The Popular Fruits You Should Keep Far Away From Basil In The Garden

While the art of companion planting is commonly based on years of experience rather than hard and fast scientific fact, understanding how plants grow and what their needs are should give you an indication of which ones should and shouldn't be grown together. Basil is a wonderful herb to have in your garden, especially if you also grow tomatoes or simply love to make your own pesto. In fact, there are plenty of reasons why you'll want to add basil to your garden as it makes the perfect companion for your tomato and pepper plants, but there are certain common fruits that you might enjoy growing that should be kept far away from your basil for some very good reasons.

Vining plants such as watermelons, honeydew, and cantaloupe are popular with home gardeners but they do tend to take up a lot of space and require lots of moisture and adequate nutrition for optimum growth. If you try and grow these alongside your basil, your herb will end up being overshadowed and outcompeted for both water and nutrients as melons are heavy feeders and their expansive growth will quickly absorb any nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium you add to the soil. Here's why your melons shouldn't be grown near basil.

Basil is one of those sun-loving herbs that really loves warm weather but also needs to be kept well-watered and fed. It should be grown in nutrient-rich soil that contains lots of organic matter. It also needs around 1 ½ inches of water each week and plenty of nitrogen if you want good leaf growth. This means that basil doesn't like to compete with other plants that require the same type of growing conditions. On the other hand, melons also love the sun and need to be kept well-watered and grown in organically-rich soils. These plants need around 1 to 2 inches of water per week while the vines are growing but watering should be reduced when the fruits are ripening to avoid them splitting. This will not do well for your basil plants who need that constant moisture to thrive.

The biggest problem with growing melons near your basil is that due to their sprawling growth, melon vines tend to crowd out any low growing plants and this will include your treasured basil. The herb just won't stand a chance when it gets overtaken by the massive vines and shaded out by the large leaves that are common in most melon plants. That's why melons are one of a number of herbs and veggies you should avoid growing near basil in the garden. It's far better to grow vertical crops such as corn near your melons because they'll provide some shade as well. Plus, there are other benefits of growing melons alongside corn in the garden such as reduced weed growth and better soil moisture retention.