companion planting
The benefits of umbrelliferous plants
The garden used to be overrun with aphids, sometimes to the extent that it was hard to find some plants under the seething mass of bugs (eww!).
One thing I learnt at my permaculture course was that umbrelliferous plants (plants with umbrella-shaped collections of tiny flowers) attract beneficial wasps into the garden. The wasps then inject their eggs into aphids, which hatch and eat the aphids from the inside out.
This all sounded good in theory, but I was doubtful. Nonetheless, I tried a different tack this year, and let many more plants to go seed. This included parsley, dill and fennel (all umbrelliferous plants). Much to my surprise, it worked! Narry an aphid to be seen anywhere since.
(We’ve also had good success with companion planting, such as garlic chives next to our climbing rose.)
Good scores for natural pest control…
Planting under citrus trees
When I planted our citrus trees, I was well aware of the need to keep the grass away, so it doesn’t compete with the shallow tree roots. So I lay down a thick layer of bark mulch (being careful to keep the lower trunk clear).
Some time later, I read through the Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison. It highlights the benefit of “companion planting” out a whole under-story of plants under citrus trees, increasing productivity and actually helping the trees.
This is what seems most applicable to the urban garden:
- spring bulbs
- comfrey
- dandelion
- globe artichoke
- fennel
- dill
- tansy
- carrot
- catnip
- daisy
- nasturtium
- flowering ground covers
I’ve started with planting out some nasturtium seeds (which produce edible flowers and leaves), as well as dill. I’ll probably add fennel and comfrey down the track…
Companion planting made easy-ish
The wonderful Little House in the Suburbs blog has shared three posts on companion planting:
- Part 1 – covers the rule “Too many members of the same family shouldn’t be seated together.”
- Part 2 – covers the rule “Hatfields and McCoys must be kept across the room from each other.”
- Part 3 – covers the rule “Sometimes somebody dated someone else’s sister and it ended badly, so those individuals need to be kept apart.”
Part 3 contains a tremdendous chart that gives an at-a-glance summary of the rules, invaluable for any home gardener.
Lewisham House and Farm 