Category Archives: Companion Planting

What Is Companion Planting?

What Is Companion Planting

Companion planting can be described in a nutshell as growing specific plants together either for their improvement or for the improvement of the plants around them.

Companion planting is basically growing different plants together. If you are an organic gardener then companion planting will help you greatly for numerous reasons (more below). Companion planting is a form of poly culture, a system that will not only save space giving you more yield per acreage but will also look attractive as well.

One form of companion planting is inter planting. This is done by growing plants of different growth patterns that grow in the same conditions at the same time. For instance growing squash (a ground sprawling plant) with sweet corn (a tall growing plant) and runner beans (a vine plant that needs supporting) Thus growing three crops in just one space.

The above example is the “three sisters” first used by the indigenous peoples of the American continent many years ago. The added benefit to this particular example is that as the beans (a member of the legume family) fix Nitrogen from the air, there is extra Nitrogen left in the soil for the other two crops.

Other examples of inter planting include sowing radish seeds in with carrot seeds. As the radishes are quick to grow to maturity, they will be gone long before the carrots need the extra space. The radishes will however mark the rows for you making hoeing for weeds easier.

Lettuces and spinach (both shade loving crops) can be grown in the shade of taller plants like tomatoes that will reach for the sun spreading out to give the shade lovers some cover from the heat.

Growing onion sets amongst cabbage plants will save space and as the cabbages grow they will shade the onions from too much sun thus stopping them from bolting. They are still edible once they have bolted (gone to seed) but they will not grow any larger and will also not store successfully either.

The Benefits of Companion Planting

companion planting benefits

There are seven main reasons for companion planting and each one is of benefit to the organic gardener.

  1. Confusing pests – In a conventional mono crop system pests can home in on a large area of their favourite food. Once found they can spread to each plant causing more damage as they go. How companion planting helps is by preventing them from detecting their food source so easily and they will need to move onto someone else’s plot to find food there.
  2. Multilevel planting – As mentioned above, growing plants on different levels in the same ground is a great way to save space. Another form of this is woodland growing which is the basis of permaculture, this allows for seven layers of growth in the same area.
  3. Shelter crop as a windbreak – Growing Jerusalem Artichokes in clumps for example, will give you a strong but pliable wind break for your tender plants to shelter behind. Allowing the more tender plants to grow unhindered by strong winds which can not only damage plants but also dehydrate them.
  4. Protecting from pests – Usually by growing strong scented plants to hide your crop or in some cases actually repelling the insect invaders. Good examples of strong scented plants used in this way are lavender, garlic, rosemary,basil, and marigolds.
  5. Attracting predatory insects – Certain insects are attracted to certain plants. You can use this to your advantage by growing these plants near to plants commonly attacked by pests that these insects prey on.
  6. Sacrificial crops – As above some insects will be attracted to particular plants these can be grown to keep pests off your prize crops.
  7. Attracting pollinators – Most fruit and some vegetable crops rely on insects to pollinate their flowers to produce our food. By adding other flowers and herbs that are known to attract pollinators into your garden you will increase the chances of your crops success.

How Did Companion Planting Start

How Did Companion Planting Start

In nature plants grow together in groups that work for each other, to my way of thinking this is companion planting. Since man stopped being just a hunter gatherer and started growing food crops we have been trying to improve yield etc…

That being the case, and knowing the ingenuity of mankind, I do not think it would have taken long before somebody looked at nature and thought “well that works” and then tried to emulate that on their land.

We know from archaeological sites that the Indigenous Americans first started to grow squashes, sweetcorn and beans as food crops 10,000 years ago. It’s not too much of a jump to assume that they grew them together soon afterwards. In some areas of America there is evidence of a fourth sister being grown.

The indigenous peoples of the South West States of America often added the Rocky Mountain bee plant (Skunk weed) obviously to attract pollinators for the squash and beans. So for at least 10,000 years companion planting has been used by farmers/growers to feed their people.

We know the ancient Greeks and Romans were also aware of the benefits of companion planting and so on through the history of mankind. To say this is a nonsense or at best a fad is to my mind a very ignorant standpoint. Looking at history is a great way to learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

Of course not every combination works, but that’s life. Look at nature only some groups of plants grow together others will not grow within a very long distance of them. Armed with this knowledge the organic gardener can improve their crops health and yield, who wouldn’t want to do that?

