but I believe it would have been easier to use in a print edition because I did quite a bit of ‘flipping back and forth.’

[Chad Stembridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not super detailed or deep, but this is a great introduction to basic principles of companion planting. Despite numerous typos (seriously... did anyone edit this book?), I would definitely recommend it for the novice- to intermediate-level gardener.

[Hannah Garden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first gardening book I ever read! I love it it's wonderful.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skimmed the beginning of the book, but the back half where it's organized by plant and specifically detailed their companions was concise and easy to find the information I was looking for.