Companion planting is rooted in the idea that certain species can support each other when grown together, harnessing natural symbiotic relationships between plants. This is an age old technique that can be used to create a sustainable (and organic!) ecosystem in your garden at home, maximising your garden’s productivity, health and resilience by strategically combining different plant species.
Benefits of companion planting:
- Natural / biological pest control: certain plant combinations can help repel pests organically, reducing the need for chemical pesticides
- Natural enemies: plant crops that invite predatory insects into your garden as natural enemies of pests
- Deterring pests with smells: incorporating aromatic plants like herbs and alliums help repel pests with their strong scents. Marigolds are a common addition to vegetable gardens as they release chemical scents that decrease aphid reproduction, protecting surrounding crops.
- Create visual or physical barriers: planting a variety of crops interferes with pests that locate host species visually. Planting green foliage around the host crop can help confuse pests.
- Trap cropping: if pests are a major problem in your garden, planting trap crops that attract pests away from your main crops can reduce infestations. Be sure to remove infested trap crop stop prevent populations of pests from spreading back to your main crops.
- Maximise yield and space: using companion planting at home is a great way to maximise space. Tall sun-loving plants can provide cover for shade tolerant crops while creeping crops can suppress weeds, reducing the need for chemical herbicides and making efficient use of the space you have. Use intercropping and border planting to combine different species.
- Improve soil health: some companion plants can improve soil fertility by breaking up compacted soil, preventing erosion or fixing nitrogen. Legumes for example are a fantastic addition to your garden as they naturally fixate nitrogen in the soil, an essential nutrient for plant growth, without relying on synthetic fertilisers which can harm soil health in the long run.
- Support pollinators: pollinator-friendly companion plants can attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies to your garden. This not only ensures the pollination of your crops, resulting in better fruit and seed production, but also helps mitigate pollinator decline (Read this post on how you can incorporate wildlife corridors in your garden to help conserve pollinators).
- Disease prevention: combining certain species can help prevent disease spreading through your crops by creating barriers or disrupting pathogen life cycles.
Tips for getting started with companion planting at home
Planning
While some plants combinations are mutually beneficial, others can have negative interactions and harm your crops. Researching which plants you want to incorporate and designing a rough plan can lay the foundation for a sustainable garden.
When planning your garden, consider factors such as nutrient requirements, growth habits and susceptibility to pests & diseases.
Practice crop rotation
Companion planting is the perfect addition to crop rotation, making it more effective. Regular crop rotation helps prevent soil depletion, minimises pest build-up and maintains the overall health of your garden.
Experiment and observe
Get to know your garden and take note of what is and isn’t working so you can adjust you strategy.
Popular companion planting combinations
Tomatoes and basil
Tomatoes and basil make great companions on a plate as well as in your garden. Basil’s delicious fragrance helps deter tomato’s regular pests, like flies and hornworms and is believed to improve yield – and taste!
Carrots and onions
Onions release chemicals that repel carrot flies and carrots return the favour, repelling onion flies.
Borage and strawberries
Borage attracts pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies which helps pollinate crops like your strawberries, and is said to improve their flavour
Thyme and roses
Thyme’s strong scent does an excellent job of hiding the sweet smell of roses from their pests and deters blackfly. Planting creeping thyme also helps suppress weeds.
Corn, beans and squash (the Three Sisters)
This classic Native American planting technique, known as the “Three Sisters”, incorporates intercropped maize, beans and squash, resulting in a resilient symbiotic relationship with each supporting the other two’s growth. The beans are supported by growing up the tall maize, in turn protecting it against wind damage, while fixing nitrogen from the air into the soil helping the maize and squash thrive. Meanwhile the squash sprawls across the soil, preventing it from drying out and suppressing unwanted weeds.
Like humans, some plants just work better together than they do alone. Companion planting at home represents one of the many ways we can tap into the intricate tapestry of nature’s wisdom and incorporate sustainability into our homes and gardens using permaculture techniques, achieving more by doing less.
Sources
https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/10-companion-plants-to-grow
https://www.frostsgardencentres.co.uk/news/853/benefits-of-companion-planting