![]() ![]() The understory of ragweed, goldenrod, smartweed and lamb’s quarters in a New Jersey peach orchard contributed to the decreased population of the oriental fruit moth.Ĭertain weeds contain chemicals that repel insects. Weedy undergrowth in apple orchards contributed to higher populations of parasitic wasps, which, in turn, helped control apple fruit pests. In other trials he showed that beans grown with pigweed had lower populations of bean beetles than beans grown in monocultures. While studying beans in Columbia, he noticed that as the density of weeds increased, the density of the major bean pest (a leafhopper) decreased. “Agroecology” he calls it, and he cites many examples of cropping systems in which the presence of weeds enhanced the biological control of pests. ![]() ![]() Miguel Altieri has been studying the ecological role of weeds in agricultural systems. What look like weeds may actually be wild companion plants, I tell myself.įor years, Dr. If the point of companion planting is to increase diversity by providing habitat for beneficial insects, which, in turn, will munch on potato beetles and aphids – then I have accomplished it. I reach for the hoe and – put it back down. Smartweed threatens to smother the onions. Milkweed and lamb’s quarters have formed solid partnerships with the beans and corn. Black-eyed Susan and ox-eye daisies bloom between the rows of garlic. By July my garden bears no resemblance to those carefully drafted plans neatly tucked into my garden notebook and languishing beneath a pile of stuff accumulating on the hutch.īy July, my garden is wild. Along with my usual beans and greens, I order packets of seeds for plants with long Latin names I can barely pronounce. So every spring I carefully map out a garden plan complete with successive plantings and companion plants neatly pencilled in. Called “companion planting,” the idea has always intrigued me. Certain plants, when grown in combination, enhance each other’s growth, repel insects, and increase fruit production. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |