A gardener on TikTok shared the best companion plant options for sugar baby watermelons in a short but informative video.
The scoop
TikTok user Melonie (@mkplus7) talks the audience through which plants should be grown alongside the melons for pest control and to encourage pollinators. On the outer edge of the raised bed, Melonie planted red zinnias and alyssum to attract pollinators. “All of our garden friends love these,” she says. On the larger portion of the raised bed, we see more alyssum, marigolds, and bush beans. She explains that the alyssum serves as a pest control and ground cover, the marigolds are the “queen of pest control,” and the bush beans add nitrogen back into the soil.
@mkplus7 Growing Sugar Baby watermelons vertically to save space, reduce pests, and keep things cute 🍉💁♀️ Bonus? These companion plants are doing half the work for me: 🌼 Marigolds 🌿 Alyssum 🌸 Zinnias 🫛 Bush beans Trellising your melons + planting smart = less mess, fewer pests, sweeter success. 🌿🍉 💬 what’s your fav watermelon companion? Drop it below! 📌 Save this for your next 🍉planting 📲 Send to a friend who needs watermelon in their life 🍉 #trellisedwatermelon #sugarbabywatermelon #verticalgardening #companionplanting #gardenhack #zone9bgardening #gardeningtips #spacefriendlygarden #raisedbedgarden ♬ Sunny Day – Ted Fresco
“That’s how we create the perfect ecosystem for our sugar babies,” she concludes.
As the video demonstrates, the thinking behind companion plants is to use mutually beneficial pairings within the same plot. Variations of this idea have existed for centuries. For example, the Three Sisters method is the Native American practice of planting corn, beans, and squash together. Using the natural qualities of certain plants eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers and pest control.
How it’s helping
It’s not just about saving money; growing your own food has significant health and environmental benefits. Homegrown produce offers superior nutritional value to the items for sale at your local supermarket, and that also makes it taste better. Moreover, the very act of gardening has proved to reduce stress levels and promote physical activity.
Gardening means less pressure on the environment, as industrial agriculture has some pretty severe ecological consequences. The runoff from chemical fertilizers and pesticides contaminates water sources, and mass land clearance harms local wildlife. Additionally, the transportation of goods over long distances causes pollution that is responsible for rising global temperatures and the onset of extreme weather events. According to the National Center for Appropriate Technology, produce travels almost 1,500 miles from farm to kitchen in the United States on average.
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What everyone’s saying
The helpful advice garnered several supportive comments from viewers enthused by the wisdom imparted and the garden’s aesthetic qualities.
One commenter said, “So pretty and efficient!”
Another spoke of their own experience, saying, “love this!!! I planted bush beans, nasturtium and radish but I like this MUCH better.”
A third viewer was clearly inspired: “I absolutely love this !!! definitely trying that next year.”
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