Companion planting

[Florence Fennel]

I plant the marigolds into the pot with the tomato and the nasturtiums go by the side of the brassicas, how close is close Sarico?

[Kaiya]

I too use marigolds in the tomato tubs and nasturtiums in the ground. I'm also trying borage in amongst the brassicas to deter white fly. We'll see.

Oooo I let borage grow for the bees - didn't know it might help with white fly! I hate white fly...

[redser]

Thanks for the replies

[Sarico]

I plant the marigolds into the pot with the tomato and the nasturtiums go by the side of the brassicas, how close is close Sarico?

next the veg... i read somewhere to plant them far away or better on the other side of the garden...
so then i will plant them where i decided to plant them

[Two_Sheds]

I'm also trying borage in amongst the brassicas to deter white fly.

I haven't heard that one before. You'll have that borage forever, it's deep rooted and self-seeds prolifically

[Florence Fennel]

It was suggested on here I think TS and I've also seen where you can use it as a fertiliser in the form of tea, like comfrey. Hope it doesn't become a nuisance though

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, it's related to comfrey but is even more nutritious according to Bob Flowerdew. We had one plant last year on the school beds: I looked last week and we now have 3,000

[Florence Fennel]

Yes, it's related to comfrey but is even more nutritious according to Bob Flowerdew. We had one plant last year on the school beds: I looked last week and we now have 3,000

Ok, so now you've scared me. Looks like there'll be an awful lot for fertiliser.

[Two_Sheds]

Just keep chopping it, don't let it go to seed

[chris]

I think I mentioned this before, but a lady on our plot grows her brassicas without nets, and literally, over each one shakes a packet of nasturtiums over each brassica. Never has pigeon damage, it looks ace, and never has issues with caterpillars too

I'll be copying her this year!

[Kaiya]

You'll have that borage forever, it's deep rooted and self-seeds prolifically

Half of my allotment was fallow last year - pot marigolds made up most of it and they are coming back in force, but the borage hasn't gone crazy - I have about five new plants and I had about five last year. Deep rooted but I found very easy to pull out whole with no tools. I don't mind them. Marigolds however, are the bane of mine and my asparagus's lives. When they said marigolds were a companion to asparagus they probably didn't mean about 1000 of the things in a 1m square area.

I also didn't realise it had comfrey-like value. I think it has herbal remedy benefits too, as well as bee food and friend to brassicas. It really appeared to be a most useful plant!

[MojoJojo]

Traditionally, Pimms should have borage leaves in instead of cucumber. So have lots of Pimms!

[eirish]

Pimms is lovely with borage flowers in too.

[greenjelly]

I've always grown nasturtiums, marigolds and tagetes. Tagetes are fantastic for the polytunnel as green/white/black fly hate the smell. Marigolds (the pot variety aka calendula) and nasturtiums are fantastic for the veg plot for the same reason. Also they look amazing and you can put both in your salad! Nasturtiums have a lovely peppery taste like radish.

Also bees love them and will polinate all your beans and other veg. which will bring birds to eat the bad bugs.

So win win for evryone!!
greenjelly