What Can You Plant Alongside Corn To Deter Bugs? 16 Plants Ought to Be at the Top!
This year, are you growing corn? To harvest the best crops, you need therefore make advance preparations. Many gardeners encounter corn insect infestations as the season progresses.
Around 40% of crop production worldwide is lost due to pest-related harm, according to FAO. Aggression among pests is increasing as a result of climate change.
What can I grow in addition to maize to deter bugs? If you’re wondering, certain plants are really good at repelling insects. Additionally, organic pest control is always preferable to the use of chemical pesticides. You may cultivate these 16 pest-repelling plants alongside corn to naturally ward off pests.
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What To Plant Alongside Corn To Ward Off Bugs
What can I grow in conjunction with maize to deter bugs? In addition to numerous other benefits, companion planting discourages pests and enhances soil nutrition. With maize, you may cultivate aromatic herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. These are your choices:
- Winter squash
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Melons
- Radish
- Mint
- Hyssop
- Nasturtiums
- Marigolds
- Borage
- Dill
- Sunflowers
- White cloves
- Horehound
- Basil
- Thyme
Planting Fruits & Veggies with Corn
These corn companion plants might be useful whether you grow corn from popcorn seed or in any other way.
Winter squash
Winter squashes act as a “Natural Mulch” for the corn plants, preventing weeds from developing next to them. And the thorny vines on them keep raccoons and other large pests away. Similar actions are taken by members of the gourd family like pumpkins.
Lettuce
Most home gardeners grow lettuce because it’s a common salad leaf and it makes an excellent corn companion plant. Lettuce will grow much better than weeds if you plant it in the spaces between the rows of corn.
Since lettuce is a cool-season product, towering corn plants that maintain a low temperature might act as shade, extending the time needed for cultivation. They complement each other well, therefore.
Cucumber
Another plant you can grow alongside corn is the cucumber since its roots are short, allowing corn to grow unhindered.
This vine plant inhibits the growth of weeds and preserves the ground moisture. And corn can grow unrestrictedly because cucumbers develop in about 1.5 to 2 months.
Melons
Melons and cucumbers both have advantages. They are effective at preventing weeds even if they occupy a lot of land and can make it overly shady. Now, whether you plant honeydew or sugar melons, they require enough water, exactly like corn. Therefore, be careful to provide the plants ample water.
Radish
After you plant the seed, radishes can be harvested in about three to five weeks. They work well as a companion plant for corn, cucumbers, and squash and are effective in repelling pests.
Corn Plants That Can Grow With Aromatic Herb And Flower Plants
Mint
Mint is unappealing to deers, like other scented herbs. This grazing mammal stays away from the corn due to its strong flavor, which stops them from harming the plants. It works similarly to wild mint.
Hyssop
Hyssop and sage can deter deer and flea beetles just like mints can. In addition, the medicinal plant attracts helpful insects. Planting them close to radishes is not advised.
Nasturtiums
Although planting nasturtiums with other plants to deter dangerous pests from crops may seem irrational, gardeners frequently do so. Squash bugs and aphids (green flies), pests that can harm numerous crops, are drawn to the flowering plant. You can avoid insect assaults by planting them a little farther away from your squashes, corn, and tomatoes.
Marigolds
Marigolds make terrific companion plants and are a great insect deterrent. In addition to the aphids that develop on corn stalks, they also draw beneficial and predatory insects that ward against nematodes or roundworms, which frequently devastate crops.
Borage
Borage, also known as Borago officinalis, attracts pollinators like bees and wasps while keeping pests away from corn. Aside from adding beauty to your garden, this flowering plant helps keep tomato and cabbage pests away.
Borage goes well with strawberries, cucumber, beans, squash, and squash. Plant these delicious flowers, therefore, a little distance from your garden beds.
Dill
Corn, cucumber, and dill are three more plants that can be grown together. This fragrant herb draws beneficial insects that drive away destructive ones, such as honeybees, wasps, butterflies, and hoverflies.
Additionally, it forbids the attack of aphids, cabbage worms, and squash bugs on crops. This versatile herb goes well with a variety of foods, including asparagus, beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, and onions.
Sunflower
Ladybugs and other beneficial insects that control pests and destructive insects are drawn to sunflowers. Additionally, beans, squash, and pumpkins can be grown on this plant. If you do want to plant them together, though, grow dwarf sunflowers.
White Clover
Farmers frequently cultivate white clover alongside other crops to take use of the soil’s characteristics, even though it is more well known for its anti-inflammatory effects that boost immunity and ease cold coughs. It enhances soil quality, holds onto moisture, and incorporates nitrogen into the soil.
It might make a good corn companion plant. In addition to the advantages already mentioned, it will lessen weeds. And when clover plants reached the end of their lives, they would decompose in the soil and create an excellent fertilizer for your corn plants.
Horehound
Common horehound, also known as Marrubium vulgare, is frequently used for its therapeutic properties, mostly in cough syrups. However, a lot of wasps and flies are drawn to this perennial member of the mint family.
Basil
When planted together, basil’s many benefits deter maize weevils. Basil can be grown next to maize or left as a border plant. Corn cobs can also be preserved with dried basil.
Thyme: Excellent for Earworms
Thyme is a staple in any cupboard and does wonders to keep earworms away. This fragrant herb deters little pests when planted with corn. It promotes the full development of the corn plants.
This Companion Plant Video May Help!
FAQs
Can you plant carrots with corn?
Yes. You can grow.
Can you grow carrots alongside corn?
Yes. Corn and carrots can be grown together. Despite being a rare pair, they do not hurt one another.
Can corn and garlic be planted together?
Garlic can be grown adjacent to maize plants, yes. The raccoons won’t damage the maize plants because of the strong smell of the garlic.
What kind of plant grows best with corn?
Plants that demand fewer fertilizers and are pest-resistant produce corn more effectively. The three plants corn, squash, and beans grow well together. Along with maize, you can produce sunflowers, mint, gourds, lettuce, and radishes.
Conclusion
Organic farming is excellent for both people and the environment. We ought to put that into practice more often. You may choose which seeds to plant for the season now that you know what to plant with corn to deter bugs.
Additionally, avoid planting cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, or eggplants adjacent to corn beds because they both attract pests and can spread the same diseases.
Some plants require extra nutrients because they eat heavily. So they won’t grow well if you sow them together. Additionally, as the corn plant develops, it becomes a barrier to sunlight for plants that prefer the sun.
You can plant these space- and water-saving companion plants with corn together to promote the plants’ healthy development. Enjoy your garden!
