What is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is a gardening strategy used by many as a means of maximizing the yield of crops by planting mutually beneficial plants’ next to one another. This practice involves the planting of like crops’ next to each other, while keeping other plants’ separated in hopes of increasing the plants chances of survival and growth, through the attraction of beneficial insects, increasing fertility, and repelling pests.

Companion planting that works to grow crops that are mutually beneficial to one another. Amber Kanuckel. (2018). Companion Planting. Retrieved from https://www.farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide-31301.

What Are Some Benefits of Companion Planting?

Improve the use of space in a given area

Companion planting can lead to beneficial spatial interactions between certain plants, such as the planting of a tall, sun-loving plant next to a shade loving plant. This will result in a higher total yield from the land. This method works to maximize the space being used, resulting in mutual benefits for each crop.

Reduce and even prevent pests in your garden

By placing certain crops next to each other, this can reduce the number of pests found within your garden. Certain plants will release chemicals that will deter certain pests, resulting in the reduction or prevention of pests, otherwise found on that pest infected plant. An example can be seen in the neighboring of lettuce and chives, in which the chive plant works to deter aphids.

Increase soil fertility

Planting various types of crops together can lead to the prevention of soil erosion, thus keeping your soil moist and healthy. A nitrogen producing plant can help non nitrogen- fixing plants by acting as a mechanism for the fertilization of the soil being used.

Act as a source of weed control for your garden

The planting of certain plants next to each other can often drive weeds away. Planting large, ground growing plants, can limit the area that weeds can grow, acting as a source of repellent, that would otherwise be deterred by weeds. These large plants work to block the sunlight to prevent the growth of the harmful weeds.

Increased yield of crops grown

As described above, this beneficial practice has proven to increase the yield of crops. In a study conducted by three scientists from the U.K., strawberries were planted next to borage and as a result, produced 35% more fruits, and 32% increased yield by weight as a result of cross pollination. This study positively suggests that strawberries that were growing using the companion practice, were proven to significantly increase both the yield and quality of the crop.

Crops that have been planted and shows the increased spatial interactions. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.kellogggarden.com/blog/gardening/benefits-of-companion-planting/.

How Does This Help Agriculture?

Companion planting has been thought to be the key to solving food security, as it has been apparent in the studies conducted by the UN. America’s once fertile soils are now being lost to degradation as a result of expanding populations, limited land resources, and changing weather patterns. As stated by the UN, half of the worlds farmlands are classified as degraded. The decrease of fertile land on Earth will soon be detrimental to humans, as it will not be enough to support the rapidly growing population. Thus, many agricultural practices such as companion farming must be used to solve this ongoing issue.