Companion Plants - Permaculture Orchard

Companion planting

• Resources: West Coast Seeds: Companion Planting (excellent guidelines)
• Pairs: Pairing nitrogen fixers (i.e. legumes) with those would need nitrogen. For example corn with beans, or cucumber and peas. In these combinations, the nitrogen fixers aid the need of the heavy feeder.
• Plants that help each other: basil and tomatoes, dill and cabbage, garlic and potatoes, and cucumbers and radish.

Permaculture Fruit Tree Guild

• What is a "guild"? A guild is a grouping of plants that supports a central element—such as a fruit tree—for maximum harvest and use of space.
• Guild plants categories: suppressors, attractors, repellers, mulchers, accumulators, fixers.
• Fixers: peas, beans, white/red clover. Nitrogen fixing plants: white clover, sea buckthorn, goumi berry, fave beans, lupine, peas, alfalfa.
• Repellers: Oregano, lemon balm (has good smell)
• Attractors: Russian sage
• How To Build a Permaculture Fruit Tree Guild.

Fruit tree companion plants

• Companion plants: garlic, onions, daffodils, squash, rhubarb, mint, creeping thyme, white clover, dill, fennel, coriander, chrysanthemums.
  • garlic - repels aphids, deters codling moths, japanese beetles and plum curculio
• daffodils - repels deer and gophers
• marigolds - repels rabbits.
• chrysanthemums - repels japanese beetles
• Garlic, onion, marigold, basil, mint, lemon grass, nasturtium, comfrey, coriander (the seed comes from Cilantro plant), fennel, dill, tansy and wormwood
  are some examples of companion plants.
• Daffodil exclude! The problem with daffodils is that they are toxic to humans and animals. The yellow-trumpeted daffodil (Narcissus spp.) carries two toxic agents in its showy flowers, stems, leaves and bulb. The above-ground parts of the daffodil contain lycorine and calcium oxalate crystals, which can be toxic to both you and your pets. If you come into contact with the leaves and stems, you will know it. The crystals cause immediate pain in your mouth or a burning sensation on your skin. Symptoms of ingestion include difficulty swallowing, swelling and temporary hoarseness. To avoid "lily rash," wear gloves while handling daffodils and wash your hands if you come in contact with this plant.
• Nasturtium - flowers have a peppery taste, the seeds moreso. The leaves can also be eaten. Lots of varieties (see here). Easy to grow.
• Goumi berries (Elaeagnus multiflora) - nitrogen-fixing plant that produces edible red berries.
• Comfrey - nitrogen-fixing plant, grow from seeds. GrowingOrganic.com. Comfrey will not bring up nutrients that do not exist in the soil.

Apples (companion plants)

• Apple Tree Companions: What To Plant Under Apple Trees. Plants include: Comfrey, Nasturtium, Chamomile, Coriander, Dill, Fennel, Basil, Lemongrass, Mint, Artemisia, Yarrow.
• Apple Tree Companion Plants You Need In Your Guild. Good article.

Blueberries (companion plants)

• Companion plants: thyme (tolerates pH 5.5), basil, strawberries.
• How to plant creeping thyme and Corsican mint. Uses 128 trays to germinate seeds. See Mixed Creeping Thyme Seed. Also consider Elfin Thyme.
• Companion Plants for Blueberries: 13 Perfect Pairings. Includes: evergreen trees, dogwood, rhododendron, heather, thyme, cranberry, columbine, mountain laurel, fern, holly, hydrangea, lilac, and strawberry.
• Winterizing Strawberry Plants. Will get cold injury if not protected through the winter. In Tennessee, strawberries will go dormant in December. The simplest protection is to use row covers. However, typically, you protect them with mulch--any material that allows water to drain and air to circulate is an acceptable mulch. Acceptable mulches: clean straw, pine needles, wood chips, hay (not the best choice because of weed seeds). Cover the ground is at or near freezing. The soil needs to stay moist. Water just enough each week to keep the soil slightly damp. See also: How to Take Care of Outdoor Strawberry Plants in the Winter

