Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden

Companion planting has a long history of use by gardeners, but the explanation of why it works has been filled with folklore and conjecture, often at the expense of sound science. This makes it difficult for gardeners to decipher which plant partnerships are truly successful and which are not worth the time and effort. Plant Partners delivers a science-based boost to this ever-popular growing technique, shedding light on the latest research and offering gardeners dozens of ways they can use scientifically tested plant partnerships to benefit the garden as a whole. This guide’s enhanced understanding of companion planting draws on emerging information about how plants interact with and influence each other, from the chemical signals they pass back and forth to the thread-like fungi help them access otherwise unavailable nutrients. Then it offers specific plant partnerships that growers can use to solve common gardening problems, improve soil health and weed control, decrease pest damage, and increase biodiversity, resulting in real and measurable impacts in the garden.