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The venerable eggplant is a beautiful plant to have in your vegetable garden because of its deep purple color. Even though the warm-weather vegetable has a lengthy growth season, the wait will be worthwhile if you can use the finished product to prepare a delicious eggplant parmesan.
Plants that require a lot of attention include eggplants. In addition to needing a lot of sunlight, eggplant also needs additional nutrients in addition to the ones it receives from the soil and regular watering.
They are also vulnerable to insect attacks. However, there are plants that can grow alongside eggplant to make the idea of producing them a little less challenging.
What are eggplant companion plants?
Eggplants require a lot of nitrogen to grow, so extra fertilizer is used. However, planting eggplant companions like annual legumes (like peas and beans) will benefit eggplants because these plants leach additional nitrogen into the soil.
If you grow beans or peas on trellises, make sure to place your eggplant towards the front so they won’t be shadowed out and alternate rows of legumes with rows of eggplant.
Bush green beans provide two purposes when planted alongside eggplant. Bush beans also deter insects. The Colorado potato beetle is an excellent eggplant aficionado. Herbs make excellent eggplant companions and insect deterrents.
For instance, French tarragon and thyme both effectively repel a variety of bothersome insects. As a companion plant for eggplant, Mexican marigold will keep bugs away from the plants, but it is toxic to beans, so you’ll have to pick one or the other.
What are the good eggplant companion plants?
First, there are several herbs that can enhance the flavor of eggplant and keep pests away.
Due to its potent scent, oregano helps deter aphids, cabbage moths, and spider mites. Additionally, it draws advantageous insects like bees and ladybugs.
Thyme should be planted so that it can repel garden moths with its fragrant leaves and keep aphids away from your eggplant. Pests that would otherwise attack eggplant will be repelled by French tarragon.
Several herbs with potent scents, like rosemary, are excellent allies for eggplant because they deter insect infestations.
Catnip, chamomile, lavender, sage, dill, and marjoram. Avoid planting catnip near peas and green beans if you’re growing eggplant with it since catnip impairs the growth and development of those plants.
Because they cut down on flea beetles, mints like peppermint and spearmint make excellent companion plants for eggplants. Just keep in mind that if not controlled, all mints can quickly become intrusive!
Flowers can be useful eggplant companions as well. Marigolds draw a lot of pollinators, and certain hazardous pests, like flea beetles, can be repelled by their aroma. Marigolds,
Nasturtium, snapdragons, and sunflowers will all enhance the aesthetic of your yard while keeping pests like aphids, white flies, flea beetles, and ants at bay.
Nasturtium can be grown around eggplant as a trap crop that can be sacrificed to insects in place of the eggplant itself, as well as a groundcover to prevent weeds from sprouting.
Nasturtiums are a favorite of aphids, so growing them alongside your eggplants will entice them away from your eggplant and toward the Nasturtiums. Borage, a different bloom, is a helpful companion plant that keeps worms away and draws in beneficial insects.
Since eggplants are tall plants that can offer shade on hot days, many leafy greens make ideal companion plants for them. Spinach will benefit from eggplant’s shadow and can act as a groundcover to keep soil moist and control weed growth.
Growing more crops in a smaller space is possible by using edible ground cover. Aphids, fleas, and cabbage beetles can be repelled by kohlrabi. most low-growing leafy vegetables, including Swiss chard. Radishes are a companion veggie that can be grown next to eggplants.
Due to their similar growing conditions, amaranth and eggplant make excellent companion plants. Just make sure to give them both plenty of room to grow and keep them from shading one another. To develop and flower to their best potential, eggplant needs full sun.
Since the flea beetle prefers the flavor of the leaves to that of eggplants, growing cabbage alongside eggplant will draw it to the eggplant.
Pole beans and bush beans, which absorb nitrogen from the air and supply it to the soil, can be very helpful to eggplant.
What are the things not to plant with eggplant?
Fennel should not be grown close to eggplant. The growth of many plants, including eggplant, is stunted by fennel.
It is preferable to avoid planting geraniums with eggplant since they can harbor diseases like root rot and leaf blight that also affect eggplant.
Additionally, stay away from heavy feeders because they will compete with eggplant for nutrients. For instance, vegetables like corn and eggplant require a lot of fertilizer.
Although corn does not explicitly affect eggplant, you may not want to deplete the soil nearby.
Additionally, stay away from planting eggplant close to allelopathic trees like black walnuts, as they limit germination and growth beneath them.
Conclusion
Delicious vegetable eggplant grows readily in a variety of climates. It may yield several hundred pounds of eggplants in a single season and thrives in hot, muggy summers.
The fruit is a great candidate for companion plant techniques because it might occasionally be vulnerable to insect infestations. Let’s talk more about the companion plants for eggplant that will promote its better growth.
The advantages of growing other crops next to eggplant are numerous. While other plants benefit from the same care as eggplant, some herbs can ward off pests.
You might receive more fruit if you draw pollinators. When you allow companion plants to assist you, growing eggplant is simple.
