POLYCULTURE...taking companion planting to the next level

An ancient practice that makes sense for today's environmentally conscious gardener.

- Alice Spenser-Higgs

It is probably safe to say that most veggie gardeners practice companion planting in one way or another. It could be as basic as planting basil and tomatoes together, using nasturtiums as a trap crop for aphids or planting a border of marigolds to repel insects.

But did you know that you can take companion planting to another level? It is called polyculture, which means planting a mix of crops in a single space. It is an age-old practice that predates monoculture (single cropping) that was introduced with the advent of large-scale mechanised agriculture.

All the basics of companion planting apply in polyculture, such as using plants that have a beneficial effect on nearby plants, add nitrogen to the soil, as well as plants that either repel insects or attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.

But there is a difference. While companion planting will focus on a specific crop and companion plants that can be grown with it, polyculture looks at creating an eco-system in the same space by combining different plants that are of benefit to the whole.

The objective of polyculture is to make better use of space on a continuous basis, with greater biodiversity that leads to more stable yields.

An often-quoted example of polyculture is the 'three sisters' method of planting. It consists of maize that supports the climbing green beans, which in turn fix nitrogen in the soil and trailing squash (butternut or pumpkin) that provides shade for the roots of the maize and beans and supresses weeds.

Getting started

Polyculture can be applied to any space; a single bed or a whole veggie garden (once you get the hang of it) and even vegetables grown in containers. It can be extended to the flower garden too.