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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Companion Planting Information and Chart

Companion planting at it's best -corn, climbing beans and squash form the ancient Three Sisters Guild
We recently received an e-mail from a gentleman in China looking for...
"what plants you may have in your garden that you can transplant next to your Rose or your Apple tree to see how they nurture each other over time"
I thought I would post our own updated list of companion plants for him and anyone else interested. While I would love to say this plant or that plant are "best" I feel I must remind folks to keep in mind your climate, soil and many, many other factors that determine how well these plants cooperate together.  Trial and error is the best choice to begin companion planting but the chart below should lead you in the right direction...

What is Companion Planting?  A gardening method which makes use of the synergistic properties found in Nature: cooperation between plants to achieve optimum health and viability.

P = perennial plant in our Mediterranean climate

Vegetable/Herb
Likes
Dislikes
Anise
Coriander
Basil, rue
Asparagus  -P
Tomato, parsley, basil

Basil
Tomato, sweet peppers
Rue, anise
Beans
Beets, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, corn, cucumber, marigolds, potatoes, strawberry, summer savory
Onion, garlic, gladiolus, fennel
Beets
Onion, kohlrabi, bush beans, lettuce, cabbage family
Pole beans, mustards
Borage
Strawberry, fruit trees

Cabbage Family (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, collards, cabbages etc.)
Aromatic herbs, hyssop, thyme, wormwood, potatoes, celery, dill, chamomile, beets, onion, sage, peppermint, rosemary, oregano
Strawberry, tomato, beans, mustards, pole beans
Calendula  -P
Garden tonic, nutrient accumulator, chard, radish, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, parsley

Carrots
Peas, lettuce, chives, onions, leeks, rosemary, sage, tomato, wormwood, parsley
Dill
Celeriac
Scarlet runner beans

Celery
Leek, tomato, bush beans, cauliflower, cabbage

Chard
Roots crops, lettuce, radish, celery, mint


Chayote (Sechium edule)
Cucumbers, Pumpkin, peppers, squash, corn
celery, mint, or snap beans
Chives  -P
Carrots, apple orchards
Peas, beans
Collards
Tomatoes

Comfrey  -P
Nutrient accumulator/mulch

Coriander/Cilantro
Anise, carrots, radish, chard
Fennel
Corn
Potato, peas, beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, melons, marigolds, sunflowers, sunchokes

Cucumbers
Beans, corn, peas, radish, sunflowers, okra
Potato, aromatic herbs
Eggplant
Beans, okra

Fennel
Most annuals DO NOT like it
Coriander, wormwood
Garlic
Drip line of fruit trees, roses, tomatoes
Peas and beans
Horseradish  -P
Fruit trees, potatoes


Jerusalem Artichokes (Sunchokes) -P
Corn


Lavender  -P
Broccoli and cabbage family


Leek
Onions, celery, carrots

Lettuce
Carrots, radish, strawberry, cucumber
Celery, cabbage, cress, parsley
Melon
Corn, sunflowers, morning glory, okra
Potatoes
Mint  -P
Cabbage, tomatoes, nettles
Chamomile
Nettle
Increases oil content of most herbs

Okra
Melons, cucumbers, sweet peppers, eggplant


Onion and garlic
Beets, strawberry, tomato, lettuce, summer savory, chamomile, roses
Peas, beans
Parsley
Tomato, asparagus, roses, carrots

Peas
Carrots, turnips, radish, cucumber, corn, beans, potatoes, aromatic herbs
Onions, garlic, gladiolus
Peppers –sweet
Basil, okra

Potato
Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish, marigold, eggplant
Pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sunflower, tomato, raspberry
Pumpkin
Datura, corn, pole beans,
Potato
Radish
Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumber, beets, spinach, carrots, squash, melons, tomatoes, beans
Potato, hyssop
Rhubarb  -P
Columbines

Rue  -P
Roses, raspberries, fig trees
Basil
Sage  -P
Rosemary, cabbages, carrots,
Cucumbers
Savory –both  -P
Onions, beans
Cucumbers
Spinach
Strawberries, other greens

Squash
Nasturtium, corn, clover

Strawberries  -P
Beans, spinach, borage, lettuce
Cabbage
Sunflower
Cucumber
Potato
Sweet potato
White Hellebore

Tomato
Chives, onion, parsley, asparagus, marigold, nasturtium, carrot, garlic, roses, bee balm
Kohlrabi, potato, fennel, cabbage, corn
Turnip
Peas, vetch


Valerian  -P
Calendula, echinacea


Sweet woodruff  -P
Orchards


Watermelon
Potatoes mulched with straw*
*generally melons do not like potatoes
Fruit trees  -P
Chives, garlic, carrots, bulbs, borage, strawberries, nasturtiums, comfrey, plantain, columbine, daylilies
Bare soil

Above is a basic chart of companion plants; I’m sure there is a more expansive list out there.  This is simply a chart of plants we’ve been successful growing together -or not- over the years.  The plants are listed by the plants they like, the ones they don’t and also if they are a perennial (otherwise they are an annual or biannual in this Mediterranean climate).

Lavender, Borage, Plantain and Apple mint surround and nurture this Feijoa tree
I’m also working on a Plant Guild Matrix or species matrix chart which details various plants, their unique characteristics as well as their specific use and ecological function.  This type of chart easily organizes the mind when designing a plant guild and forest garden–which is a different way of thinking about species cooperation as compared to companion planting.  Plant guilds are composed of a central species -like an Apple tree- surrounded by nurturing plant species and occasional animal disturbance.  In essence companion planting is one aspect to consider when designing a plant guild…

I’ll post a follow up article 'BEYOND COMPANION PLANTING –‘Guild Building’ a Forest Garden' soon.


Companion Planting resources:
  1. Stephanie & Brian Ladwig-Cooper (dba. Gaia Creations) experiences and trials for over 20 years
  2. Carrots Love Tomatoes: Secrets of Companion Planting for Successful Gardening Louise Riotte 1975 Revised Edition 1998 Storey Communications, Inc. ISBN: 1-58017-027-7
  3. The Big Book of Gardening Skills by the Editors of Garden Way Publishing 1993 Storey Communications, Inc. ISBN: 0-88266-796-3
  4. Edible Forest Gardens Volume 1 and 2 Ecological Design and Practice for Temperate-Climate Permaculture by David Jacke and Eric Toensmeier 2005 Chelsea Green Publishing Company ISBN: 1-931498-80-6


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