Choosing the right potato companion plants is an all-natural way to keep your plants pest-free.
Pairing these two types of plants together will help you to get the most out of your garden beds.
Its large, oversized leaves help shield the soil around your potatoes, preventing weeds and conserving soil moisture.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Their pungent aroma repels many garden pests, including aphids and beetles.
Cilantro
Cilantromakes an excellent potato companion plant, especially when allowed to flower.
In bloom, this plant attracts hoverflies, lacewings, parasitic wasps,and ladybugsto your garden.
Credit: Justin Hancock
These insects, in turn, prey on common potato pests, including Colorado potato beetle grubs and aphids.
Nasturtium
Nasturtiumis an attractive plant generally grown for its looks or harvested for itsedible flowersand peppery-tasting leaves.
But more than that, legumes natural nitrogen-fixing ability provides valuable nutrients to the soil.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Legumes can help you grow lusher and more abundant plants when planted with your potatoes.
Beyond this, beans can also repelColorado potato beetles.
In return, potatoes keep Mexican bean beetles away, which can otherwise devastate your bean plants.
Credit:Denny Schrock
Sage
Sageis an aromatic herb ideal for attracting bees and other pollinators to your garden.
Its strong scent is also well-known as a deterrent for flea beetles and other common pests.
Lettuce
Potatoes can take months to mature in the garden, using valuable garden space.
Credit: Mark Kane
Marigolds
Keepingmarigoldsin your organic garden is one of the best ways to prevent pests naturally.
Marigolds scent is naturally repellent to many common pests, including Colorado potato beetles.
For successful potato plants, there needs to be at least one eye or bud.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
These vegetable plants like slightly acidic soil (5.8-6.5 pH).
Fertilizer or composted manure are two good additions to soil for potato plants.
The secret to getting big potatoes is nitrogen in the soil.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Amend soil with a nitrogen-rich supplement during leaf formation to encourage larger and more abundant yields.
This is not recommended.
Crop rotation will prevent disease, so attempt to plant your potatoes in a different area the next year.
Credit:Bob Stefko
After 2 or 3 years, then you could use the same location again.
Credit: Andy Lyons
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Credit: Doug Hetherington
