Best and Worst Companion Plants for Thyme

Thyme is a low-growing herbaceous plant with small, aromatic leaves that are commonly used as a culinary seasoning. Thyme is a member of the mint family and is native to the Mediterranean region. It is often used to flavor meat dishes, soups, stews, and sauces, and is also used for its medicinal properties. Thyme plants are typically hardy and can be grown in a variety of conditions, including in containers or in the ground.

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is an organic method of preventing or protecting plants from pests and diseases, attracting the right types of insects for pollination, enhancing nutrient uptake, and increasing crop production simply by growing specific plants near each other. In essence, companion planting helps bring a balanced ecosystem to your landscape, allowing nature to do its job.

Benefits of Companion Planting

1. Organic Pest control
Some plants can emit scents that either repel insects, attract them, or confuse insects or disease organisms in search of their favorite host plants. They make insects less likely to land on your garden vegetables.

2. Attracts beneficial insects
Some plants help attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, bees, and butterflies, that pollinate and help control harmful bugs. Beneficial insects feed on common garden pests, like aphids and caterpillars.

3. Provides necessary shade
Tall sun-loving plants offer shade to smaller shade-loving plants. This results in better products and can also potentially provide pest control. A good example is The Three Sisters Garden. Practiced by Native Americans thousands of years ago, this garden includes corn, beans, and squash. The tall corn provides shade for the lower squash but also stops the squash vine borer beetle.

4. Shelters plants
Some plants can provide windbreaks and prevent soil erosion. Strong winds can damage gardens by removing mulch, topsoil, and eroding beds and hillsides. Rain can also cause severe damage by beating down young seedlings. By carefully selecting the right ground cover, you can help prevent soil erosion.

5. Provides natural supports
Some companion plants can physically support each other, reducing the need for staking. The example of planting corn, beans, and squash together applies here again. Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines.

6. Saves space
Interplanting different crops greatly maximizes space and improves productivity in small gardens.

7. Enhances flavors
Some plants can subtly enhance the flavor of other plants. Most herbs have been found to enhance the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown nearby, and Basil grown beside tomatoes is an excellent example. Similarly, chamomile has an aromatic scent that is believed to improve the growth and flavor of cabbages, cucumbers, and onions when grown beside them.

8. Better soil quality and fertility
Some crops help fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce fertilizer needs. Similarly, planting plants with different root structures together can aerate the soil and allow plants to pull nutrients from different parts of the soil.Not only can companion planting helps your plants to grow better, but it also makes the vegetable garden more attractive thanks to the addition of colorful flowers that help or hinder nearby vegetables. Companion planting combines beauty and purpose to create an enjoyable, healthy environment.

Best Companion Plants for Thyme

Thyme has several good companion plants that are beneficial for each other. Some of them are:

• Peppers: Thyme is a good companion for peppers as it helps to repel pests like spider mites and whiteflies. Also, it improves the flavor of the peppers.
• Tomatoes: Thyme repels tomato hornworms and improves the flavor of the tomatoes.
• Beets: Thyme helps to repel pests like cabbage loopers and enhances the growth of beets.
• Brassicas: Thyme can be a good companion for brassica plants, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Thyme can help to repel pests that commonly affect these plants, such as cabbage worms, cabbage butterflies, cabbage loopers.
• Lettuce: Thyme helps to repel pests like aphids and improves the flavor of lettuce.
• Corn: Thyme helps to repel pests like corn earworms and improves the growth of corn.
• Eggplant: Thyme helps to repel pests like moths and enhances the growth of eggplants.
• Onions and garlic are both alliums and have similar growth requirements to thyme. They also help to repel pests like aphids and spider mites.
• Potatoes can benefit from the insect-repelling properties of thyme, which can help to keep pests like Colorado potato beetles at bay.
• Chamomile has similar growth requirements to thyme and can help to attract beneficial insects like hoverflies and parasitic wasps.
• Lavender is another plant with insect-repelling properties that can help to keep pests like whiteflies and slugs away from thyme.
• Oregano ihas similar growth requirements to thyme. They can also help to repel pests like cabbage moths and carrot flies.
• Marjoram is another herb with similar growth requirements to thyme and can help to attract beneficial insects like bees and parasitic wasps.