This title probably has a spiritual connotation for you with the assumption you’re about to read some deep meditation. In a way you’re right, because our creator has a purpose for each and every plant in its biosphere!
What is sacrtificial sowing? Basically it is the intentional practice of planting to attract pests! This is how it works; companion planting/sacrificial sowing /trap cropping lures insects away from nearby crops and reduces the need for pesticides. They are attracted by the secondary plant’s bright color, strong scent, or appetizing greenery. The pests are tricked into leaving the primary crop alone.
Since I’m a complete organic gardener and am an avid learner both from experience and reading from the experts, I find myself implementing new gardening techniques every year. The traditional way to attack destructive bugs would be to use pesticides, but these toxins leach into your soil, and grow into your blooms. Polinators end up dying from slurping up poisoned nectar. Both the good bugs we rely on for pollination and the bad pests die. I can’t preach against pesticides enough!
Give sacrificial sowing a try. Its main goal is to distract hungry slugs, snails, beetles, and caterpillars from your prized flowers and veggies by encouraging them to eat the decoy plant instead.
For example, last year, I planted rue all over my garden. Check out closely the picture of rue in this post. Zero in. Can you see the caterpillars and the twigs they leave behind? The swallowtail butterfly caterpillars chowed down to the nubs all the rue’s lush greenery and left my vegetables alone. The rue kept growing back, providing dinners for even more caterpillars and kept me in butterflies all the way to the first freeze.
Some sacrificial plants include:
1. Herbs like mints, rue, lavendar, basil, chervil
2. Nasturtiums for flower beds and green beans
3. Basil for tomatoes
4. Marigolds deter flying insects and nematodes which eat cucumbers and squash plants
5. Chervil attracts aphids which snails love
6. Sunflowers attract stinkbugs which attack okra and corn
7. Lavendar keeps biting insects at bay and attracts the beneficials like bees and butterflies
8. Sages for greens like spinach, kale, turnips, swiss chard, collards, and lettuce
9. Sweet alyssum for potatoes
10. Garlic and eggplant
I’m sure there are more combinations out there. Your best sources of information are grandmas and grandpas who have learned their gardening from their grandparents before the use of wide-spread pesticides. Spread the love!
Which companion plants will you sacrifice for the health of your garden?
The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.