The National Parks Board Community Garden Festival next month wants everyone to discover the joy of gardening.
Companion planting is a method of gardening where different species of plants are grown close together so that they benefit from each other’s unique characteristics. One can either grow a main crop with several supporting plants, or several main crops which support each other.
Manager at HortPark Benjamin Ang, 28, and urban farmer Bjorn Low, 36, tell The Straits Times about common garden myths.
Firstly, the myth that we should not use fertilisers. Singaporeans tend to save costs by not spending on fertilisers. However, they definitely need to be used because plants require the nutrients to grow. When it comes to organic or chemical fertilisers, there is no molecular difference between the two. Furthermore, the concentration of nutrients in organic fertilisers is lower than in chemical fertilisers. However, one must be cautious about chemical pesticides because they are synthesised to disrupt the hormonal balance in insects, and they will affect us if we consume them in large amounts.
Secondly, the myth that we should water plants every day. Soil needs to dry out. If your soil never dries out, air – and therefore oxygen – would not go back in and the soil will begin to degrade. They recommend watering no more than three times a week with outdoor plants. Visually, it is quite hard to determine if the soil is wet or not. The easiest thing to do is the small pinky test. If you are in doubt, just stick your finger in the soil. If the soil is moist or quite damp, do not water it. If it is dry, then water it.
Lastly, the myth that we should completely eradicate pests. A lot of people may fuss over a small number of pests, but they are not necessarily an issue. Control is more important than eradication. We need some pests in the garden to attract the beneficial insects. The gardener should monitor if pests are becoming an issue in his plot before taking necessary action against them.
Companion planting is not well practised in Singapore, noted Mr Ang, but there are many benefits to it. These include a better control of pests, a more varied harvest and removing the need for trellises if a main crop like lady’s fingers is planted, for example, because it grows straight up.
Urban farmer Bjorn Low, 36, said that he employs companion planting, and that he thinks it is not as well practised in Singapore because resource materials available are based on plant combinations for temperate climates.
“Companion planting is definitely a good thing because gardens can be more productive when planted correctly with the right plants.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 20 October 2017