Companion Planting

Here are various university internet sources on companion planting. There are no conclusive scientific studies to definitively support the practice. Take careful notes on what and where you plant and your results and see what works for you.

Companion Planting - Cornell gardening resources, Ecogardening Fact Sheet #10, Winter 1994. 

Companion Planting - by Chemung County, Cornell Cooperative Extension, 1999. Article resources include: Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise Riotte; several books from Rodale Press.

Companion Planting - by Joel Daniels, Delaware County Master Gardeners, PSU, April 2008 newsletter. Recommends the book, Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical -Free Vegetable Garden by Sally Jean Cunningham.

Companion Planting - URI GreenShare, URI Landscape Horticulture Program.  Adapted from Robert Beyfuss and Marvin Pritts, Cornell University, 2001.

Companion Planting: Basic Concept and Resources - ATTRA, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, July 2001, ATTRA Publication #IP125/71.

Companion Planting: Why is it a good idea?  - by Mary Conklin Penn State Cooperative Extension Horticulturalist, PSU Montgomery County Cooperative Extension Bloom 'N News, January -  March 2007. Concise info. Starts on p.5 of newsletter.

Companion Plants - PSU Healthy Plants Start Here, Franklin County Cooperative Extension. Brief basics.

The Three Sisters; Exploring an Iroquois Garden - by Marcia Eames-Sheavly, a Cornell Extension pub. 13 MB PDF link under "Garden-based learning" section. Interplanting a variety of corn, pole beans, and pumpkin or squash. Need for crop diversity.

YIELD, PEST DENSITY, AND TOMATO FLAVOR EFFECTS OF COMPANION PLANTING IN GARDEN-SCALE STUDIES INCORPORATING TOMATO, BASIL, AND BRUSSELS SPROUT - Michael K. Bomford's dissertation submitted to the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural Science 2004. Provides literature review of companion planting and a 2 yr. research study. Concludes by stating that many factors are involved in companion planting, not just the combination of certain companion species. 2.29 MB file.