Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden

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Jessica says to plant ornamentals that will be in flower before your vegetable crops are in flower, so the pollinators will already be there when the time comes. Companion Plants for Structural Support Jessica Walliser, the author of “Plant Partners,” is a horticulturist and garden writer who trained at Penn State University. Walliser lets us know that it’s these different effects we’ll be exploring in the rest of the book, with each remaining chapter showcasing a different benefit of companion planting. Soil Preparation and Conditioning Jessica’s book identifies the pros and cons of different varieties of clover — crimson clover, subterranean clover, medium red clover, white Dutch clover, etc. — and points to studies on how they benefit specific types of crops through nitrogen transfer and the increased presence of beneficial insects. Trap Cropping

James is a Chartered Project Professional and Chartered Engineer, with 30 years’ experience across high risk major programmes including submarine design and build, manufacturing facilities and establishment and implementation of multi-partner collaborations within the UK Ministry of Defence. This chapter also offers suggestions for creating habitat for beneficial insects, since habitat and forage aren’t always found simultaneously among the same species. I have to say, this section cleared up a big, dark cloud of confusion that has been hanging over my head as to why some species are allelopathic in some cases but not in others. They conclude with “In the absence of formal studies, it is still uncertain whether this opportunity cost is offset by improved pest control.” Jeff Gillman, PhD, Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens and best-selling author of The Truth about Garden Remedies and Decoding Gardening AdviceIt includes some companion plant pairs you might already know (like basil and tomatoes) but also explains WHY that pairing works. Walliser breaks the pairings down into several categories: The fungus within a mycorrhiza receives sugars from its plant host. Since fungi do not photosynthesise (produce their own energy from the sun) and most plants do, the plant becomes a vital source of energy for the fungus. Certain mycorrhizas will actually live inside the plant’s root, so the plant can also help isolate them from competitors. Benefits to the plant Chives, onions, and garlic deter aphids and other pests by masking the scent of the lettuce with their aroma. Many living mulches bloom, which attracts more pollinators to your garden. Those blooms also supply carbohydrate-rich nectar for pest-eating predatory beneficial insects.

Sunflowers pair well with cucumbers and pole beans: Sunflowers help provide support for climbing plants, as well as shade for crops which, in hotter climates, can becomesun-stressed. Putting these two issues aside, perhaps you’re wondering who might benefit the most from reading this book? Poached egg plants (Limnanthes), a wildflower, will bring hoverflies and other beneficials that eat aphids. Dill attracts beneficial ladybugs, which eat aphids. Dill is also a food source for caterpillars and butterflies. Examples of the Best CompanionPlants Heathers ( Calluna vulgaris and Erica spp.) also have characteristic mycorrhizas, as do typical pinewood plants such as blaeberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus). In Abernethy, scientists have looked at soil samples along a transect running from open moor into mature forest and found that changes in the plant community were accompanied by changes in the mycorrhizas present.Here are examples of some of the best companion planting combinations for your garden. (See more in the chartbelow.) Plant Partners] takes a new look at a popular subject that has long relied on folklore and conjecture rather than research.”— Margaret Roach, The New York Times

As herbaria digitize their specimens and share data online, they are becoming somewhat more decentralized and democratic. Open-access data repositories, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, allow researchers from around the world to query aggregated specimen metadata and images over the internet. This reduces the need to ship fragile specimens over long distances, and to take extensive and costly research trips. All of this companion planning information is well and good but, honestly, who has the time to research scientifically rigorous companion plantingcombinations? This seems like strong evidence for this method, but the review goes on to say, “Some insectary plantings (i.e. sweet alyssum) may also harbor pests or result in weed problems. Habitat manipulations also have an economic cost.” the author will list the binomial names for most of the plants she mentions, but not all. For example, she will mention that the pot marigold is a Calendula officinalis, but we don't know whether her regular marigold is a Tagetes erecta or a Tagetes patula. Professor Chris Waldon, formerly STEP Delivery Director, is announced as STEP Chief Engineer. Chris is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and has over 30 years’ experience spanning the nuclear, pharmaceutical, chemical, refining and power generation sectors. He joined UKAEA in 2003 and became the founder of the Central Engineering Department and Chief Engineer. He will be accountable for all prototype powerplant design decisions.

Fungi are a cornerstone of woodland ecosystems. Yet they are often overlooked, as so much fungal activity carries on unseen beneath the surface of the forest floor.

In the research for “Plant Partners,” Jessica sought an increased understanding of the key connections between plants and how they interact with each other. She looked at both how two plants in close proximity benefit each other and how more diversity in general benefits the entire garden. The first chapter expands on the introduction, heralding a modern approach to companion planting as well as a movement away from monoculture gardening – the type of agriculture where one might find an entire field of soybeans, or a solid row of watermelons. Finally, this chapter offers solutions for impeding pest movements. One of these is essentially an ode to the hedgerow, which I find in and of itself to be worthy of the price of the book. Disease Management Nasturtium flowers grown close to kale, cabbage, broccoli, and any brassica crops will lure hungry caterpillars away from eating yourcrops. My colleagues and I wanted to understand how many herbarium specimens are not where the plants originated and are housed in former colonizing countries instead. Our international team of researchers from herbaria on every continent analyzed over 85 million plant specimen records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the largest online repository of biodiversity data, and also surveyed physical herbarium collections across the world.