Organic Vegetable Gardening – Plant Families
A healthy plant that can naturally defend itself against insects and disease is the goal of every organic gardner. A healthy plant also means a higher yield.
One way to have the healthiest plants is to make sure that the plants that are planted together don’t hinder each others growth. Basically, were talking about good neighbors or plants form the same plant families.
Most relationships of plants within a plant family are generally either positive or at least neutral, one exception to this rule is in the tomato family. Tomato family plants include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and egg plants.
The exception is for tomatoes and potatoes, they don’t like each other. Certain family members should have a little space between them and only come together at the holiday dinner table.
With that said, here are some of the main plant families for vegetable gardening:
Plant Family——-Vegetable/Herb
Beet——-Spinach, swiss chard
Buckwheat——-Red orach, rhubarb
Cabbage——-Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Chinese Cabbage, horse radish, kohlrabi, mustard, pak choi, radish, rutabaga, turnip
Carrot——-Celery, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel, parsley, parsnip
Cucumber——-Gourd, melon, summer squash, winter squash
Grass——-Corn
Mallow——-Okra
Mint——-Basil, marjoram, oregano, sage
Morning Glory——-Sweet potato
Onion——-Asparagus, chive, garlic, leek, scallion
Pea——-Bean, peanut
Sunflower——-Artichoke, endive, Jerusalem artichoke, lettuce, radicchio, tarragon
Tomato——-Egg plant, peppers, potato (remember exception), tomatillo
If you notice a plant not listed, this list is by no means all inclusive, you can always search the Internet or checkout your local library for more information.