Q.Multiple Plants In One Pot
Hello! I recently asked a question about growing more than one oleander plant in one pot. The answer was – no. Good to know! It’s indeed not what you see being sold in garden centers! Thank you for the answer. Now I am looking at my new ficus alii plant – there are three main stems, two of them are very flimsy and delicate. The whole ensemble can’t stand on its own and needs a supporting stick. Does alii like to be planted with its siblings? Or is it another selling trick? There is information online on what plants are compatible to be grown together (mostly for esthetic purposes), but I haven’t found anything that tells you which plants grow better solo and which ones don’t mind some company. It would be great if you could write an article about it! Best, Eve

Certified GKH Gardening Expert
We have several articles on companion planting, but this is not something that is completely known. There is still a lack of study on this subject.
Generally, it has more to do with the amount of room that multple plantings require, and there are some trees that will grow together, such as Ficus, in nature. I would, simply, suggest doing some research on each plant that you intend to keep, beforehand. This will help you to come to a conclusion on what can be planted together and what cannot.
In some cases, plants will use chemical warfare to kill each other. Rootzones can be a hostile place for plants that can't survive together. Again, this is another thing that is half experience, and half diligent research.
Back to the issue at hand...
A Ficus with multiple plantings should be in, at least, a 20 gallon container, unless you are well versed in root pruning without killing trees. They need plenty of room to survive as a group planting, though most Ficus will, happily.
Here are my search results from our website. This will offer pages of companion planting information:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/search?q=companion%20planting