Companion Planting Guide

Grouping some plants because they benefit others makes perfect sense. You may have never grown or even eaten a particular type of herb or vegetable before, but when they work well with other plants, it is often well worth it.

Companion planting is a version of polyculture; that is, when different crops are grown in close proximity, they help each other. This kind of planting is used in commercial growing, farming and even small cottage gardens.
 

It is often a good idea to grow vegetables and herbs very close to each other to make sure insects and fungi don’t get a chance to settle. Organic gardening is very dependent on companion planting to avoid the use of fertilisers, sprays and chemicals.
 

Common examples of companion plants
 

• Nasturtium attracts caterpillars, so planting it alongside or around vegetables such as lettuces or cabbages will protect them. The adults will lay the eggs on the nasturtium leaves instead. The nasturtium can be pulled while the eggs are at a junior stage to rid the garden of this cycle.
• Crops that suffer from aphids or greenfly can be helped by planting marigolds close by. Marigolds emit a scent that repels aphids and attracts hoverflies, which are a predator of aphids.
• Sage is also a great herb to plant around the celery crop, as it helps to keep the aphids away.
• The herb hyssop deters white butterfly from brassicas like cabbages and Brussels sprouts.
• Grow carrots and leeks together. Both have strong scents that drive away each other’s pests.
• Garlic planted among roses will ward off aphids.
• The herb foxglove has a growth-stimulating effect on all the plants near it. It is also said to protect the garden from disease and strengthen tender plants. Useful and decorative, the foxglove can be grown in both the vegetable and flower garden.
• Some flowers are grown near other edible crops in order to attract insects for pollination. The likes of capsicums and eggplants, which have small insipid flowers, need all the help they can get from flowering annuals.
   

Companion planting also works in a physical way. Spatial interaction of plants occurs in most gardens naturally. For example, tall-growing, sun-loving plants may share space with lower-growing, shade-tolerant species, resulting in high usage of the land. Make sure companions are planted at the same time as your edible crops in order to prevent insects from taking over the vegetable patch.

Excerpts taken with permission from The Tui NZ Vegetable Garden by Sally Cameron.
Published by Penguin Books, RRP $50.00. Copyright © Penguin Books 2009