Companion planting is the straightforward method of growing at least two plants in proximity to benefit each other. The benefits can be realized as a means of controlling pests or attract beneficial insects or tffer shade, or even as sacrifice plants. In this article, we will look at the most beneficial cilantro companion plants that can be grown in your garden to produce better-for-you fruits and vegetables. First, some background information about the herb cilantro!

Botanically referred to by the name Coriandrum in sativum cilantro comes from the family of carrots, Apiaceae. It is cultivated for its leafy greens, which are known as ‘cilantro’ in American English and its seed is referred to as coriander. In other countries that speak English, the leaves as well as the seeds are referred to as coriander.

Cilantro is a popular ingredient for its use in Thai, Indian, Mexican, and Chinese food, and is consumed fresh in salsas and salads and can be added to stews, soups, and curries, or it can be used as a stand-alone garnish for your herb. Many people enjoy the refreshing citrus-parsley taste of cilantro leaves but for others, their genetics cause them to dislike cilantro and with a soapy metallic taste. If you’re not a fan of the flavor, Cilantro is a good plant to plant in your garden. These flowers attract beneficial insects, and their fragrant foliage keeps the pests from your plants that you’d like to keep.

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is a way to create happy communities of plants. Many plants can be a match that is made in heaven, while some can be a recipe for catastrophe. Companion planting means cultivating crops in a way that benefits one another. Let me present a few examples of trustworthy plants!

Plants with a strong aroma could aid in keeping away pests. Other plants have an aroma that improves the taste of their neighbors. Examples include leeks or spring onions planted close to carrot plants to deter carrot flies and stop them from laying eggs on the soil. The basil could also be planted in a group to increase the taste of the tomato.

While certain combinations offer mutually beneficial effects, others may produce the opposite result. Aromatic herbs, such as salvia could affect the taste of high water vegetables like cucumbers, making them taste bland.

The herb dill can be a good companion plant atogarden plants since it draws beneficial insects, which is an effective method to control pests. The flowers of the good companion plant attract hoverflies, which feed on sap-sucking insects, such as Aphids. Borage also draws beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps which decrease caterpillar populations on cabbages, and bees that pollinate fruits such as peppers, courgettes, and cucumbers. Nasturtiums are excellent as sacrificial plants. They are placed next to brassicas, to repel insects like butterflies and moths.

The most obvious plant combinations are those that require normal conditions for growing. Thyme can be grown alongside other Mediterranean herbaceous plants such as rosemary and sage, which are like the soil that drains freely and gets full sunshine. Family vegetables like cabbage that need alkaline water-retentive soils and partial shade can be grown in the same garden. However, families can be affected by the same disease and pests so that entire crops can be affected simultaneously. Intercropping with plants from other families may aid in keeping pests out or decrease the number of pests by attracting prey insects.

A companion plant may play support in the initial stages of development. Seeding carrots and radish together can be a great row marker for carrots when they germinate rapidly. Taller plants such as sunflowers or beans and peas scurrying over the trellis can provide shade to plants susceptible to bolting like lettuce.

The most well-known practice of companion planting is sweet squash, beans, and corn. Native Americans refer to this combination as the three sisters. Sweet corn grows tall and taller, providing support to the beans that fix nitrogen into the soil, which helps to increase the growth of plants around. The large squash leaves to ward off the growth of weeds near the bottom of taller plants, and their shade can help retain the soil’s moisture. The ‘three sisters’ system is an ideal method to test at home, particularly when space is scarce Be mindful that both sweet corn and squash can be both nutrient-rich and water-hungry species.

The secret to success with companion planting is learning which combinations work best for you. There isn’t any evidence scientifically proven that companion planting works but years of experience in gardening and established and tried-and-tested methods will be of some value. Studies have also demonstrated that polyculture systems, in which multiple crops are being grown, are a lot more favorable to the environment as well as sustainability than monocultures, resulting in better soils, plants, and ecosystems.

Benefits Of Companion Planting:

1.) The addition of companion plants can boost the quantity and quality of the harvest.

2.) It could help reduce the need for pesticides as well as fungicides.

3.) Companion plantings will help to control insects naturally, which means you don’t have to employ chemical methods that can be detrimental to your health and the environment.

4.) Some plants that are companions can boost the growth of plants that are nearby.

Like other plants in our vegetable and herb gardens, there are companion plants that seem to help cilantro to flourish, and some plants that may hinder its growth somewhat.

Best Companion Plants For Cilantro:

The best companion plant to cilantro is one that can aid to repel insects and pests as well as provide fertilizers to the soil or enhance the flavor and texture of cilantro.

These are the most suitable companion plants for cilantro. Cilantro is very tolerant in your garden if there are these plants nearby.

Peas, Beans, And Other Legumes:

Cilantros enjoy nitrogen-rich soil. However, over time the nitrogen content of the soil decreases dramatically unless you regularly fertilize your soil.

