Eco Garden: Companion Planting
21.08.2023 - 12:00
/ theunconventionalgardener.com
/ Emma Doughty
/ Eco Garden
Companion planting is the catch-all term for exploiting the many ways in which plants interact with each other. Companion planting is often portrayed as a simple matter of which plants grow well together, but the small amount of scientific research that has been done suggests that this is not the case.
One way in which plants influence each other is by forming microclimates. We exploit this by growing hedges and windbreaks, but each plant in your garden is affecting the climate around it. Tall shrubs and trees cast shadows; ground cover plants prevent evaporation and raise the humidity close to the soil.
Plant roots have a profound effect on soil that can benefit other plants nearby. Roots form channels through which air and water can percolate, and each plant will draw a slightly different combination of nutrients from the soil.
Plants can attract or repel insects and other wildlife. They can even attract or repel the gardener – and a reasonable amount of attention from the gardener can be a big factor in plant survival!
An obvious negative influence is competition – your plants compete with weeds for sun, water and nutrients, which is why we try to keep weeds at bay.
The sheer number of influences on plant growth and the diversity of garden environments mean that companion planting – growing different species together to benefit one or both of them – is an art, rather than a science. What works in one garden may not work in another, or the following season.
However, there are some simple ways in which gardeners can maximize the positive effects their plants will have on one another. One of the easiest is to ensure that you have a wide variety of plants growing. In the kitchen garden, grow flowers and herbs among your
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