Facilitators-Handbook-For-Permaculture

Workshop Module 9: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) 257

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Presentation : Companion planting

Method : Facilitator presentation

Tools : Images, black/white board, markers

References : PC Book MOD 9 – Integrated Pest Management

PC Book MOD 6 – Home and Community Gardens

Objective    :  Participants    learn   about   the benefits    of  companion   planting

Companion planting is about what should and should not be grown together.
It is a very effective way to increase environmental health and productivity while reducing
pest problems.

Companion planting works when we understand the natural characteristics of plants and
the relationship that those characteristics create with other plants and other things in the
environment, and use them for the maximum benefit in an integrated system.

These characteristics include:

• The smells and substances that plants emit.


• How plants impact the physical environment.


• The way plants look.


• Plant root systems.

Some basic examples of companion planting

Aspect How it works Examples

Using companion planting for pest management

Repel

insects

Plants which have strong scented leaves or flowers will

confuse and repel pest insects which use their sense of

smell to find plants they want to eat

Garlic, marigolds, daisies,

ginger, frangipani

Attract

predators

Flowers help to attract pest predators. Flowers can be

planted around vegetables and fruit trees

Roses, dill, hibiscus,

marigolds, legume shrubs

Slow down

the spread

of pests

Planting different crops together slows pests from

spreading and reduces pest numbers. This method is

effective for small gardens, large crops, and trees

Marigolds repel nematodes,

which live in the soil and

can damage plant roots

Using companion planting for increasing health and biodiversity

Know what

plants can

be grown

close

together

Different types of plants have different types of root

growths. Knowledge of the different root growths will allow

plants and trees to be planted closer together

See examples below and in

following exercises

There are some types of plants, like the eucalypt trees,

which release a substance from their roots and this can

make it difficult for other crops to grow close to them

Eucalypt trees

“Guilds”

are plants

that help

each other

Corn provides trellising for the beans, which provides

nitrogen, pumpkin provides ground cover and weed

control

Corn, beans, and pumpkins

The strong smell of the basil disguises the smell of the

tomatoes to pests and the bean’s roots fix nitrogen into

the soil to fertilize the tomato and the basil, the garlic

smell helps to repel pest insects

Tomato, basil, garlic, and

beans