Companion Planting:

The Real Story

Janet Young, PhD

College of

Agriculture and
Natural Resources

Please Silence Your Cell Phone

Thank you!

Companion Planting
Outline

Definition
Disclaimer
Brief History
Biological Benefits
Practical Considerations
The Last Word
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Companion Planting
Definition
Growing plants near or next to each other to
provide a particular benefit to one or both
plants.

Companion Planting - Disclaimer

WHOA!
There is very little scientific evidence for
certain types of companion planting. This
talk does not propose to ensure success with
any of the methods presented!
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Brief History Ancient Rome

Varro, a Roman agronomist - 37BC

Roman Farm Management - Cato

Full grown walnut trees render sterile
all the surrounding land.

Pliny the Elder 23 to 79AD

Naturalis Historia
The (highly toxic) plant rue is a very
friendly companion to figs.
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Brief History China

Growing Mosquito Fern in Rice Fields >1000 YR

Hosts a cyanobacterium that fixes nitrogen from air

Blocks light from getting to competing plants

Mosquito fern

Rice

Brief History North America

Native American Three Sisters Garden

Variant of method used throughout North America

Mounds 12 x 20, maize first, then squash, beans
Maize=pole ; Beans=N2 ; Squash=mulch/protection

Maize
CA

Beans

Squash

Biological Benefits

Nitrogen fixation cover crops

Physical assistance shade, mulch, support
Pest trapping attract pest with other plants
Host finding disruption using plant decoys
Attract beneficials - predators, pollinators
Repel pests WHOA!
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Biological Benefits
Nitrogen Fixation

Plants e.g., clover, collect nitrogen from the air

Special bacteria assist the plant in converting
this nitrogen to usable nitrogen in root nodules
When the plant decomposes, the nitrogen in the
roots becomes available to neighboring plants
Three Sisters beans provide this benefit

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Biological Benefits
Physical Assistance

Three Sisters: maize, beans,

squash
Mosquito fern and rice
prevents weeds
Salad greens as a cover crop
retain moisture, prevent
soil erosion
http://www.birdclan.org/threesisters.htm

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Biological Benefits - Pest Trapping

Pelargonium geraniums grown

with roses draw away Japanese
beetles; geraniums are toxic to
the Japanese beetles.

Alfalfa grown with cotton draws

away lygus bugs.

Japanese beetle

Lygus bug
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Biological Benefits - Pest Trapping

Rye is used to protect soybeans

from corn seeding maggots.

Sesbania is used to protect

soybeans from stink bugs.

Corn seeding maggot

Stink bug

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Biological Benefits
Host Finding Disruption
How Predatory Insects Find Host Plants

Host Plant required by predatory insect for feeding,

reproduction

Attracted by plant odor, and color green, avoid brown

Fly to several leaves of plant to assess suitability if

host plant found

Chance of success increased if only a host plant is

available
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Biological Benefits
Host Finding Disruption
CONCLUSION: adding non-host green plants
among host plants decreases host finding
success, and insect moves to a different area

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Biological Benefits
Host Finding Disruption

Cabbage without clover

Cabbage with clover

Biologist (2003) 50 (3), p. 132

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Biological Benefits
Host Finding Disruption
How Predatory Insects Find Host Plants
Cabbage root fly
searching for host.

From: Fig. 4,
Biologist (2003)
50 (3), p. 132

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Biological Benefits
Attract Beneficial Insects

Flowers and herbs are known to attract

pollinators and predators of cropdestroying insects

Examples are chrysanthemums,

sunflowers, coneflowers, alyssum, and
flowers and herbs of carrot family

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Biological Benefits
Repel Pests - WHOA!

Chrysanthemum (may) repel aphids, bed

bugs (Cimex lectularius), leafhoppers, spider
mites, harlequin bugs, ticks, pickleworms and
imported cabbage worms
Nasturtium (may) help to control squash
bugs, cucumber beetles, and whiteflies.

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Biological Benefits
Repel Pests - Scientific Evidence?

Pests of the Garden and Small Farm, Mary Louise Flint,

PhD, UC Davis Department of Entomology

While the concept of companion planting is

appealing, research in this area has consistently
shown that companion plants offer no pest
control benefits under controlled conditions.
While many plants have chemical components
themselves that repel pests, this effect is
localized and benefits are not extended to
neighboring plants of different species.
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Biological Benefits

Repel Pests - Scientific Evidence?

The Myth of Companion Planting, Linda ChalkerScott, PhD, Extension Horticulturist, Washington State
University

There is no scientific basis, however, for any

of the several lists that exist describing
traditional companion plants. Like
horoscopes, these lists may be fun to use, but
they should not be perceived or promoted as
scientifically valid any more than astrology.
I

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Biological Benefits
Repel Pests - True?

