What Are the Best Companion Plants for Fruit Trees? - Plant Care Guide

What is Companion Planting and Why is it Good for Fruit Trees?

Imagine a vibrant, healthy ecosystem where every plant helps its neighbor, creating a stronger, more resilient whole. That's the core idea behind companion planting. It's an ancient gardening technique that involves planting different species of plants close together so they can benefit each other in various ways. It's like building a friendly neighborhood in your garden!

So, what exactly are these benefits, especially for your beloved fruit trees?

• Pest Deterrence: Some plants release natural chemicals or have strong scents that confuse or repel common fruit tree pests. This can reduce the need for chemical pesticides, which is great for the environment and for your fruit!
• Attracting Beneficial Insects: Certain companion plants act like magnets for "good bugs" – insects that prey on harmful pests. Think of ladybugs that feast on aphids, or parasitic wasps that attack caterpillars. These natural predators become your garden's unpaid pest control army.
• Nutrient Cycling and Soil Improvement: Some plants, like legumes, can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, acting as natural fertilizers for your fruit trees. Others, with deep taproots, can draw up nutrients from deeper soil layers, making them available to shallower-rooted fruit trees when they decompose. Organic matter from these companion plants also improves soil structure.
• Weed Suppression: Groundcover companion plants can suppress weeds by outcompeting them for light, water, and nutrients. This means less weeding for you and less competition for your fruit tree.
• Pollinator Attraction: Many fruit trees rely on pollinators (like bees and butterflies) for good fruit set. Companion plants with attractive flowers can draw these essential helpers to your orchard, leading to a bigger, better harvest.
• Mulch and Erosion Control: Some companion plants can act as a living mulch, shading the soil, keeping it cooler, reducing water evaporation, and preventing soil erosion.
• Trap Cropping: A few companion plants can serve as "trap crops," luring pests away from your desired fruit trees because the pests prefer to feed on the companion plant. You can then easily manage the pests on the trap crop.

In essence, companion planting helps create a more balanced, self-sustaining ecosystem around your fruit trees. It's a natural, organic approach to gardening that results in healthier trees and more abundant, chemical-free fruit.

What are the Best Herbs for Companion Planting with Fruit Trees?

Herbs are powerful companion plants! Many of them offer strong scents and attract beneficial insects, making them excellent partners for your fruit trees.

1. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

• Benefits: Comfrey is often called a "dynamic accumulator" because its deep taproots can draw up nutrients (like potassium, calcium, phosphorus) from deep in the soil, which might be out of reach for your fruit tree's shallower roots.
  • Nutrient Cycling: When you chop and drop comfrey leaves around your fruit tree as a mulch (known as "chop and drop"), these nutrients are released into the topsoil as the leaves decompose, becoming available to the fruit tree.
  • Mulch: Its large leaves create a thick, living mulch that suppresses weeds and conserves soil moisture.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Its bell-shaped flowers attract bees.
• How to Use: Plant comfrey about 2-3 feet away from the base of your fruit tree to avoid root competition. Chop the leaves down 2-3 times during the growing season (before flowering if you want to avoid rampant self-seeding) and lay them around the tree.
• Consideration: Comfrey is a vigorous grower and can spread; choose sterile varieties like 'Bocking 14' to prevent unwanted self-seeding.

2. Borage (Borago officinalis)

• Benefits: Borage is a true powerhouse for fruit trees.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Its vibrant blue, star-shaped flowers are an irresistible magnet for bees and other pollinators, crucial for fruit set.
  • Pest Deterrence: Some gardeners report that borage can deter tomato hornworms (which can also affect fruit trees) and other caterpillars.
  • Soil Improvement: When it dies back, its large leaves add valuable organic matter to the soil.
• How to Use: Plant borage around the drip line of your fruit trees. It's an annual but self-seeds readily.
• Consideration: Can self-seed aggressively, but seedlings are easy to remove. The leaves are also edible (cucumber-like flavor).

3. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)

• Benefits: These cheerful flowers are great at luring pests away from your fruit trees.
  • Trap Cropping: Aphids absolutely love nasturtiums. They will often congregate on nasturtium plants instead of your fruit tree. You can then easily hose them off the nasturtiums, hand-pick them, or simply remove and dispose of the infested nasturtium plant.
  • Pest Deterrence: They also reportedly deter squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and whiteflies (though these are less common on fruit trees).
  • Edible: Both the leaves and flowers are edible, with a peppery kick, making them a dual-purpose companion plant.
• How to Use: Plant nasturtiums around the base of your fruit trees or in containers nearby.

4. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita or Chamaemelum nobile)

• Benefits: This delicate herb is a general garden health booster.
  • Beneficial Insect Attraction: The small, daisy-like flowers attract a variety of beneficial insects, including hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which prey on aphids and other small pests.
  • Plant Tonic: Some gardeners believe chamomile has a stimulating effect on nearby plants, enhancing their growth and vigor.
• How to Use: Plant chamomile near fruit trees in areas where it won't be heavily walked on.

5. Garlic and Chives (Allium sativum, Allium schoenoprasum)

• Benefits: Members of the Allium family are famous for their strong, sulfurous compounds that deter a wide range of pests.
  • Pest Deterrence: Garlic and chives are said to repel aphids, Japanese beetles, and even some borers and fungal diseases. Their strong scent is thought to mask the scent of the fruit tree, making it harder for pests to find.
  • Disease Suppression: Some studies suggest garlic can have fungicidal properties.
• How to Use: Plant garlic bulbs or chive clumps around the base of your fruit trees.

By strategically planting these beneficial herbs, you can create a more resilient and healthy environment for your fruit trees, naturally reducing pest and disease issues and enhancing overall garden vitality.

What are the Best Flowers for Companion Planting with Fruit Trees?

Flowers do more than just look pretty in a companion planting scheme. Many are powerful pollinator magnets and pest deterrents, adding beauty and function to your fruit tree guild.

1. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.)

• Benefits: Marigolds are one of the most famous companion plants, particularly certain varieties.
  • Nematode Repellent: French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are renowned for their ability to repel root-knot nematodes when planted consistently in an area. This can be beneficial for fruit trees that might otherwise suffer from nematode damage.
  • Pest Deterrence: Their strong scent is also said to deter other pests like whiteflies and aphids.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Some varieties also attract beneficial insects.
• How to Use: Plant French marigolds generously around the base of your fruit trees. For nematode control, they need to be planted for at least a full growing season before the fruit tree is established or for several seasons continuously.
• Consideration: Make sure to choose French marigolds for nematode control; other types might not be as effective. You can get marigold seeds or starts easily.

2. Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

• Benefits: These tall, majestic flowers offer several advantages.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Their huge blooms are irresistible to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, ensuring good fruit set for your fruit trees.
  • Beneficial Insect Shelter: Their height and broad leaves can provide shelter for beneficial insects.
  • Nutrient Accumulation: Like comfrey, their deep roots can draw nutrients from deep in the soil, enriching the topsoil when their leaves fall or they decompose.
• How to Use: Plant sunflowers on the sunny side of your fruit trees, far enough away so they don't shade out the fruit tree too much.

3. Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

• Benefits: This cheerful flower is a versatile garden helper.
  • Beneficial Insect Attraction: Its bright orange and yellow flowers attract hoverflies, whose larvae are voracious predators of aphids, as well as other beneficial insects.
  • Nematode Deterrence: Some studies suggest it can deter certain nematodes as well.
  • Edible: The petals are edible and add color to salads.
• How to Use: Plant calendula generously around the base of your fruit trees. They are easy to grow from calendula seeds and often self-seed.

4. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

• Benefits: A tough perennial with feathery foliage and flat-topped flower clusters.
  • Beneficial Insect Attraction: Attracts a wide range of beneficial insects, including ladybugs and parasitic wasps, which help control pests.
  • Soil Improvement: Its deep roots break up compacted soil and can accumulate trace minerals.
  • Drought Tolerant: Very resilient in dry conditions.
• How to Use: Plant yarrow near fruit trees in sunny, well-draining spots.

5. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

• Benefits: These graceful annuals offer a long season of blooms and an airy presence.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Their open, daisy-like flowers are great for bees and butterflies.
  • Beneficial Insect Attraction: They are particularly good at attracting lacewings and hoverflies, both excellent predators of aphids.
• How to Use: Plant cosmos near your fruit trees for continuous bloom and pest patrol. They are easy to grow from cosmos seeds and come in a variety of colors.

By integrating these beautiful and beneficial flowers into your fruit tree planting, you create a vibrant ecosystem that not only looks lovely but also actively supports the health and productivity of your fruit trees.

What are the Best Legumes and Cover Crops for Fruit Trees?

Legumes and cover crops are workhorses in the companion planting world, offering incredible benefits for soil health, which directly translates to healthier fruit trees.

1. Legumes (Nitrogen Fixers)

Legumes are special plants that have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in their root nodules. These bacteria take nitrogen gas from the air and convert it into a form plants can use (a process called nitrogen fixation). This acts as a natural, continuous fertilizer for your fruit trees.

• Clover (White Clover, Crimson Clover):
  • Benefits: Excellent living mulch that suppresses weeds, conserves soil moisture, and fixes nitrogen. White clover is low-growing and withstands mowing, making it great for a "living pathway" around fruit trees. Crimson clover is an annual that provides a beautiful flush of red flowers and a nitrogen boost when incorporated into the soil.
  • Pollinator Attraction: Their flowers are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators.
• Fava Beans (Vicia faba):
  • Benefits: A winter annual legume that can be planted in fall in mild climates. Fixes a lot of nitrogen and produces a good amount of biomass to turn into the soil. Edible beans too!
• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa):
  • Benefits: Deep taproots break up compacted soil, draw up deep nutrients, and are excellent nitrogen fixers.
• How to Use:
  • Living Mulch: Plant low-growing clover around the drip line of your fruit tree. Keep it trimmed if it starts to get too tall.
  • Chop and Drop: Plant any of these legumes as a cover crop, allow them to grow, then chop them down (before they go to seed) and leave the clippings on the soil surface as a green mulch. This releases the stored nitrogen and other nutrients into the topsoil.
  • Green Manure: In larger areas, plant a legume cover crop for a season, then till it into the soil to significantly improve soil fertility.
• Consideration: Ensure you're using legumes suited to your climate. You can find clover seeds easily.

2. Other Cover Crops

While not all cover crops are legumes, they all contribute to soil health, which directly benefits your fruit trees.

• Annual Rye (Secale cereale):
  • Benefits: A fast-growing grass that provides excellent weed suppression, prevents soil erosion, and adds a lot of organic matter when tilled in.
  • How to Use: Plant in fall after harvest, then till it in early spring before new growth or planting around the fruit tree.
• Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum):
  • Benefits: Very fast-growing, good at suppressing weeds, and helps make phosphorus more available in the soil. Its flowers also attract beneficial insects.
  • How to Use: Plant in summer, and it will grow quickly, providing a quick flush of organic matter.
• Mustard (Brassica juncea):
  • Benefits: Fast-growing, good for weed suppression. Some types are considered biofumigants, potentially helping suppress soil-borne diseases and nematodes when tilled into the soil.
  • How to Use: Plant in cooler seasons, then cut or till into the soil.

Benefits of Cover Cropping for Fruit Trees:

• Natural Fertilization: Nitrogen fixers provide free, slow-release nitrogen.
• Soil Structure Improvement: Roots break up compacted soil, and the decomposition of plant matter adds organic matter, improving drainage and aeration.
• Weed Suppression: Outcompete unwanted weeds.
• Erosion Control: Roots hold soil in place, preventing erosion, especially on slopes.
• Water Conservation: A living mulch or chopped cover crop shades the soil and reduces water evaporation.
• Increased Microbial Activity: Feeds the soil food web, leading to a healthier root environment for your fruit trees.

