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