The peas, beans, and other legumes contribute nitrogen to the soil. Planting cilantro in the vicinity of legumes will benefit the plant greatly.

Anise:

The two plants require similar conditions for growth. So it is possible to plant both together. The strong scent of anise is a good way to keep away fleas and aphids, which can be beneficial to the cilantro plant.

The seeds of anis however tend to germinate faster and more efficiently when they are planted close to cilantro.

Sunflower:

The tall annual flowers, like sunflowers, are able to provide a form of shade for your greens during the scorching summers.

Basil:

Basil adds flavor to cilantro and assists in preventing pests like aphids whiteflies and beetles from attacking the plant. Basil helps to improve the plant’s growth by improving its ability to retain water.

Garlic:

Garlic repels pests who like the cilantro to attack. The garlic’s strong scent is a deterrent to pests, such as green peach Aphids. Additionally, it has sulfur compounds that prevent certain kinds of fungi to attack your cilantro plants’ roots.

If you’ve got garlic growing in your vegetable garden, they shouldn’t require the same amount of insect control!

Cilantro As A Companion Plant:

Cilantro’s fragrant leaves not only make it an indispensable ingredient in the kitchen but it can also mask the smell of its companions on the property.

A lot of pests depend on their senses of smell to find their meal. The mixing of fragrant herbs like cilantro in the garden is a great way to hide plants from pests.

Numerous scientific research has examined the benefits of cilantro as an allied plant for different kinds of vegetables. The researchers have found it to be an excellent vegetable garden addition also.

Spinach:

Cilantro is a wonderful supplement to leafy greens such as spinach or collard, lettuce, and more. The plants suffer quite frequently from pests, such as Aphids and spider mites, etc. Cilantros attracting beneficial insects that consume pests.

Potatoes:

Cilantro, as well as potatoes, are very compatible varieties. Potatoes are sometimes infested with beetles. Colorado potato beetles feed on the plants.

The insects that prey on pests attracted by cilantro are attracted to these potato beetles and can also be a threat to your potatoes.

Okra:

Okra benefit from planting cilantro since it attracts beneficial insects to the garden. Okra is particularly susceptible to aphids as well as other pests that are harmful to your health.

The beneficial insects deter pests that are harmful to the plant. Cilantro is also a magnet for pollinators when it flowers.

Carrot:

Carrots require rich soil that contains many nutrients to promote good development. Carrots also improve the taste of cilantro, so planting them together is a fantastic idea!

Tomatoes, Eggplants Peppers:

Peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants all profit from planting cilantro close to them. The majority of plants that produce fruit are susceptible to pests.

The presence of cilantro around can draw prey-seeking insects to the plants and keep the insect population under control.

However, there are some issues when it comes to growing fruit-bearing plants such as peppers and tomatoes in the vicinity of cilantro. They aren’t able to thrive in soils that are rich in nitrogen, which is essential for the growth of abundant cilantro.

The best solution is to plant them in separate pots, and then put them in a nearby area.

Worst Companion Plants For Cilantro:

It is not the case that every plant thrives with cilantro. It is crucial to be aware of the different plants that grow close to the plant you have planted with cilantro. The following includes the most harmful plants that can be a companion to your cilantro:

Dill:

Dill may attract beneficial insects to your garden, just as the cilantro flowers. But the problem is that it could lead to cross-pollination. Therefore, if you wish to keep the cilantro seeds in your garden to be used in the future, it can cause problems.

It also hinders the development of cilantro by releasing chemicals that hinder the seeds’ germination.

Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme:

Oregano and cilantro are very different in their requirements for sunlight and watering. This means that you can’t plant the two together. The same is that rosemary isn’t able to grow and thyme with cilantro.

If you’d like to plant them in your garden, you can do so by planting them in pots of different sizes.

Fennel:

Do not plant cilantro along with fennel. They do not work well together. Fennel plants release substances that could slow the development of your cilantro.

FAQs

✅Are you able to grow cilantro in conjunction with cucumbers?

Cilantro is a wonderful partner plant to keep insects like aphids out of your cucumbers. Its strong aroma could hurt the flavor of cucumber.

✅Can oregano and cilantro be planted in a row?

Oregano and cilantro that are planted in the same garden will not thrive due to their different requirements for sunlight and watering.

✅Are the cilantro-loving plants also coriander's companions?

Yes, the coriander companion plants are the same as cilantro, as they are the same species. The botanical name used for both of them is Coriandrum sativum.

✅How can keep a healthy amount of fresh cilantro available in your backyard?

The herb cilantro can be planted every couple of weeks from mid-spring through early autumn. This will provide a constant supply of cilantro for your garden. When the flowers turn brown, the stems can be removed and dried to save seeds for the next time of sowing.