Page 29 - aug20

Agrichemist’s solutions

COMPANION PLANTING - DOES IT WORK?
Have you thought about the best relationships in history? Did they work,
or are they still working today? To understand the concept, think about
lichens - a lichen is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyano-
bacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic
relationship. That seems to work, as they are covering the rocks on my plot,
and have been in existence for around 400 million years.

Relationships in the plant kingdom are as extraordinary as symbiosis, from
epiphytic orchids living on trees, to the simplest marigold planted alongside
any other vegetable. The marigold helps to control nematodes, and attracts
beneficial insects, enabling it’s companion to grow big and strong and
healthy. In essence this concept means the planting of two or more species
together that result in a beneficial relationship. It might not be mutually
beneficial, the borage might just make your strawberries taste better.

Companion planting includes benefits of pest control, pollination,
providing habitat for beneficial insects, maximizing use of space, and
to otherwise increase crop productivity. It gives the gardener a world to
experiment with, to find friends and foes. If you manage to create happy
neighbours, then you will have a neighbourhood of happy residents and
that kind of environment is the most productive. So take that metaphor
to the garden, experiment and find the best relationships to fit your plants,
starting with Basil and Tomato - the perfect couple. Text & photos S.C

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