Does anyone knows something about companion planting with fruit trees? I planted a fig tree, a papaya and a ice-cream bean. They are still very small and I could plant something around them. What is about okra, aubergines, corn, capsicum sunflower tomato pumpkin?
My attitude towards companion planting is that you have to find what works in your own garden, rather than follow a list of good and bad companions, as there are so many variables. Observation, Observation, Observation! And don't be afraid to try strange combinations of plantings. You can have happy accidents. Don't get me wrong, I llike Brenda Little et al, I just don't treat it as the final word. Of course, if you think about, and perhaps make a list of the needs and characteristics of the various plants you wish to grow, this will inform a lot of how to go about assembling guilds.
hi hedwig, in my food forest i've just gone for variety. i've planted every kind of fruit tree i could find, including the three you mentioned. a bunch of old mango trees are serving as pioneers, as well as blue quandongs to provide protection from weather extremes. around the base of each tree i've planted 5 spice/mother of herbs, borage, dill, yacon, cosmos, dogbane, comfrey as well as lots of cassava, black sugar cane, arrowroot, pinto's peanut, cowpea, vetch, and japanese millet. these are all serving to smother the grass and weeds as well as provide excellent mulch right where it is needed. i also incorporated my natives and bushfoods into the same area for variety and to attract birds bees and other predators. now i'm putting more vegies in around the fruit trees to see what happens. you can go for the more rigid zone idea, but i prefer a more loose blend of everything. i don't know about specific companion planting - i just go for extreme variety and let nature sort out the details of what was and was not meant to be.