Manage pests the natural way and enhance yields by planting these crops with your pepper plants.
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Companion planting is a term with multiple meanings.
Companion plants forornamentals such as hydrangeasare selected for aesthetic purposes.
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In fruit and vegetable gardens, we select companion plants based on their services to neighboring plants.
However, it is only recently that science-based studies have investigated the effectiveness of these strategies.
Some have proven successful, while others dont stand up to rigorous testing.
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We can broadly groupcompanion plantsbased on the services they provide.
Finally, growing legumes to naturally fertilize soil is an age-old practice and one that can save you money.
One of the main ways companion plants are used to manage pests is through trap cropping.
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Planting a trap crop is most worthwhile for pests that are abundant and destructive in most years.
Hot cherry peppers are more attractive to maggot flies than bell peppers, making them an ideal trap crop.
Hot cherry peppers are planted in late spring, after the threat of frost has passed.
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Maggot flies are common along the East Coast, and west to Texas.
These small black beetles chew holes in leaves and stunt the plants.
Radishes are a preferred host for flea beetles.
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An abundance of predators will help manage aphids throughout the garden.
Pests use olfactory cues produced by plant roots, stems, foliage, and flowers to find host plants.
Strong-smelling companion plants mask the scent of crops so pests cannot find them.
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Other companion plant odors simply repel pests.
This strategy worked for any crop targeted by green peach aphids.
Onions and garlic are planted in fall or early spring, as soon as soil can be worked.
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This scent can be used to mask the smell of peppers as well as tomatoes.
It deters thrips and other garden pests from finding your crop.
Basil is also known to deter aphids, spider mites, and whiteflies.
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Basil, just like peppers, is sensitive to cold; it grows best in temperatures above 65F.
Attracting Beneficial Insects
Nature supplies its own form of pest control through predators and parasitoids.
However, gardens are highly disturbed, and these natural modes of pest management are often disrupted.
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The size of the flower parts impacts what key in of insect visitors utilize the flowers.
Dill is also host to the beautiful black swallowtail butterfly.
Cilantro
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Cilantroprefers cool temperatures and is best planted in spring and fall.
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It tends to bolt or set flowers when temperatures rise.
To attract beneficial insects, this is exactly what we wantflowers!
Some living mulches, such as nasturtiums, conserve soil moisture.
Others do more than that, they also protect against soil erosion and add nutrients to the soil.
Companion plants in the bean or legume family further aid plants by feeding the soil.
Those that produce edible seeds are commonly called black-eyed peas or crowder peas.
Varieties grown for forage are often called field peas.
Both types make a good groundcover or living mulch to reduce weeds and fix nitrogen in the soil.
Plant cowpeas in late spring, after the threat of frost has passed.
Note that cowpeas potentially the germination of nearby seeds so only use them alongside transplants or established plants.
Like cowpeas, clovers fix nitrogen in the soil, making the nutrient available to peppers and other crops.
The abundant flowers of clover also attract a diversity of beneficial insects, including native bee species.
Clover plants is planted in the fall, late winter, or early spring.
It tolerates cool temperatures and helps stabilize soil during the colder seasons.
