Companion Planting¶

Companion planting means growing different plant species together in one space so they support each other. Kamerplanter gives you concrete recommendations based on a compatibility database and shows which combinations work well — and which you should avoid.

Prerequisites¶

• At least one location (bed or greenhouse) set up in Kamerplanter
• Plant species available in master data (or imported via search)

What Is Companion Planting — and Why Does It Work?¶

Plants influence each other in various ways:

Classic Combinations¶

The Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, Squash)¶

One of the world's oldest companion planting systems — developed by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois):

Corn         → Climbing support for beans, shades squash soil
Beans        → Nitrogen fixation for corn and squash
Squash       → Large leaves shade the soil, retain moisture

Tomato & Basil¶

Probably the most well-known companion planting pair in greenhouse and outdoor growing:

• Basil acts as pest repellent (whitefly, aphids)
• Shared water needs and temperature requirements simplify care
• Both require a sunny location

Compatibility score in Kamerplanter: 0.9 (highly recommended)

Carrot & Onion¶

Classic vegetable pairing:

• Onions and carrots use different soil layers
• Onion scent disrupts carrot fly oviposition
• Carrot foliage disrupts the onion fly

Marigolds & Calendula as Universal Companions¶

Two flowers that can be used almost anywhere:

Herbs as Pest Control¶

Bad Neighbors — What to Avoid¶

Using Companion Planting in Kamerplanter¶

Step 1: Create a planting run as mixed culture¶

1. Navigate to Planting Runs and click New Run.
2. Select Mixed Culture as the run type.
3. Choose your primary plant (e.g., tomato).
4. The system immediately shows you recommendations for companion plants.

Step 2: Select companion plants¶

Kamerplanter distinguishes three entry roles:

For each recommendation, the system shows:

• Compatibility score (0.0–1.0): Higher = more recommended
• Effect type: Pest repellency, growth enhancement, soil improvement, etc.
• Rationale: Short explanation (e.g., "Whitefly repellent via essential oils")
• Match level: Species level (exact) or family level (fallback, 20% score reduction)

Step 3: Compatibility check¶

Once you have assembled a plant combination, check the overall compatibility:

• Green: All combinations are compatible
• Yellow (warning): One or more incompatible pairs found; planting possible but not recommended
• Red: Critically incompatible combination (e.g., fennel + tomato)

Integrating Crop Rotation¶

Companion planting and crop rotation complement each other. Kamerplanter tracks a 4-year cycle per bed:

graph LR
    A["Year 1<br/>Heavy feeders<br/>Tomato, squash, corn"] --> B["Year 2<br/>Medium feeders<br/>Carrot, onion, lettuce"]
    B --> C["Year 3<br/>Light feeders<br/>Herbs, peas"]
    C --> D["Year 4<br/>Green manure<br/>Phacelia, clover, lupine"]
    D --> A

For companion planting: plants from the same nutrient category do not improve soil health — combine heavy feeders with legumes where possible.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

See also¶

• Planting Runs
• Locations & Substrates
• Pest Management (IPM)
• GDD Calculation