Topic: Companion planting

[portway farm]

Plants and what they deter

African marigold - nematodes
Anise - Aphids, fleas, cabbage worms
Borage - Japanese beetles, tomato horn worms
Caper spurge - moles
Catnip - ants, aphids, colorado beetles, darkling beetles, japanese beetles, squash bugs, weevils
Celery - cabbage butterflies
Chives - japanese beetles
Clover - cabbage root flies
Dill - aphids, spider mites
Fennel - aphids
French Marigold - mexican bean beetles, nematodes
Garlic - good as an all round insect repellant (and vampires)
Hyssop - flea beetles, cabbage butterflies
Leek - carrot root flies
Marigold - nematodes and good next to cabbage as it deters many cabbage pests
Mustard - aphids
Nasturtium - aphids, cabbage worms, colorado beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies
Onion - carrot root flies
Radish - cucumber beetles, root flies, vine borers
Rosemary - bean beetles, cabbage moths, carrot root flies
Rye - nematodes
Tansy - ants, aphids, cabbage worms, colorado beetles, squash bugs, japanese beetles
Wormwood - Mice, slugs, snails, a good general insect repellant and also rodents.

As an insect destroyer the juice of the potato plant is said to be of great value; the leaves and stems are well boiled in water, and when the liquid is cold it is sprinkled over plants attacked with insects, when it at once destroys caterpillars, black and green flies, gnats, and other enemies to vegetables, and in no way impairs the growth of the plants. A peculiar odor remains, and prevents insects from coming again for a long time.

Sorrry if I am going over old ground but just some of the farming stuff passed down through the years.

[supernan]

 :) Oh another topic in common!! I started a topic on this earlier in the year. Having had great success with marigolds in the greenhouse with toms and peppers. No green or white fly!!

Some people are very Poo Poo (scuse punbut you've got a manure topic) the idea including RHS. But I have found old ways are best, otherwise how did we grow before chemicals?

Am going up the lottie again after tea to plant the african and french marigold borders. They go in the gutter next to my paths. I also grow sweet peas with the runners, more bees! And plant flowers on the lottie, this year dahlias, snap dragons, tall ones, Royal Bride with a lovely perfume, delphiniums and lupins. They will, I hope look fantastic and attract yet more bees.

Any more old tips always welcome on here so keep posting.

[Svea]

thanks for the listing :)

i have planted some stuff together but my dill, for instance, is only just starting to grow while my cabbages are already attacked by aphids :(

if you dont mind, could you post more 'receipes' in its own thread (caveats and general warnings obviously apply?!)
i had heard of potato water before. also, rhubarb and garlic wate/tea. what else?

cheers
svea

[Val]

Thanks PF ...I'll pass this on if I may.

[Multiveg]

My nasturtiums on my father's plot died - they were covered in blackfly!

My fennel - bronze one last year was covered in aphids as well.

[portway farm]

Oh well sorry to hear that. Still nothings perfect, what works for one might not work for another. Such is the way of the world. When you are completely organic like us you take the good with the bad, need pests to encourage wildlife, so really it does not make them pests just part of the ecological system.

If any one wants to use any of the info I have supplied feel free. Share the knowledge I say. ;D

[Multiveg]

The nasturtiums were right next to the french beans - there wasn't a single aphid on them, - they seemed to prefer the nasturtiums :) Maybe trap/sacrificial plants needed

[redimp]

The trick is when the plant is infested to destroy it by burning, otherwise, when it dies, they will hop off onto the Fench Beans (if they like them)

[PREMTAL]

Hi Portway Farm,
                           Never heard of using Potato plant Juice before, I shall certainly give it a go and pass the info on to our association members.

                                                     Thank you :)

                                                     PREMTAL

[derbex]

I think some of it is down to the insects the attract rather than what they deter. My fennel seems to attract loads of hoverflies -when they're about- who eat aphids and so on. Think it's the same for F. Marigolds.

Also think you're right about the nasturtiums being a sacrificial plant.

Didn't Bob F write a book on this?

Jeremy

[portway farm]

Have no idea if he wrote a book. Most people have though so would not be suprised. Would be a good read if he has.

[Multiveg]

Bob F did write a book on the subject. The one in my local library is A6 sized, which is an oldish edition, but there is a newer edition with colour pics in..

[portway farm]

Not that I am thick or cannot read or have a lack of imagination (have an english lit degree), but I am so pro books with pictures, it really helps to lock something in place. I like Bob F one of the few people I trust.

[Diesel]

Thanks portway Farm great info.

[Amazin]

If you check out this link:

http://www.earthlypursuits.com/GardenTips/tip-potatojuice.htm

you'll find the potato juice tip, and the site has many other interesting topics.

Someone else on A4A drew my attention to this site  originally, for which many thanks.

[portway farm]

Yep thats one of the books my nan has. Mmmm wonder if she got the recepie from there as she wrote a load of home made stuff down on some paper and sent it to me when I said I wanted to go organic!!!!! Really should go round to her more often as being an old land girl and coming from farming stock she has lots of interesting stories and books. :)

[aquilegia]

I have the Bob F book - really found it interesting and useful. I do like his writing style and he is very informative.

I especially liked when he reminded us that it is illegal to make, store and use insecticides. Then over the page he lists, for historical interest, all the insecticides we can brew ourselves.

Personnally I wouldn't use them as I'd be worried about hurting the goodies too.

[Robert_Brenchley]

All insecticides will hurt goodies unfortunarely; some more than others. I use homebrew as a last resort. I have Bob F's book; it's good and has a lot more content than many garening books. There's a lot of info about companion gardening, but no instant system; you'd have to work the details out for yourself. Not that I have much time for instant gardening.