Organic vegetable growing tips from Sam Adams of Living Green
I come across many enthusiastic home gardeners who lament at how unsuccessful their vegetables are. While this could be caused by a whole range of factors, it is my belief that the organic garden’s health is often inhibited for a lack of correct companionship.
As mentioned in previous articles in the series, some plants are friendly with each other and others are definitely not. Being aware of these garden relationships and then designing the organic garden appropriately is called ‘Companion Planting‘.
It is critical to plant with the right companions in mind. I have seen severe retardation of growth because of plants that seem to be ‘fighting‘ with each other. At other times, I have seen phenomenal growth with the correct companionship in place.
“How does this work?” I hear you ask. There are a number of ways that plants interact and it is these interactions that is either mutually beneficial or a deterrent to organic plant health. One of the key aspects of plant relationships is their smell. The specific pheromones that each plant releases may have a chemical impact on nearby plants.
These pheromones may be released by the leaves of the plant, or by the flower. Wikipedia defines a pheromone as a “secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species”.
Alternatively, some plants may battle with their bedfellows for space. Companion planting takes into account the different sizes and shapes of the plants and how they interact physically. A companion-designed garden will therefore be more efficiently planted.
One of the best examples of this is a three-way companionship that originated in South America. Known as the ‘Three Nations‘ it involves interplanting sweetcorn/maize with beans and squash. The maize grows tall and forms a trellis for the beans. The beans climb up the maize stalks and fix nitrogen in the soil, which is beneficial for the maize. Lastly, the squash or butternut forms a ground cover and organic mulch that efficiently uses the space and keeps moisture in the soil.
Here are some other examples of common vegetables and herbs that are good friends:
Beans
Because they are nitrogen fixing, they help many plants. Plant with corn, spinach, lettuce, rosemary, savoury, dill, carrot, brassicas, beet, radish, strawberry, cucumber. Beans are helped by eggplant and savoury. However, avoid planting with tomato, chilli, allium (onion family), cabbage, or broccoli.
Beetroot
Helps lettuce, onion and brassicas (cabbage family). Helped by garlic and mint.
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Helped by geraniums, alliums, rosemary, and borage. Avoid planting with mustard.
Carrot
Helps tomatoes and alliums. Helped by allium, rosemary, sage, and bean. Avoid dill, parsnip, and radish.
Lettuce
Helps radish, bean and carrot. Avoid planting with celery, cabbage, or parsley.
Onions
Help fruit trees, brassicas, carrot and tomato. Helped by carrots. Avoid bean, pea or parsley.
Pumpkin (and butternut, squash)
Helps corn and beans. Helped by radish and tansy.
Spinach
Helps strawberries. Helped by pea, bean and yarrow.
Tomato
Helps pepper, asparagus, and rose bushes. Helped by carrot, allium, mint, basil, oregano, parsley, marigold, and celery. Avoid planting with bean, corn, fennel, dill, or brassica family.
September planting |
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| Western and Southern Cape | bean (pole and bush), beetroot, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, melon, pepper, potato, radish, squash, sweetcorn, tomato and turnip. |
| Inland | bean (pole and bush), beetroot, cabbage, carrot, eggplant, lettuce, pepper, potato, radish, squash, sweetcorn, tomato, and turnip. |
| Coastal KZN | bush beans, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, peppers, and radish. |
Good luck and may these new principles bear much fruit for you and your garden!
Sam Adams runs Living Green, an eco-consultancy and organic food garden company in Cape Town. He can be contacted on 074-1715566 or info@startlivinggreen.co.za. Website: www.startlivinggreen.co.za
The liveeco team
