From determining what to plant to understanding what time of year certain crops thrive, gardening can take a lot of work. However, one gardener explained why companion planting can make your job a whole lot easier.

The scoop

Much like humans, plants often enjoy themselves a lot more when hanging around those they like the most. Backyard gardener and TikToker Wonderfully Ordinary Gardening (@wonderfullyordinary) offered a quick video that demonstrates the tremendous benefits of growing carrots and radishes together.

@wonderfullyordinary One of my favorite garden hacks is planting carrots and radishes together. I mis the seeds together and sprinkle them in a single row. Radishes will mature faster than the carrots and when you pull the radishes it will create natural spacing for the carrots without disturbing them. #vegetablegardening #gardenhacks #carrots #radishes ♬ original sound - wonderfullyordinarygardening

"One of my favorite garden hacks is planting carrots and radishes together," she wrote. "I mix the seeds together and sprinkle them in a single row. Radishes will mature faster than the carrots, and when you pull the radishes it will create natural spacing for the carrots without disturbing them." 

How it's helping

Companion planting can promote a number of mutual benefits for certain crops. In some cases, the gardening technique can deter pests, attract beneficial insects, improve soil, and more. Not only does this help encourage plant growth, but it can also cut down on your workload. 

Fast-growing radishes can make the perfect companion that marks carrot rows and helps with soil aeration. As the post showed, you don't even need to do anything special. Just plant both seeds in the same row at the same time, using loose soil. When the radishes mature and are harvested, they'll leave behind spaces that help to loosen the soil, providing ideal conditions for the emerging carrot plants.

In general, companion gardening can also help improve your mental well-being through reduced stress. The activity directly connects individuals with nature and gives them a sense of accomplishment through growing their own food, too.

Moreover, gardening cuts down on your carbon footprint by reducing the need for mass-produced, store-bought produce and plastic packaging. On a personal level, you can save money on groceries in the long run while enjoying fresh, better-tasting produce. 

What everyone's saying

In the comments, users appreciated the useful gardening hack. 

"I will give this a try!" one commenter exclaimed.

"What a great idea. I love it," another wrote.

"Ooh, I would have never thought to do this!" a third person said.

How would you describe your gardening skills? I can grow anything 😎 I can grow some stuff 🧑‍🌾 I don't kill every plant 😬 I shouldn't be allowed near plants ☠️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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