Story: Plants Are Intelligent – They Can Communicate
Episode: 5
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Air Date: 30th March 2024

Nigel shows us how intelligent plants really are.

• Companion planting is the strategic arrangement of plants to benefit each other, with various techniques employed for centuries.
• Mixing different crops reduces competition for nutrients, promoting healthier plants.
• Choosing the right companion plants can encourage faster growth, better flavours, provide natural ground cover, improve soil nutrition, attract pollinators and control pest management.
• Different root depths of plants can also reduce competition for water and nutrients.
• Legume plants, such as peas and beans, promote growth in neighbouring plants by fixing nitrogen and improving soil aeration; consider pairing beans and peans with corn.
• Plant scents can visually confuse insect pests, while some plants emit chemicals that stimulate or inhibit growth in others; consider planting herbs like thyme, lavender, sage, oregano, and garlic with other vegetables to deter pests through their oils and scent.
• Planting in scattered groupings rather than neat rows can also confuse pests and help to act as an isolation ward.
• A variety of companion planting combinations exist, each offering benefits to enhance the overall health and success of the crop.