Companion Planting Coriander (Cilantro)

Companion Planting Coriander (Cilantro)

Apparently there are 2 types of people those who like coriander and those who can’t stand it, I fall into the second category. That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the benefits of companion planting coriander (cilantro). There are some interesting qualities to coriander so read on to find out more. Companion Planting Coriander Coriander (cilantro) is a versatile herb and both the leaves and seeds are used in the kitchen. Companion planting coriander (cilantro) will help to keep aphids away from your plants. Allow coriander to flower to attract bees, hoverflies and other useful pollinators to your garden. What To… → Read More

Companion Plants – A Quick Guide To Assisting Nature

Companion Plants A Quick Guide To Assisting Nature

Companion plants, it’s like the new buzz word, but what does it mean? How does it work? And why bother? That’s what this post is all about, the what, how, and why of companion planting. With a few examples along the way. Let’s get straight into it. What Are Companion Plants? In a nut shell, companion plants are plants that are grown close together for their mutual or singular benefit. For instance, growing basil in with tomatoes will improve the growth and flavour of the tomatoes, and repel many pests too. Another example is growing the 3 sisters method as… → Read More

Companion Planting Fennel

Companion Planting Fennel

Most herbs are a useful ally to the organic gardener, but there is one that is the exception to that rule. That one is fennel, which is a shame because fennel is a great plant for keeping pests away. So let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of companion planting fennel. Companion Planting Fennel There are so many plants that won’t grow anywhere near fennel that it’s best to keep it away from pretty much everything. That said, there are a few worth mentioning so read on for some of the more interesting effects of companion planting fennel. The following… → Read More

Herbs In Vegtrug

Herbs In Vegtrug

I have the medium vegtrug, which is the largest one they make but looking through their brochure, they actually make a vegtrug herb garden. In fact they make 2 (more later), this got me thinking. It’s time to explore growing herbs in vegtrug. What Is Vegtrug? This company that appears to have bases in the UK and the US, manufacture wooden planters to a high standard. They are easy to assemble and constructed of treated wood that is safe to grow food in. There are a number of different planters available but we’re going to concentrate on their herb garden…. → Read More

Companion Planting Parsley

Companion Planting Parsley

Most plants either give or receive some benefit from being planted in companion with others. Not all plants, there are some exceptions but generally plants do better when planted together. Companion planting parsley is no exception so read on for what to grow with parsley and what not to grow with parsley. Companion Planting Parsley There are 2 main types of parsley, flat leaf parsley, and curly parsley. There are also 5 main varieties of parsley and all originated in Europe. Parsley is a biennial plant so it will give out it’s benefits for 2 seasons. Don’t just take my… → Read More

Companion Planting Citrus

Companion Planting Citrus

As our climate appears to be warming up, more and more areas are able to grow citrus trees. To get the best from citrus trees, it’s always good to companion plant and benefit from better pollination and insect control. As you will see companion planting citrus with other semi tropical plants is most beneficial, and as these plants are now easy to obtain it makes sense to apply this method. What Is Citrus? When I refer to citrus in this post I’m talking about all members of the citrus family. This includes:- Oranges Lemons Limes Grapefruit Pomelo Tangerines Kumquat For… → Read More

Companion Planting Chamomile

Companion Planting Chamomile (Or What To Grow With Chamomile)

This strongly scented herb is considered a weed by many gardeners, but is in fact a useful ally in the organic garden. There are 2 varieties and we’ll look at both in this post. By companion planting chamomile, you will reap many benefits, and attract beneficial insects to your garden. What Are The 2 Common Types Of Chamomile? The 2 most common types of chamomile are German chamomile (matricaria chamomilla) and Roman chamomile (anthemis nobilis). Both prefer full sun or partial shade, and both are used for teas and ointments. There are certain differences as we will see, and it’s… → Read More

Companion Planting Asters(Michaelmas Daisies)

Companion Planting Asters(Michaelmas Daisies)

Asters are easy to grow and make a colourful display. Companion planting asters, also known as michaelmas daisies, is beneficial in many ways. Read on to find out just how beneficial, and what asters are good companions too. Why Companion Plant? Companion planting, or polyculture has been practised for many centuries around the world. It emulates nature, look at hedgerows and woodlands and you will see natural companion planting. To find out more on the history of companion planting follow this link. It was only in the late 19th and on to the 20th century that monoculture, the growing of… → Read More

Plants That Repel Insects ( How To Keep Pests Away)

Plants That Repel Insects

Firstly, not all insects are bad for the garden, and we want to attract the good ones. But there are a lot of insects that cause damage, and even death to our plants. So here’s the growing-guides plants that repel insects(the bad ones). Plants That Repel Insects There are many plants that have the reputation of deterring pests, and here’s a few to get us started. So to start let’s look at how plants repel insects, there are some plants that give off an odour to repel insects, and others that exude chemicals to repel insects. Plants That Repel Insects-Flowers… → Read More

Companion Planting Turnips

Companion Planting Turnips

One of the easiest root vegetables to grow, turnips are members of the brassica family. All parts of the plant is edible, the root, stem, and leaves, and turnips can be eaten raw. Companion planting turnips will help you to grow healthier turnips, and save space. Companion Planting Turnips As with most plants, turnips have both good and bad companions, so let’s look at the best companion plants for turnips. Peas and Turnips As peas are members of the legume family, they fix nitrogen in the air and store excess nitrogen in their roots. Growing turnips with peas allows the… → Read More