As was said last week, Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is the planting of different crops in proximity for pest control for pollination and providing habitat for beneficial creatures for maximising use of space and increasing crop productivity.

Apart from being an important part of integrated pest management, in many cases, it is said that companions help enhance the growth rate and flavour of other varieties.
The death of one organism can create food for another, creating symbiotic relationships all around.
There is said to be an increased level of interaction when crops are grown on different levels in the same space.
Companions help each other grow—tall plants, for example, provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants or can act as a windbreak.
Companions use garden space efficiently—Vining plants cover the ground, upright plants grow up so you have two plants in one patch.
Some plants grow well together just because they don’t compete for light
Additionally, all plants withdraw some nutrients from the soil as they grow, but some actually return more nutrients than they consume.
Legumes—plants like peas, beans, and clover—have a mutually beneficial relationship with nitrogen-fixing R h i z o b i u m b a c t e r i a.
These bacteria colonise legume roots, absorbing up to 20 percent of the sugars the plants produce.
The bacteria use this energy to capture atmospheric nitrogen (nitrogen gas) and convert it into nitrogen compounds that plants can use.
Some of this nitrogen goes directly back to the host plant.
But another part of the nitrogen trapped by the Rhizobium bacteria is released into the soil as the nodule-bearing roots die off and decompose.
This nitrogen is available during the crops to boost the growth of any companion plants growing nearby.
The big bonus comes when you can turn the foliage and roots of the legumes into the soil.
When they decay, they can release enough nitrogen to feed the next crop you grow.
The three sisters:
Historically according to organic gardening website, Companion planting has been around for centuries.
One  of the most widely known and practiced companion plantings of all time, the planting of corn, beans and squash together (known as “The Three Sisters”) – dates back to the Iroquois Indians of America.
They knew the trio worked in perfect harmony – and practiced the method exclusively as a way to increase their yields.
The Three Sisters method, like many companion plantings, actually has truth in simple science as well as old-timer legend.
The beans fix the nitrogen in the soil, which corn needs and uses to thrive.
The corn provides a natural trellis system for the beans to grow up on – and the bean vines provides extra strength to the corn stalks to prevent them from blowing over in the wind.
The squash vines play a vital role as well – acting as a living mulch on the soil – helping to hold in moisture, repel weeds, and even of more importance – make it hard for animals to track through to get at the corn.
Not a bad use of space and a perfect example of companion planting!

(NEXT WEEK: SOME GREAT COMPANION PLANTS FOR POPULAR LOCAL CROPS)

(By Clifford Stanley)