So-called companion plants help gardeners to harvest more and spend less time fighting pests.
Moreover, such companions can be selected not only for vegetables, but also for melons and gourds – watermelons and melons. They protect against pests and attract pollinators.
Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication BelNovosti, an agronomist, landscape designer, botanical artist and art therapist, told us what to plant in a bed with watermelons, melons and pumpkins.
Nasturtiums
An excellent choice for melons and watermelons. The smell of these flowers repels all insects that feed on the greenery of plants. In addition, nasturtiums attract spiders and beetles, natural enemies of garden pests.
Bees love this plant, and even aphids, when choosing between cultivated plants and a flower, will choose nasturtiums.
Marigold
They are planted in beds with all melon crops. They also help to fight the main pests, both above-ground and underground (for example, nematodes). It is better to plant deflected and thin-leaved marigolds.
Alyssum
They are planted not on the bed itself, but on the edges. It attracts pollinators, which is important for the watermelon harvest.
Tansy
The plant resists all flying insect pests, and large rodents - mice - do not like it. But it is necessary to remember that tansy is first and foremost a weed.
Radish
This plant helps fight bedbug infestations and is a trap for fleas.
You can also sow basil, mint, oregano, and anise. All these herbs deter garden pests and attract pollinating insects.
