Gardener hails ‘companion planting’ – and reason he always grows two veg together

You can never have enough advice when it comes to the , and one man renowned for this topic is back with another tip for growing your .

Horticultural expert Jamie Walton – known as Nettles & Petals on social media, has taken to explain the benefits of a technique called ‘companion planting’. “Here’s why I always plant these two crops together,” he began in a video.

“Carrots and onions are such a good example of the benefits of companion planting as carrots are susceptible to pests such as the carrot root fly that are attracted to the carrot via its scent,” Jamie explained. However, he noted as onions have a more “overpowering scent”, it helps to “mask” that of the carrots.

Jamie continued: “That means no more netting. You could also use chives in the same way too – I’ve used this method for years and I’ve never had an issue with carrot root fly.”

Another benefit, Jamie reveals, is the technique “maximises the yield from the bed” as onions grow thin and tall in between rows. Sharing his personal method, he added: “I start my onions off first from seed around four weeks prior to planting and let them grow on – or you can use sets.”

Once they’ve grown to around three or four inches tall, Jamie recommends making “narrow trenches” in the bed around 1cm deep and 30cm apart, before directing carrot seeds into them and lightly covering with soil.

“I then dib holes in between the rows of carrots and transplant the onions around three plants per hole,” he explained. As he has “quite a few rows” on his patch, Jamie covers them with straw mulch, which he says helps to “retain moisture and aid germination”.

He closed: “Keep them well-watered, watch them grow and harvest your root fly-free carrots and extra crop of onions.” One of Jamie’s followers praised in response: “Thank you so much… your experience is invaluable.”

A second person commented: “I need to try onions again, I’ll co-plant with my carrots this time. Thanks for the tip.” While a third was also grateful, penning: “I love it when nature has the answers to your gardening issues!”

The RHS also supports the method, meanwhile, adding on its : “As well as carrot/onion combinations, other scented plants are also claimed to deter unwelcome insects. For example, coriander has been found to sometimes deter unwanted insects in crops of basil and parsley.

“Farmers plant garlic in growbags containing strawberries. The garlic is cut down and the chopped leaves spread on the growbags every two weeks. The scent of the garlic is proposed to repel aphids (greenfly).” And the RHS also states: “For cabbage family plants such as cabbages and cauliflower, covering the soil by growing a layer of low-growing clover and trefoil makes the plants less visible to the cabbage root fly, protecting the crop.”