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The Year-Round Food Garden
Growing Food with the Food Gardening Specialists
Companion Planting
TheOxfordDictionarydescribescompanionplantingas“(t)hecloseplantingofdifferentplantsthatenhanceeachother’sgrowthorprotecteachotherfrompests.”Inthefoodgarden,wearepurposelyplantingvegetables,herbsandflowersincloseproximitysothattheycanbenefitfromeachother.Companionplantingpracticesprovidebenefitstofoodgardenersandtotheenvironment:increasedfoodsafetyandquality,aestheticallybeautifulfoodgardens,betteruseofspace,bountifulharvests,improvedsoilhealthandadditionalhabitatsforpollinatorsandbeneficialinsectsthatleadtoeliminationofpesticides.Companionplantingisnotnew.Theideahasbeenaroundforover1,000years—usedinChinaandEgypt.IntheUnitedStates,thenortheasternIroquoisIndiantribeusedcompanionplantingfortheirfoodstaples—corn,beansandsquash.Thecornactsasatrellisforthepolebeans,thebeansaddnitrogentothesoilforthecornandsquashandthesquashspreadsout,holdinginmoistureandpreventingweeds.Thismethodisstillusedtodayandiscalledthe“threesisters”—eachvegetablepurposefullyplantedtoenhanceeachother’sgrowthortoprovideprotectionfrompests(weeds).Earlierconsideredasjustfolklore,companionplantingisnowbeingtakenmoreseriously,andscientificstudiesarebeingconductedatuniversitiesacrossthecountrywithpositiveoutcomes.Take,forexample,thecompanionplantingpracticeofdiversityforcropsecurity:aUniversityofCaliforniastudydeterminedthatvarietaldiversitywhilegrowingbroccolireducedthenumberofcabbageaphids.ResearchhasshownthatwhenAfricanandFrenchmarigoldsaregrownasacovercropbeforeplanting,thebiochemicalthattheyreleasearetoxictorootnematodes.Evidenceofcompanionplantingcanbefoundinuniversityfoodgardens:theUCDavisGoodLifeGardeneffectivelyusescompanionplantstoincreasethenumbersofbeneficialinsects.
Companionplantinginvolves:
Plantingclosertogetherusingspacemoreefficiently;plantingintensivelyresultsinfewerweeds Basedonpurposefulcombinations,mixingherbs,flowersandveggiesratherthanplantingthemseparately
Fightingpestsandattractingbeneficialsnaturally;notusingchemicals Creatingagardenpolyculture(notmonoculture)—enrichingratherthandepletingthesoilofitsnutrients
Creatingagardenthatishealthy,beautifulandpesticidefreeOfcourse,gardenerswhopracticecompanionplantingcontinuetousebestgardeningpractices:buildingandmaintaininghealthysoilandwateringwisely.Whenplanningyourfoodgarden,rememberthatplantswillcompetefornutrientsandspacewhengiventhechance.So…
Thinkabout:deepvs.shallowroots,slowvs.fastgrowthrates,andheavyvs.lightfeederswhenchoosingwhattocombine.Forexample,donotplanttwoheavyfeederstogether(suchascornandtomatoes).Theywillcompeteforthesamenutrients.
Oneofthemajorbenefitsofcompanionplantinginanorganicfoodgardenistheabilitytoavoidpesticidestocontrolpests.Thebeepopulationandotherbeneficialsthrivewhenweattempttocontrolpestsnaturally.
Examplesofnaturalpestcontrolandhowitworks: REPELLERS.Someplantscanactasrepellersof“badbugs.”TheyincludeCalendula,chives,garlic,onionsandrosemary.
TRAPPLANTS.Aneighboringplantmaybemoreattractivetopests.Forexample,Nasturtiumisaflowerpreferredbyaphidswhilesquashbeetlesareattractedtocorn.
CONFUSERES/DISTRACTORS.Thescentofplantsmayconfuseordistract“badbugs.”Theyincludelavender,marigold(African),sage,thyme,lemonbalm,rosemaryandspearmint.
ATTRACTORS.Purposefulplantingmeansaddingherbsandflowersthatattractbeesandbeneficials(“goodbugs”).Herbsincludebasil,borage(forswallowtailbutterfly),lavender,parsley(whenflowering)andthyme.Flowersincludeanisehyssop,beebalm,Alyssum,Calendula,Coreopsis,cosmos,marigolds(Tagetes)andZinnia.
SOILENRICHERS.Thesearecropsthatfixnitrogenandotherwiseimprovethesoil.Forexample,legumes(peasandbeans)takenitrogenfromtheairandaddittothesoilfortheuseofotherplants.
SUPPORTERS/PROTECTORS.Examplesincludecornthatactsasatrellisforpolebeans,aswellastallerplantsthatshadeshorterplantsandcanactasawindbreak.
Whoarethesebeneficials(“goodbugs”)?
PREDATORS(thosewhoconsumeorotherwisepreyon“badbugs”)includespiders,hoverflies,mantids,lacewings,ladybeetles,soldierbeetlesandassassinbugs.
POLLINATORSincludebees(bothnativeandEuropean),butterfliesandparasiticwasps.Justastherearegoodcompanions,therealsoarebadcompanions.Examplesinclude:
Dilltogetherwithcarrots Parsleytogetherwithmint Fenneltogetherwithtomatoesorpeppers Alliums(onions,shallots,garlic,leeks)togetherwithlegumes(beans,peas)
Examplesofafallcompaniongarden:
Cabbage,carrots,lettuce,onions,borageandthyme Spinach,mâche,Tatsoi,thymeandparsley Artichokes,lettuce,onionsandchives Beets,mint(inacontainer),Calendulaandsaladgreens(likemustardandarugula) Broccoli,cauliflower,kale,collards,parsleyanddill Lettuce,onions,carrotsandgarlic
Examplesofasummercompaniongarden:
Tomatoes,bushbeans,marigolds,basil,borage,cosmosandchives Squash,nasturtiumsanddill ”ThreeSisters”—corn,polebeansandsquash
Tolearnmoreaboutcompanionplanting,refertooneofmanybooksonthesubject.Afewinclude:
• Greer,Allison,CompanionPlantingfortheKitchenGardener(SkyhorsePublishing,2014)• Cunningham,SallyJean,GreatGardenCompanions(RodalePress,Inc.,1998)• Flowerdew,Bob,CompanionPlanting(SkyhorsePublishing,2012)• Walliser,Jessica,AttractingBeneficialBugstoYourGarden(TimberPress,2014)
Additionalresources:
• “CompanionPlantingChart,”UCMasterGardenerProgramofSonomaCounty(June2014)• “MeettheBeneficials:NaturalEnemiesofGardenPests,”UniversityofCalifornia,Agricultureand
NaturalResources,IntegratedPestManagementProgram(rev.June2016)• Karbousky,Maureen,“BookReview:CompanionPlantingfortheKitchenGardener,”UCMaster
GardenerProgramofSonomaCounty(2015)• “PlantsforBeneficialInsects,”UCMasterGardenerProgramofSonomaCounty(note:doesnot
addresscompanionplantingwithedibles)• “ButterflyLarvalPlants,”UCMasterGardenerProgramofSonomaCounty(1999)(note:asabove)• Lovelace,Sue,etal,“EdibleLandscaping:2014Bloomin’BackyardsGardenTourandMarket,”Food
GardeningSpecialistProject,UCMasterGardenerProgramofSonomaCounty(June2014)
PreparedbyBryceSumner,FoodGardeningSpecialist,
UCMasterGardenerProgramofSonomaCounty,Sep,2016PhotosbyCieCary