Interplanting Floral Resource Plants with Vegetable Plants Enhances Beneficial Arthropod Abundance in a Home Garden

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Chrisdon B. Bonner
Eric J. Rebek
Janet C. Cole
Brian A. Kahn
Janette A. Steets

Abstract

We examined whether interplanting vegetable and ornamental flowering plants reduces herbivory and enhances photosynthetic rate, plant growth, natural enemy abundance, and pollinator visitation relative to monoculture plantings. We found no evidence of physiological or growth costs due to growth in polyculture. Herbivore damage to plants did not differ with planting regime. Natural enemies occurred in greater abundance in polycultures compared to monocultures. Pollinator diversity was enhanced in some polyculture plots. We suggest that interplanting vegetable and flowering ornamental plants at small spatial scales may improve plant health and reproduction through natural pest control and a diversified pollinator pool.

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Author Biographies

Chrisdon B. Bonner, Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society

Department of Botany

Eric J. Rebek, Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society

Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology

Janet C. Cole, Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Brian A. Kahn, Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Janette A. Steets, Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Native Plant Society

Department of Botany