[ti:Some Crops Like Some People Do Well as Companions ] [ar:Jerilyn Watson] [al:Agriculture Report] [by:51VOA.COM] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:03.72]Agriculture Report. [00:06.16]Companion planting is the idea [00:09.04]that when some crops [00:10.79]are planted together, [00:12.93]they help each other grow. [00:14.97]These compatible plants generally [00:18.06]have similar needs for nutrients, [00:21.00]soil and moisture. [00:23.14]Advice for companion plantings [00:25.73]is sometimes based more [00:28.22]on tradition than proof. [00:30.81]But Fabian Fernandez [00:33.30]at the University of Illinois says [00:35.84]there is evidence for some combinations. [00:39.77]These can lead to better crops, [00:42.71]reduce disease and help [00:45.34]with pest control [00:47.18]by attracting helpful insects. [00:49.98]For example, some kinds of [00:54.14]soil bacteria take nitrogen [00:56.93]from the air and make a form [00:58.97]that plants can use. [01:01.51]The plants keep the nitrogen [01:03.76]in their roots. [01:05.45]Legumes are especially good at this. [01:08.48]Any crops sharing the same space [01:11.57]can get the nitrogen [01:13.50]as the roots decompose. [01:16.14]Crops like beans and potatoes [01:19.12]can also share territory well [01:22.06]because their roots [01:23.80]reach different levels in the soil. [01:27.64]Deep-rooted vegetables get nutrients [01:30.85]and moisture from lower down, [01:33.64]so they do not compete [01:35.59]with shallower plants. [01:38.03]But some plants placed together [01:40.47]may harm each other's development. [01:43.50]For example, [01:45.05]tomatoes do not like wet soil [01:47.98]but watercress does, [01:50.62]as the name suggests. [01:52.71]So you would probably not want [01:54.80]to put them together. [01:57.04]Even after harvest, [01:59.04]some kinds of produce [02:00.78]should be kept apart. [02:02.68]Apples, for example, [02:04.48]release ethylene gas, [02:06.96]a plant hormone. [02:08.57]It can cause other foods [02:10.71]to ripen too quickly. [02:13.25]Fruits that release a lot of ethylene [02:16.44]also include apricots, [02:19.48]melons and tomatoes. [02:22.02]Vegetables easily affected [02:24.41]by ethylene include asparagus, [02:27.30]broccoli, cabbage and cucumbers. [02:31.13]Markets often separate [02:33.27]high ethylene-producing foods [02:35.86]from those that are sensitive [02:37.95]to the gas. [02:39.59]But sometimes you might [02:41.23]want them together. [02:42.97]For example, [02:44.32]if you put an apple [02:45.86]in a bag with an green banana, [02:48.15]the banana will be ready [02:50.24]to eat sooner. [02:52.63]Now what about peaches, [02:54.98]plums and nectarines [02:56.67]that are too firm to eat? [02:59.11]Growers in California [03:01.20]answer this question [03:02.94]at eatcaliforniafruit.com. [03:07.03]They say an apple, banana [03:09.62]or a riper piece of fruit [03:11.96]is not needed. The peaches,plums [03:15.64]and nectarines themselves [03:17.58]release enough of the gas [03:19.47]to ripen successfully. [03:21.86]Their advice: Place the fruit [03:24.95]in a fruit bowl or in a paper bag [03:27.68]with the top folded over. [03:30.47]Keep the fruit at room temperature, [03:33.32]out of direct sunlight. [03:35.56]When the fruit is soft enough [03:38.19]to your liking, either use it [03:40.88]or place it in a refrigerator [03:44.04]to stop further ripening. [03:46.79]And that's the VOA Special English [03:49.64]Agriculture Report, [03:51.57]written by Jerilyn Watson. [03:53.82]I'm Mario Ritter.