Gourmet Gardener: Clever combinations

Our gourmet gardener Tara Kate Linnane is back with some of her top tips for the garden at this time of year...

Having a lighter impact on the world is something that we are all becoming more conscious of.

Growing a selection of vegetables, fruit or herbs at home offers an opportunity to do something positive for the environment, with the added benefit of being great for your own physical and mental health.

If starting your own patch, one of the top tips is to plan out your grow space using plants that work well in close proximity to one another.

Companion planting is an organic practice that has been around for a long time. It leverages symbiotic relationships between certain plants, essentially making the garden work harder with less input from you. Creating clever combinations can achieve positive results such as pest control, improved pollination, and general increased crop productivity while maximising space.

I have used this method in my own growing, and I can vouch for its success.

Here I have highlighted my top three planting combinations in the hopes that this can help you achieve a healthy harvest this season.

The classic combo

Tomato and basil are natural companions. They have similar growing requirements for light, temperature and water. The duo have been paired together in many dishes but not only do they taste good together, they also grow well together.

Basil is said to improve the flavour of tomatoes, but the primary reason for planting them side by side is to aid in pest control. Basil repels many intruders such as aphis, whitefly and other damaging beetles. They can be sown together now for a fresh caprese salad to enjoy later in the summer.

Cucumbers and Nasturtiums

Cucumbers are easy to grow once they have the right conditions. They are tender crops so will grow best in a glasshouse or polytunnel.

They are attractive plants as they twirl around their supports. Cucumbers have small lemon coloured flowers before swelling into fruit.

Nasturtiums are a wonderful companion plant, especially with cucumbers as they attract cucumber munching pests, acting as a distraction to aphids and thrips.

Both plants have a sprawling habit and not only do they look beautiful together but the larger nasturtium flowers attract pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies.

Grow in close proximity to one another for the pest deterring benefits. Cucumbers can be trained up a trellis while the nasturtiums can billow out underneath providing a perfect combination.

The three sisters

The most well known combination in growing has to be ‘the three sisters’. I use this combination in the polytunnel for maximising space. I alternate the section each year to practise crop rotation, but the combinations of plants stay the same.

The three sisters title is referring to corn, squash and beans. These three plants grow symbiotically to deter weeds and pests, enrich the soil, and support each other.

Corn gives the beans a place to climb. Beans convert nitrogen in the air into a form the plants can use. The spreading leaves of squash create a living mulch that reduces weeds and holds moisture.

You can also use courgettes or pumpkins in place of squash if you prefer, depending on space. The sisters, planted in the order of corn, beans, and squash will ensure that they will grow and mature together and will not grow at the expense of another sister.

Sister Corn should be planted first so that it can grow tall above the other crops.

Plant seeds for Sister Bean when the corn is a few inches tall. When the beans are sending out tendrils to climb the corn will be tall enough to support them.

Squash is the final sister to plant among the others after the beans.

This method came from Native American agricultural traditions and is still heavily used by many so it is definitely worth a try.

Timely tips for the garden

• Try purple basil for a twist in a dish, it is stronger in flavour with bold dark leaves. If you let it go to flower it has fabulous blossoms and smells divine,

• If it is a cold night make sure to cover the more tender plants in the polytunnel, I lost a few young crops during the cold snap as I had left them out with no protection.

• Marigolds are excellent companion plants and easy to grow. They look so pretty with vibrant orange colours that attract ladybugs which in turn dine on aphids, so they are great to have in rows around your plot.

• April is a last chance to sow tomatoes so make sure and get your seeds in as soon as possible to have a chance of a ripe harvest this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

• Tara Kate Linnane is passionate about sustainability and growing all things edible. Together with her husband Barry, she has embarked on a journey of designing edible spaces and getting others started on their gardening adventures.

Follow their journey on Instagram @twopeas_inapolytunnel or visit thefoodscapedesignco.com to make contact for information.

You can email your questions to tarakatelinnane89@gmail.com