Tomatoes love marigolds

What does this mean?
Should one plant marigolds in between
(intercrop) tomato plants?

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Biological Benefits Repel Pests True?

The Problem

Nematodes are
unsegmented
roundworms, usually
microscopic in size

Plant-parasitic
nematodes can kill
crops

Galls from root-knot nematodes

- University of MD Extension FS 825

Plant-parasitic nematodes are found in soil and are

very difficult to control
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Biological Benefits Repel Pests True?

The Experiment

Cowpeas seeded in a field with nematodes

Marigolds then planted next to the cowpeas
in one part of the field
Nematode numbers, cowpea height,
number of leaves, seeds/pod measured

African Crop Science Conf Proc,.v. 8:1075, 2007

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Biological Benefits Repel Pests- True!

The Results

Marigolds DID control nematodes in soil

Cowpea yield was doubled if plants were
intercropped with marigolds in fields with
nematodes

African Crop Science Conf Proc,.v. 8:1075, 2003

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Biological Benefits Repel Pests- YES

The Conclusions

Authors stated that a bio-nematicide may be

released into the soil through the roots of the
marigold plants African Crop Science Conf Proc,.v. 8:1075, 2003

More recent studies show that marigold roots release

the chemical alpha-terthienyl -- University of Florida Extension

In the Florida study only a cover crop of marigold

proved protective

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Biological Benefits Repel Pests- True!

The Conclusions (contd)

Therefore, marigolds may be beneficial to

tomatoes (IF they are grown in soil with plantparasitic nematodes)

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Practical Considerations
Use what we know works!

CO

Nitrogen fixation cover crops

Physical assistance shade, mulch, support
Pest trapping plants
Host finding disruption
Plants that attract pollinators and beneficial
predatory insects (know thy friends and
avoid killing them!)
Some plants known to repel pests from
neighboring plants
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Gardening Plans - Three Sisters

From: http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html

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Gardening Plans - Three Sisters

From: http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/3sisters.html
L

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Three Sisters Garden

Corn is planted
the last day of
April.

Beans and squash

are planted midMay.

From: http://www.imrisk.com/threesisters/threesisters.htm

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Three Sisters Garden

Plants are growing well the
first week of June.

From: http://www.imrisk.com/threesisters/threesisters.htm

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Three Sisters Garden

Plants are well established
by the end of June.

Zucchini squash

Butternut squash
From: http://www.imrisk.com/threesisters/threesisters.htm

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Three Sisters Garden

A More Mature Three Sisters Garden

From: http://theexchange.thegrowers-exchange.com/herb-gardening-resolutionspart-2-companion-planting/

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Companion Planting - Final Words

Try using what we know works

Experiment in your own garden
Be open to trying folk lore remedies
Dont believe
everything you
read
And most
important of
all, have fun!
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Companion Planting Selected Research References

Companion Planting: Basic Concepts and Resources by ATTRA,

funded by USDA, https://attra.ncat.org/attrapub/summaries/summary.php?pub=72
Companion Planting: Ecogardening Fact Sheet #10, Cornell U., 1994:
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/complant.html
Companion Planting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Companion_planting
Insects Can See Clearly Now the Weeds Have Gone - by Stan Finch and
Rosemary Collier, Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, UK
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/research/pests/companionpl
anting/biologist_jun03.pdf
Marigold (Targetes erecta L.) as interplant with Cowpea for the
control of nematode pests, by T.I. Olabiyi and E.E.A. Oyedunmade,
African Crop Science Conference Proc. V. 8, p. 1075-78, 2003:
http://www.acss.ws/Upload/XML/Research/389.pdf
The Myth of Companion Planting
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda%20chalkerscott/horticultural%20myths_files/Myths/Companion%20plants.pdf
Three Sisters (agriculture):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_%28agriculture%29

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Companion Planting Popular Books

Cunningham, Sally Jean. Great Gardening Companions.

Rodale Press, Inc., 1998.
Mayer, Dale. The Complete Guide to Companion Planting.
Atlantic Publishing GroupInc., 2011.
Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Storey Publishing,
LLC., 1998.
Riotte, Louise. Roses Love Garlic. Storey Publishing, LLC.,
1998.
Roberts, Margaret. Companion Planting. Briza Publications,
2011.

Note: There is very little scientific evidence for certain types of companion planting discussed in
these very popular books. Listing here is for informational purposes, and in no way ensures
success with any of the methods presented!

WHOA! 38

This program was brought to you by

The Master Gardeners Program of
Montgomery County
University of Maryland Extension