When using cover crops, remember to terminate them (cut them down or till them in) before they go to seed to prevent them from becoming weeds themselves, and before they start competing too much with your fruit tree for water during its active growing or fruiting season. The timing of this is important to ensure the nutrients are released when your fruit tree needs them most.

What are Other Beneficial Companion Plants for Fruit Trees?

Beyond the specific categories of herbs, flowers, and legumes, several other plants offer unique benefits that can contribute to the overall health and productivity of your fruit trees.

1. Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)

• Benefits: While primarily grown for its edible stalks, rhubarb is sometimes planted near fruit trees for its large, dense leaves.
  • Living Mulch: Its big leaves help shade the soil, reducing weeds and conserving moisture.
  • Nutrient Cycling: Its deep roots are thought to draw up some nutrients that benefit nearby plants.
  • Pest Deterrence: Some anecdotal evidence suggests its presence may deter certain pests.
• How to Use: Plant rhubarb far enough away from the fruit tree that its large root system doesn't compete excessively, but close enough for its leaves to provide mulch benefits.

2. Daffodils (Narcissus spp.)

• Benefits: These popular spring-blooming bulbs are known for their beauty, but they also have a secret weapon against pests.
  • Rodent Deterrence: Daffodil bulbs contain a substance that is toxic to rodents (like voles and gophers), which can sometimes chew on the roots of fruit trees. Planting daffodils around the base of your fruit trees might help deter these tunneling pests.
• How to Use: Plant daffodil bulbs in a ring around the base of your fruit trees in the fall.

3. Strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa)

• Benefits: A fantastic edible groundcover.
  • Living Mulch: Forms a dense mat that effectively suppresses weeds and conserves soil moisture.
  • Erosion Control: Helps prevent soil erosion, especially on slopes.
  • Early Crop: Provides a delicious early summer crop while your fruit trees are still developing their fruit.
• How to Use: Plant strawberry runners or plants as a groundcover around your fruit trees. Ensure good spacing around the trunk for airflow and to prevent competition when the fruit tree is young. Consider everbearing strawberry plants for a longer harvest.

4. Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)

• Benefits: A strong-smelling perennial herb.
  • Pest Deterrence: Reputed to deter flies, ants, Japanese beetles, and even some borers. Its strong scent is thought to confuse pests.
  • Beneficial Insect Attraction: Its flat-topped flower clusters also attract beneficial insects.
• How to Use: Plant tansy around the perimeter of your orchard or garden, or a few feet from your fruit trees.
• Consideration: Tansy can be an aggressive spreader, so plant it where it can be contained, or consider planting it in containers.

5. Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

• Benefits: A common roadside plant with beautiful blue flowers, but a powerful taproot.
  • Soil Breakup: Its long, deep taproot can help break up compacted soil, improving drainage and aeration around the fruit tree's roots.
  • Nutrient Accumulation: Like comfrey, it's considered a dynamic accumulator, bringing up nutrients from deeper soil layers.
• How to Use: Plant chicory from seed or young plants near your fruit trees.

6. Dynamic Accumulators (General)

Beyond specific examples like comfrey and chicory, the concept of planting dynamic accumulators around fruit trees is valuable. These are plants with deep taproots that absorb nutrients from deeper in the soil profile. When their leaves fall, or when you chop and drop their foliage around your fruit trees, those nutrients become available in the topsoil for your fruit trees to use.

• Examples: Dandelions (yes, even dandelions!), nettles (wear gardening gloves to handle!), borage, chicory, comfrey.

By considering these diverse companion plants, you can create a multi-functional understory for your fruit trees, enhancing their health, productivity, and resilience in a natural and sustainable way. Remember to observe your specific garden and choose combinations that work best for your fruit trees and your climate.