Wise Guys

Companion planting
“Are you trying to get to the root of it?” joked LJ.
Annie was standing in front of the newly mulched vegetable patch. They had spent the past few days cleaning it up in preparation for the fall garden. She gave him the side-eye.
“Do you mind helping with the layout of our winter garden? I’m having a hard time planning which vegetables make good companions for growth.”
“What you are describing is companion planting, and there’s a lot of wisdom in that idea. It means deliberately pairing plants that will fight disease and insects for each other, and in some cases, help boost growth. The right partnership can assist vulnerable veggies to grow and thrive. One plant can attract pollinators for both while its plant partner can repel pests.”
“Really? I thought we might plant beets, leeks, carrots, brussels sprouts, and Kohlrabi.”
“That will be a substantial and hearty garden. Let’s include garlic next to the beets because several creepy critters that like to feast on them are repelled by garlic. And, growing it improves the flavor of beets. Garlic also produces a sulfur, which acts as an antifungal that prevents disease in beets.”
“Can we use garlic bulbs that we bought from the farmers market?”
“Sure, we need to make sure we plant each clove pointed side up and water them consistently every few days. I like the idea of growing some garlic too because one clove is only 4.5 calories, but loaded with vitamins B1 & 6 and C, along with…