Part of the joy of growing your own fruit and vegetable garden is having the freedom of cultivating anything that you wish to eat. However, for those looking to make the most out of their gardening budget, there is one companion plant that may help you get the most out of any harvest: beans. 

The scoop

Garden expert and TikToker plantwithmalakai (@plantwithmalakai) posted a short video that explained the many benefits of planting beans in your garden. Like many other plants, beans can become the ultimate companion plant that can help take your garden to the next level.  

@plantwithmalakai Here's your PSA to plant more beans in your garden!! 🫘♻️They are super beneficial and great for cycling nutrients back into the soil. 🙌🏾 #foodforest #permaculture #growfood #success #beans #biomass #nitrogen ♬ original sound - plantwithmalakai

Companion planting is a gardening technique where different plants are grown together to benefit each other's growth and health. These benefits can include pest control, improved nutrients, and even enhanced pollination.

"Here's your PSA to plant more beans in your garden!!" the TikToker noted. "They are super beneficial and great for cycling nutrients back into the soil." 

How it's helping

As noted in the original post, bean plants can help provide biomass, which can be used in chop and drop gardening, a technique that offers numerous benefits for your garden and soil health. It involves cutting back plants and leaving the clippings on the ground as mulch, which then decomposes and nourishes the soil. This gardening technique is able to potentially improve soil fertility, retain moisture, suppress weeds, and also boost soil microbiology. 

Perhaps most importantly for gardeners, bean plants are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants, enriching the soil. "They have a relationship with the bacteria in the soil called Rhizobia," explained the TikToker. "Where every time we prune them, they release more nitrogen in the soil collected by the air." 

This can go a long way in helping you grow your own produce. Having access to fresh, potentially more nutritious and delicious produce can not only bring in cost savings, but it can help reduce the environmental impact of mass-produced and shipped food. Gardening has also been noted to help improve mental and physical health as well. 

What everyone's saying

The post left many commenters impressed with the gardening advice left by the gardening pro. 

"Good advice, thanks," wrote one user. 

"I'm looking forward to our beans next season. I'm curious about how much you need to grow for a significant harvest for a family of 4," noted another commenter. 

"I love the work you're doing!" exclaimed a third user. "Thank you for sharing this info."

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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