A YouTube gardener had commenters craving pesto after sharing the surprising benefits of pairing basil and watermelon plants.

The scoop

In a short, Willows Green Permaculture (@willowsgreenpermaculture) explained why basil and watermelon go well together in the garden.

"Basil and watermelon are perfect companions because the basil protects the watermelon from different bugs," the creator explained.

Additionally, the basil plant provides necessary shade for the growing watermelon while still allowing the watermelon leaves to get plenty of sunlight with proper maintenance.

"As I harvest … the tops of the basil leaves, suddenly the watermelon leaves just below are revealed to the sunlight," the narrator said, as the POV video showed two hands plucking away lush, crisp basil leaves by the handful to reveal the leafy watermelon plant below.

"Amazing," one person commented.

"And now I want to make pesto!" another shared.

How it's helping

Food cravings aside, companion planting can serve as natural pest control, improve the uptake of nutrients from the soil, and help maximize garden space, according to The Yale Wave's guide to companion planting.

For edible plants, companion planting can also increase yields, meaning more garden-fresh fruits and vegetables for you and your family.

There are many examples of edible companion plants. For example, basil doesn't just pair well with watermelon; it also benefits tomato plants.

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"Basil is believed to improve the flavor of tomatoes and may help to repel pests like aphids, whiteflies, and mosquitoes," according to The Yale Wave.

Similarly, carrots and onions give each other an assist.

"The strong scent of onions can deter pests that attack carrots, while the carrots' feathery foliage helps to suppress weeds around onion plants," The Yale Wave said.

Indigenous peoples made ample use of the Three Sisters technique, which takes advantage of the natural symbiosis among corn, squash, and beans.

The squash plant, sprawling at ground level, suppresses weeds and helps maintain soil moisture, while the tall corn provides both the squash and beans with shade.

The beans, which use the corn stalk as "a natural trellis to grow vertically," fix nitrogen in the soil, benefiting the squash and corn, per The Yale Wave.

There are other benefits to growing your own food at home or in a community garden.

Homegrown fruits, vegetables, and herbs are less expensive and more nutritious than store-bought produce, and gardening is shown to have mental-health benefits, too.

Additionally, growing food at home helps the environment by reducing the amount of heat-trapping pollution it takes to put food on the table. 

What everyone's saying

Commenters were quick to thank Willows Green Permaculture for the useful advice.

The YouTuber used the comment section to dish out more tips, including one for making fresh basil last for weeks or even months: Freeze it.

"I find that basil keeps its flavour much better when we freeze it," they shared. "We just rinse the basil, throw it in a bag, squeeze all the air out of the bag and stick it in the freezer.

"... We use the basil frozen, putting it into whatever recipe. We don't thaw it out first because then we lose some flavour."

With all the different ways basil helps as a companion plant in the garden, it's not surprising the creator had so much on hand that they needed to freeze some.

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