What is allelopathy?

Hello! How are you? Today we are going to do a short botany class, which will be very useful when we want to design a garden or orchard. I am going to explain to you what allelopathy is . A word that will stop sounding strange to you very soon.

So let’s get into the matter.

Allelopathy, in short, is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more compounds that influence the organisms around it . Two types are distinguished: positive allelopathy and negative allelopathy.

positive allelopathy

Lavender is a plant that repels aphids and attracts beneficial insects, such as bees.

Positive allelopathy is that phenomenon in which the plant, due to its own characteristics, can help in one way or another to maintain the health of other plants . How? Very simple: attracting beneficial insects, repelling harmful ones, or even improving soil aeration thanks to its roots.

Thus, plants that should not be missing in your garden are: lavender , rosemary , calendula or thyme . All of them will soon become the allies of your favorite green corner.

negative allelopathy

The fig tree is a kind of tree in whose shade it is advisable not to put any plant.

On the other hand, we have negative allelopathy : plants that negatively influence other plants , because they have plant hormones that are toxic to some plant beings that are nearby.

This is the reason why there is usually no plant growing under eucalyptus , pine or fig trees , among others. I can tell you that a few years ago I had a young liquidambar near a Ficus, and it seemed to be doing well, until summer came and its leaves began to turn brown and fall. For this reason, it is totally inadvisable to put this type of plants in those places where you want to have a garden full of flowers, unless they are planted at a minimum distance of three meters.