Edible flowers

• 5 Edible Companion Flowers (Growing, Benefits & Serving Ideas).
1. Nasturtium – easy to grow, attract pollinators, work well around cauliflower, pests will prefer to lay their eggs on these flowers than the vegetables. Can eat the flowers and leaves. Tastes peppery, like watercress, good with pasta, stir fries.
2. Borage – easy to grow, attract pollinators, repel tomato and cabbage worms, work well with tomatoes, cabbage, squash, and strawberries. Flowers taste like cucumber.
3. (French) Golden and/or Lemon Marigold – work well with most vegetables, attract pollinators, work well around melons. Flowers taste slightly citrisy.
4. Lavender (Lavandura angustifolia) – lots of varieties, attract pollinators, smell repels slugs and deer and moths, plant near brasicas and fruit trees. Flowers taste sweet and floral and can be overpowering if overused.
5. Pansy – work well with alliums (garlic and onions), repels white butterflies and ants. Plant around fruit trees.
• 10 Common edible flowers.
1. Cornflower – A sweet-to-spicy clove-like flavour.
2. Dahlia – Flavours range from water chestnut and spicy apple to carrot.
3. Hibiscus – Great addition to fruit salads or to make a citrus-flavoured tea. Cranberry-like flavor. Hibiscus sabdariffa that is most known for its flavor. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is also known for its culinary qualities.
4. Honeysuckle – Enjoy the nectar fresh, or use petals make a syrup, pudding, or a tea.
5. Magnolia – The young flowers can be pickled or used fresh in salads.
6. Nasturtium – Tasting peppery, like watercress, these make a lovely salad addition.
7. Pansy – Mild and fresh-tasting, they’re great in a green salad or as a garnish. Pansies come in every color of the rainbow. Shade plant, and will suffer in hot sun
8. Rose – Lovely in drinks, fruit dishes, jams, and jellies thanks to its delicate fragrance. Slight bitter undertone.
9. Scented Geraniums– The flavours range from citrussy to a hint of nutmeg.
10. Cape Jasmine – Extremely fragrant, they’re ideal for pickling, preserving, and baking.
• 10 Unusual edible flowers:
  1. Forget-me-not – Delicious as a trail snack on its own or as a garnish.
  2. Sunflower – The mild nutty taste makes the petals good in salads or stir fries.
  3. Hollyhock – Remove the centre stamen (e.g. pollen) before eating.
  4. Lilac – Enjoy mixed with cream cheese or yogurt as a dip or spread.
  5. Camellia – Used fresh as garnishes or dried and then used in Asian cuisine.
  6. Fuchsia – Enhance the flavour by removing all green and brown bits and the stamen.
  7. Freesia – Great infused in a tisane with lemon juice and zest.
  8. Gladiolus – Mild in taste (similar to lettuce), they’re good in sweet or savoury dishes.
  9. Peony – The petals taste lovely fresh in salads, or lightly cooked and sweetened.
  10. Alpine pinks – Tasting of clove, they’re good in flavoured sugars, oils and vinegars.
• 10 Poisonous flowers you should never eat:
  1. Daffodil – Eating any part of a daffodil will cause distress due to the toxin, lycorine.
  2. Poppy – Give these a wide berth as all poppies are poisonous.
  3. Foxglove – These contain naturally-occurring poisons that affect the heart.
  4. Oleander – The whole plant is highly-toxic – one of the most toxic garden plants in fact.
  5. Clematis – Mild, but toxic, contact with clematis (mouth or skin) can cause irritation.
  6. Bluebell – All parts of the bluebell contains toxic glycosides.
  7. Rhododendron – Its toxins can impact heart rhythm and blood pressure.
  8. Larkspur – Its toxic alkaloids are fast-acting and potentially life-threatening.
  9. Hydrangea – The small amount of cyanide in Hydrangeas make them dangerous.
  10. Lily-of-the-Valley – Pretty, but they contain convallatoxin, which should not be ingested.
• Other edible flowers: Calendula (neutral flavor), Daylily (mildly sweet, like romaine lettuce), Dandelion (bitter), Elderberry flowers (light, honey-like taste), Borage (cucumber flavor), Lavender (savory, floral sweet)
• 10 Best-Tasting Edible Flowers with Black Gold:
  1. Borage (Borago officinalis) – Cucumber flavor
  2. Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis) – bloom all season, have a peppery herbal flavor
  3. Chive blossoms (Allium schoenoprasum) – mild sweet onion flavor
  4. Elder flowers (Sambucus spp.) – Sweet musky lychee flavor
  5. Lavender flowers (Lavandula spp.) – pungent lavender flavor
  6. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) – spicy watercress flavor
  7. Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) – citrus-mint flavor
  8. Squash blossoms (Cucurbita spp.) – delicate squash flavor
  9. Roses – sweet rose flavor
  10. Wild Violets (Viola odorata) – sweet fruity flavor