Companion Planting

A Feast for Beneficial Insects, a Famine for Pests

One of the most remarkable advantages of companion planting is creating a natural pest control system. Certain plants – such as marigolds, nasturtiums and tansy – emit strong odours that repel harmful insects like aphids and whiteflies.

Additionally, these ‘trap crops’ can attract natural predators such as ladybugs, lacewings and hoverflies, to keep pest populations in check. This creates a balanced ecosystem, reduces the need for harmful pesticides and promotes biodiversity.

Maximising Space and Resources

For those with limited space, companion planting offers a clever solution. By strategically interplanting crops with different growth habits, you can maximise your garden's potential.

For example, taller plants such as corn can provide support for vining crops like beans, eliminating the need for separate trellises. Fast-growing plants like lettuce can be planted amongst slower-maturing crops, allowing you to harvest multiple yields from the same space throughout the growing season.

This year, we’re growing lettuce and spinach amongst our slow-growing parsnips in the Walled Garden. This efficient use of space allows us to reap a greater bounty from the garden without sacrificing valuable space, and can easily be replicated in smaller spaces.

Shading the Soil, Suppressing the Weeds

Companion planting can also help manage weeds and maintain optimal soil moisture.

In the Walled Garden we use clover to cover paths and alpine strawberries as ground cover, and low sprawling plants like nasturtiums, squash and pumpkins act as living mulch. This shades the soil and prevents weed seeds from germinating. It also reduces competition for nutrients and water, helping your desired crops.

Taller plants such as beans and peas can cast beneficial shade on the soil, helping retain moisture and reducing the need for frequent watering, especially during hot and dry periods. This can particularly help plants such as spinach.

Planning for Success

While companion planting offers a wealth of benefits, it's important to plan strategically to ensure success. Research the specific needs and potential allelopathic effects (where certain plants release chemicals that inhibit the growth of others) of the plants you intend to pair.

Some beneficial combinations include:

• Tomatoes with basil (which deters tomato hornworms)
• Carrots with onions (which repel onion flies)
• Cucumbers with dill (which attracts beneficial insects)

Experimentation is key, and keeping a detailed garden journal can help you track successful pairings and refine your companion planting strategies over time.

A Sustainable Approach to Bountiful Gardens

When we think of a beautiful garden, very few people would conjure the image of a field with a monoculture of rows of heavily sprayed crops growing in a wildlife desert, yields maybe high but beauty is lacking.

Companion planting fosters healthy ecosystems, promotes biodiversity, and optimises resource utilisation, making it a sustainable and responsible approach to gardening. It allows you to grow fruit, herbs and vegetables together – harnessing the power of natural partnerships to create a thriving garden that is both bountiful and beautiful.