September 06, 2021

Level Up Your Garden By Integrating Allelopathy

Plant allelopathy is all around us, yet, many people have never even heard of this interesting phenomenon. Allelopathy can have an adverse effect in the garden, resulting in reduced seed germination and plant growth. On the other hand, allelopathic plants may also be considered Mother Nature’s own weed killer.

What is Allelopathy?

Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon where one plant inhibits the growth of another. How? Through the release of allelochemicals, certain plants can greatly affect the growth of other plants either in a good or bad way by leaching, decomposition, etc. In essence, plant allelopathy is used as a means of survival in nature, reducing competition from plants nearby.

Biochemicals are produced by a plant’s roots and are only effective against plants growing nearby in the same soil and only up to a certain distance away.

Plants that have evolved in highly competitive areas sometimes have the ability to suppress the growth of, or kill off other plants that try to invade their space.

When pairing plants, it is important to know the compatibility when planting them in their planters.

How to know which plants are compatible?

Plant plants together that have similar care needs such as; water requirements, light levels and humidity.

Plant compatibility allows you to be able to plant multiple plants in a single pot, sharing the same soil space. This also leads too many different opportunities for you to plant similar grouped plants together.