Companion Planting With Grapes

Photo by Amy Grant, Gardening Know How

I've been a proponent of the Gaia garden for a long time although I've only put it into practice recently and not on a large scale. But I really do want to learn more about it. So now that the first 10 vines are mature, it's time to start thinking about companion crops -- plants that in close proximity will repel pests and disease, nourish soil, or provide shelter to beneficial insects. Companion plants may act as natural trellises, suppress weeds, or help retain moisture. 

A number of plants grow well with grapevines. I want to choose companions for grapes that have similar growing requirements in Ireland. That is, grapes need full sun with moderately warm temperatures, consistent water, and well-draining soil, so their companion plants should like those conditions, too. An example of incompatible plants is hops. If you're growing wine grapes they should be in harsh soil so all the energy goes into the grapes and not the vines and leaves. Hops prefer a richer soil and put a lot of energy into vine growth and root development. Grapes are generally grown horizontal or parallel to the ground and hops tend to want to grow vertical. Also hops want lots of water and grapes don't want too much water.

Plants that grow well with grapevines are those that lend a beneficial quality to growing grapes. The question is what to plant around grapes? Garlic is good for deterring pests but I certainly don't want to introduce garlicy flavours to the terroir. I want to get the healthiest vines that produce the most fruit, and have a pleasant effect on the grapes. 

Companion planting (mustard) at Tamburlaine – photo by The Wine Idealist

What To Plant Around Grapes 

Companion planting is an age-old art of planting different plants in close proximity to each other to benefit one or both. There may be mutual benefits or one plant may profit more. 

Excellent companions for grapes include Hyssop, Oregano, Basil, Beans, Blackberries, Clover, Geraniums, Calendula and Peas. We have the blackberries covered as they are part of the hedge around the vineyard. Blackberries provide shelter for beneficial parasitic wasps, which also kill leafhopper eggs. Basil doesn't grow outside in Ireland. I would think rapeseed would work and it looks so beautiful adding vibrant colour to the fields.

In the case of hyssop, an evergreen herb, bees love the flowers while the rest of the plant deters pests and improves the grape’s flavour. It has been used in traditional medicine as an antiseptic, cough reliever, and expectorant. It is a member of the mint family so I wonder if it has the tendency to spread like wildfire. Geraniums and Calendula also repel pests, such as leafhoppers.  

Clover increases soil fertility. It is what the Spaniards in Galicia were experimenting with. It is an excellent ground cover, green manure crop, and nitrogen fixer. Legumes act in much the same way and can give you a second vertical crop yield. By planting them once the grapevines are established, the beans can trellis up through them. 

Other plants make good companions for grapevines due to their pest repellant qualities. These include aromatic plants such as Garlic, Chives, Rosemary, Tansy, and Mint. I have been planting the aromatics in the orchard for several years. 

Grapes don’t get along just with herbs and flowers. They are said to do well planted under elm or mulberry trees. 

Companion planting (clover) Paco & Lola vineyards, Galicia Spain.
Photo by Daria Blackwell

What to avoid planting near grapes

Just as people don’t always get along, grapes have a few pet peeves as well. Grapes should never be planted near cabbage or radishes. Besides who would want to risk cabbage flavoured wine?

What the best method of companion planting?

You see two different methods in the photos above. One puts the plants among the rows of vines the other puts the plantings between the rows. I believe both can be beneficial. Plants that keep insects aways and deliver nutrients to the soil can be placed close to the vines. Plants that enrich the soil overall or provide cash crops can be planted between the rows. Both can be done at the same time, or one can be done at a time or even alternated seasonally. It's not rocket science but it will take some experimentation. 

What about fertiliser?

Yara, the fertiliser company, recommends all kinds of fertiliser for grapes but my feeling is that grapes don't like very fertile soil so why augment it? Doesn't that alter the terroir? Why not keep it natural, organic and biodynamic? Mulching with wood chips from tree trimmings apparently adds just the right amount of nitrogen to the soil, and is very beneficial to the plants.

We tried adding some seaweed around the oldest vines for a traditional Irish fertilisation approach. We have plenty of the stuff for free, it's natural and organic and gives us another claim to fame. We'll see how it works. 

Photo in Daria's Vineyard taken in the Autumn of 2020 by Daria Blackwell. 
Note the seaweed applied to the base of vines.  

Soil structure

It's interesting that so many of the old prescriptive practices on soil and farm management are being debunked. It used to be that farmers were told they had to eliminate all weeds, till the soil annually to aerate it and fertilize routinely. Today we know, that tilling disturbs the natural soil structure, especially the mycorrhiza, and fertilization reduce mycorrhization. Using cover crops favours arbuscular mycorrhiza funghi. We are trying to disturb the soil as little as possible. We have also set aside swaths of land as a natural habitat to encourage wildflowers and grasses as well as insects and bees. It seems to be working.

Cover crops and companion plants

A vineyard with cover crop between rows.

My last post dealt with underground fungi that form symbiotic relationships with grapevines. Today, I'm investigating cover crops and companion plants that can be grown with the vines to help promote healthy soil structure and nutrient exchange and perhaps even protect against insects and disease. Cover crops have been used for millennia and are becoming more popular again with the advent of organic farming and the desire to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides.