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Hi, I've just got my first allotment and I'm going to go organic. I've heard about companion planting to help deter pests. I'm hoping to grow quite a bit (potatoes. carrots, beans, peas, parsnips, celeriac along with varios berries). I've heard that some plants are good companions. Can anyone help with some ideas please. Have picked up some really good advice reading various threads on here. Thanx.
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tomatos and basil
dont put carrots and dill together
sunflowers and sweetcorn and squash/pumpkins
cant remember any more off the top of my head -
thanks, will bare that in mind..........is there any other good pest control (organic) other than having to pick those lovely slugs off by hand?Comment
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Hi Jaybex
If you do a search on companion planting on this site you will see that a number of us have started threads on this subject - it is particularly interesting and everyone has their own suggestions of what works!
It is also the opposite that is as important - ie what not to plant together - another fascinating subject. I didn't know last year that potatoes and garlic should not be planted together (my beds were adjacent unfortunately - won't do that again).~
Aerodynamically the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know that so it goes on flying anyway.
~ Mary Kay AshComment
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I always cover my cabbages, cauliflowers and sprouts with netting to stop the cabbage white butterfly laying its eggs. So I don't have green caterpillars crawling through my cauliflowers and cabbages when we come to eat them. You need to make a frame to stop the netting touching the leaves but it is completely organic - no need to spray with anything.[Comment
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Hi Jaybex
There was an article in GYO last year on companion planting. I typed out the main combinations for both companions and antagonists but need to send it via E mail as it is to large for posting or for sending as a PM. Let me know if you want a copy and I'll wing one off to you.Rat
British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God
http://scotsburngarden.blogspot.com/
http://davethegardener.blogspot.com/Comment
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SR - hope your tummy gets better soon! Diocalm is usually pretty good
"Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple
Location....Normandy FranceComment
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Hi Nicos
Sure it 'll get better soon thanks - plan to change my avatars on regular basis - there are just soooooo many to choose from that I can't just use one !!!
Rat
British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God
http://scotsburngarden.blogspot.com/
http://davethegardener.blogspot.com/Comment
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Tagetes are good companion with tomatoes, deter whiet fly and black fly, varigated nasturtiums are excellent at keeping off cabbage whites as they hate the taste of varigated, don't plant normal nasturtiums as they love them!Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb talesComment
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As Jennie said in post #4 there were some previous posts on companion planting. Hope they help?
There are also these links on the net that may help
Companion Planting: Basic Concept and Resources
Vegetable Companion Chart
vegetable and herbs which grow well together
Companion plants "long list"
JaxLast edited by Jaxom; 20-03-2006, 06:45 AM.Comment
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We plant Calendula (pot marigold) to keep whitefly out of the tunnel in clumps near every bed to deter other beasties and plant nasturtium along the front of the plot as a sacrificial plant as the greenfly etc prefer that far more than anything else.Comment
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I too plan to give companion planning a go this year, partly because I've seen so many veg plots with flowers sown between the veg and it looks fantastic in summer
However I did see a program on TV last year (not sure which) but they actually did trials on some of the more recognised companion plants. What they discovered was, that although many of the plants do contain properties which deter pests. The the levels were so low as to not really have much effect. An example they gave was growing onions between carrots to ward off carrot fly. The theory behind it is the smell from the onions masked the smell of the carrots. But in actual fact you would need so many onions to acheive this you wouldn't have room for the carrots!!!
Having said all this I know scientists aren't always right and I intend trying it out for myself. At the end of the day any method that benefits the crops without the use of chemicals is a good thing. But my advice would be don't rely on it as your only form of pest control. If you use a couple of methods and one is not so succesful at least you have something to fall back on instead of loosing the crop for the year. (i.e my entire carrot crop last year).
It would be great if we could perhaps do our own little trials this year. Not sure how we could work it. Perhaps we could start a thread and people could leave their comments on how they got on and a summary at the end of the year. Just a thought!
xComment
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if it only helps a bit it's got to be better than resorting to the chemical sprays Emma. i know someone who always grows garlic around his roses to deter greenfly, he says it works so why not give it a go.
Apart from anything else, it's like you say veg & flowers look good. about 1/3 of my plot is Chrysanths & Dahlia's and the amount of people who walked down to see me last year because they could see the color when they came thru the gates was incredible - I hardly had time to get the jobs done
ntg
Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic==================================================Comment
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Slugs etc.
I must admit I usually go out with a torch at night & pick off slugs & snails by hand but there are lots of other methods. Beer traps sunk into the ground work but you have to dispose of the slimy, gunky mess of bodies somewhere. I've had limited success with piling crushed eggshells, broken seashells & 'slugstoppa' granules around the bases of plants (you have to keep topping them up after windy/rainy weather. The copper rings placed around individual plants sound as though they should work but they are expensive to buy- I use copper wire twisted around the tops of pots of hostas & it helps keep the little devils off by giving them a tiny shock! You have to watch where you put the pots though as the slugs & snails will abseil down onto them from nearby plants, fences etc.Originally posted by jaybex
Into every life a little rain must fall.Comment
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thanx all so much for the info, going to try and work it all out into a plan. no idea what i'm doing but it's been enjoyable so far so it's worth it.
if you could send me that info Sewer Rat, that would be great. I've only just found this magazine and website so trying to trawl through it all slowly.
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