Sainfoin

Pests & beneficial insects

🐛 Prone to: Aphids

Aphids

Aphididae

Curled leaves, sticky honeydew and ants on patrol — usually with something already eating them.

.

Attract Hoverflies

Hoverflies

Syrphidae

The adults only drink nectar. It is the larvae that eat the aphids.

, Lacewings

Lacewings

Chrysopidae

Golden-eyed adults that mostly drink; larvae that hunt like small alligators.

, Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldExcellent, CalendulaExcellent and CeleryExcellent nearby.

🌼 Beneficial companion — draws Ladybugs

Ladybugs

Coccinellidae

The one predator here where the adults hunt as hard as the larvae do.

, Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps

Braconidae, Ichneumonidae and relatives

Pinhead-sized, stingless, and lethal to aphids and caterpillars from the inside.

, Ground beetles

Ground beetles

Carabidae

Night-active ground hunters, taking slugs, cutworms and leatherjackets at soil level.

that help control

on neighbouring plants.

Growing from seed

Direct-sow Sainfoin outdoors around your last frost date. Seeds usually come up in around 14 days. Grow in full sun, spaced about 30 cm apart. Expect the first blooms in roughly 365 days.

Keep track of the seeds you own.

Companion Planting

• 
  Gai Lan
  

  Gai LanExcellent pair

  • ❧Gai Lan attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Aphids and Caterpillars and more that attack Sainfoin
  • ❧Sainfoin fixes nitrogen in the soil that Gai Lan feeds on
  • ❧Gai Lan suppresses pests that trouble Sainfoin
• 
  Brown Mustard
  

  Brown MustardExcellent pair

  • ❧Brown Mustard attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps and more, which prey on the Aphids and Cutworms that attack Sainfoin
  • ❧Sainfoin fixes nitrogen in the soil that Brown Mustard feeds on
  • ❧Sainfoin draws Bees and Bumblebees and more that improve pollination for both
• 
  Lemon Balm
  

  Lemon BalmExcellent pair

  • ❧Lemon Balm attracts Hoverflies and Parasitic wasps, which prey on the Aphids and Whitefly that attack Sainfoin
  • ❧Sainfoin fixes nitrogen in the soil that Lemon Balm feeds on
  • ❧Sainfoin roots deep while Lemon Balm feeds near the surface — no competition

How to grow Sainfoin

1. Sow0 weeks from frost
2. Germinates14 days
3. Space30 cm apart
4. GrowFull sun
5. Harvest~365 days

Water: Low · Height: 60 cm · Soil: Well-draining, alkaline, calcareous — drought-tolerant