Edible and Ornamental Pollinator-Attracting Companion Plantings Effects on Crop Yield, Aesthetic Appearance, and Consumer Appeal of Container Modules

Abstract

Residential production of fresh vegetables in small urban and suburban locations may require innovative approaches to gardening, particularly in attracting sufficient and diverse pollinators for fruit set. This issue may be ameliorated by the use of pollinator-attracting companion plantings in containers. Various combinations of container components were designed to facilitate meeting these needs for space-constrained locations by designing customizable container garden kits. To address these components, the objectives of this research were to first, determine suitable combinations of edible crops and pollinator-attracting plants that have overlapping bloom times for multiple cropping cycles throughout the year while also complimenting each other in a containerized setting. Second, to provide proof of concept for pairing effective combinations of pollinator-requiring edible crops with compatible pollinator-attracting native perennials in various pre-assembled or build your own modular container systems compatible with use in space-limited urban environments. Lastly, to investigate the potential market demand for pollinator-attracting pre-assembled or build your own container garden kits for patio or small-space urban gardeners, a consumer survey was developed to determine the likelihood to purchase and willingness to pay for the different container garden kit combinations. The survey allowed for collection of information on demographics, purchase history and self-assessed knowledge of varying subjects within the green industry. Through nursery trials, we were able to determine suitable fruiting plants and pollinator-attracting plant combinations from multiple cropping cycles that were aesthetically compatible while also having bloom time overlap with potential for pollinator effects. Those combinations were taken to the field to test for total yield, yield quality, and pollinator frequency and constancy which confirmed significant differences in yield and pollinator visitation among the different container garden kit combinations. We were also able to conclude that consumers’ self-assessed knowledge of pollinators may affect the type of container garden kit combination preferred, their other gardening preferences, and correlate to other areas of knowledge in the green industry.