Pick and Write [Agricultural Word]👉#19

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Companion planting is as simple as living in society, some humans can get along with others and others simply can't! The "Others" are the same for plants, there are those that can get along with some plant partners and others that just simply can't, and as for humans, well other plants are also better living away from their non-friends; In the case of plants their "place to live" is basically the patch of soil they're planted in.

The term of companion planting describes a grouping of diverse plants around and near one another. Plants are grown together to create a symbiotic relationship in which they have beneficial interactions and can work together for a common purpose which includes: attraction of predatory insects, and or to enhance yield. This is an effective traditional method for farming, implemented by farmers where two crops are grown in close proximity so to obtain maximum pest control and crop production as compared to conventional farms using monocultures.

Why do they have to grow together?

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In most cases they are found in a symbiotic relationship or mutualistic relationship which works one of four ways:

MOSQUITO CONTROL - The first of these relationships is the use of one plant as a trap, in a system known as "push and pull," the plant attracts pests and transfers them a scent that repels nemas and aphides and also acts as a repellant for lower growing tomatoes.

NUTRIENT HELP - All legumes or dry beans and peas, can “fix” nitrogen; this basically means they have an innate ability to pull nitrogen from the air and stash it in their roots for usage. This action directly helps neighbor crops that are in desperate need of nitrogen (such as sweet corn and greens).

PHYSICAL SUPPORT and SHADE - With certain crops you want to grow taller ones next to shorter ones for they help give the latter a needed shade. These should preferably be cool weather plants or things of that nature; for example it's far better to shade a cool weather crop with something taller than a greenhouse itself; as you can see in the pictures below the tallest common sunflower supports a crop climbing next to it.

PULL BENEFICIALS - Most flowering herbs like dill and cilantro can draw beneficial predatory insects that are a threat to the pests. Lady bugs and lacewings, for example, help eat bugs that are in your garden.

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Classic Example - The Three Sisters

My personal belief of the oldest, most classic example of modern companion planting would be the Native American 'Three Sisters' method. These include corn, beans and squash.

1. The corn grows up and is a tall crop on which the beans can climb.

2. The beans grow around the corn and also fix nitrogen for the soil. In the process they also prevent high winds for blowing over the corn crop.

3. The squash grow along the bottom as a living mulch of enormous leaves that prevent weeds from growing and keep moisture from depleting.

The bottom line on companion planting is observation. The gardener becomes educated not only on what to plant together but what to avoid, such as: the two alliums-onions and garlic may actually 'paralyse' beans.

I invite @ninapenda @josepha and @bela90 to partake.