the types of plants grown together can be critical, as can
be their relative proximity to one another. Companion
planting should, therefore, be used with some caution
and much observation. You may want to study the causes
of some of these benecial relationships. Are they due to
root excretions, plant aroma, or the pollen of composite
'owers that attracts certain benecial insects?
Companion planting is a fascinating field.
Some of the companion planting techniques you might
try and experience are for health, crop rotation,
nutrition, physical complementarity, and weed, insect,
and animal relationships.
Health
Better growth—Growing green beans and strawberries
together, and Bibb lettuce and spinach, has already been
mentioned. On the other end of the spectrum, onions,
garlic, chives, and shallots seriously inhibit the growth of
peas and beans. In between the extremes, bush beans
and beets may be grown together with no particular
advantage or disadvantage to either plant. Pole beans
and beets, however, do not get along well. The nuances
are amazing. What is the di5erence between bush and
pole beans? No one appears to know the scientic
reason yet for this di5erence in behavior, but it can be
observed.
Ehrenfreid Pfei5er developed a method known as
“crystallization,” from which one can predict whether or