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Companion Planting in the Vegetable Garden – UMass Extensionĥ. The Myth of Companion Plantings – Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D.Ĥ.

Use of garlic (Allium sativum) as a repellent crop to control diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in cabbages (Brassica oleraceae var. Karavina, Charles & Mandumbu, Ronald & Zivenge, Emmanuel & Munetsi, Tonderai. Companion Planting and Botanical Pesticides: Concepts and Resources – by Justin Duncan, NCAT Agriculture SpecialistĢ. Grow some in the garden to increase diversity.ġ. They are shaded by the sun-loving nightshades and will prevent soil and fungal spores from splashing onto their neighbors’ leaves.Ĭhamomile is attractive to beneficial insects and makes a great herbal tea. Lettuce makes a good companion plant for taller tomatoes and peppers. Let them grow in your yard and around the garden, rather than applying herbicides to kill them. Dandelions attract beneficial insects, provide food for people, and draw nutrients from the subsoil with their long taproots. Their use in companion planting is also diverse and somewhat specific to each plant. The flower of the artichoke plant is also used as a food source, while asters are a decorative species. Some species provide greens, roots, or herbs for human consumption, such as lettuce, salsify (roots), and tarragon (herb). This is a diverse group of plants, with flowers noted for attracting beneficial insects. Repeating the experiment several years in a row with similar conclusions would support the hypothesis that garlic repels these pests from cabbage plantings. Larger heads of cabbage and a higher total harvest weight would substantiate those findings. If the number of pests collected from the test crop are fewer than those collected from the control crop and all other variables are the same, one would deduce that the garlic repelled pests from the cabbages. Upon harvesting, the gardener would weigh the resulting cabbages from each plot, making note of the total harvest, pest damage to each harvest, and any other observations that could have an effect on the harvest.

An observation notebook would be filled out each day to record the numbers of pests. Record Your Observationsĭuring the growing season, the gardener would need to do a daily check for pests on each planting, capturing and counting the number of moths, thrips, and aphids. The plots would need to be planted with the same variety and number of cabbages, receive an equal amount of sunlight and water, and have similar soil conditions and the same fertilizer applications in order for the experiment to be valid. On the other side of the garden, a row of x number of cabbage would be planted without garlic, as a control crop. Plant one garden bed with a row of x number of cabbages down the center and a row of garlic down each side. Come Up With A Hypothesisĭoes garlic repel pests such as thrips, aphids, and moths when interplanted with cabbage? Perform An Experiment You wonder if there is any evidence to support this. Perhaps you have noticed that cabbage interplanted with garlic seems to have less damage from certain pests.

Repeat over several years to allow for changes in growing conditionsįor example, a gardener interested in testing the use of garlic interplanted with cabbages for the control of moths, thrips, and aphids could perform the following experiment…Ĭabbages are susceptible to a number of pests.

Make observations and take notes of the findings and the growing conditions.

Plant test crops and control crops under the same conditions.

Make a hypothesis about which crops will benefit from interplanting.

Make informal observations about plant pairings.

We can each be an amateur researcher if we follow the scientific method: Then we can take notes on our results, keep trying to find what works best in our growing conditions, and adjust our methods to fit our findings. Sometimes we must make an educated guess and plant in combinations that make sense. We can’t wait for definitive data before we put our tomatoes in. However, research takes time and a great deal of money! As gardeners, we need to plant and tend our gardens this year.

Scientific research has a great deal to offer in understanding the basis for beneficial interplanting techniques.