Topic: Companion Planting - thoughts & ideas

[amanda21]

I am trying, as much as possible, not to use chemicals on my new plot so am very interested in companion planting but know next to nothing about it!  (what's new?!)   :-\  although I have bought packets of nasturtium and marigolds which I am hoping is a good thing!

Anyway I thought I would start a thread asking for your favourite companion planting combinations - what works well together against those bugs and what have you found didn't work at all?

Cheers   ;D

[Curryandchips]

Nasturtiums and marigolds! The only two flowers that I have selected to grow on my allotment. They were chosen because they have companion qualities (and are easy to grow - essential in my case) for vegetables.

The only companion planting that I practice is the common habit of planting carrots and onions/leeks together, to deter both carrot fly and onion fly.

The following link may be useful for starters ...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/organic_companionplanting.shtml

[Diana]

I planted French Marigolds in the greenhouse last year to deter the nasties from my toms + it worked a treat.

Have also just found the following which looks very useful:

http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

[supersprout]

When I looked in my Tome, under Tomatoes, in the 'garden friends and adversaries' section, this is what is Wrote:

Friends: Asparagus, basil, bergamot, cabbage family, carrot, celery, chive, cucumber, dwarf bean, garlic, butterhead lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, pepper, pot marigold

Adversaries: runner bean, dill, fennel, potato

 ::)

[Columbus]

Hi Amanda,

I agree with curry although I grow flowers for cutting too. At the ends of my veggie rows I plant either Nasturtiums or Marigolds on a whim. I think the RHS showed last year that this wasn`t really beneficial but its traditional and I like the look of them. They keep weeds down and may have benefits. I protected my carrots with a fleece fence last year and that proved more successful than interspersing them with onions.

Col

[amanda21]

Columbus - the fleece fence - am I thinking it didn't have a roof as such?  If so how high did you build it?  Cheers

[Columbus]

Hi Amanda,  :D

It was as high as the width of the roll of fleece I used. I just used a poundland roll of fleece, which is quite narrow compared to more expensive stuff. I think the minimum is about eighteen inches for whitefly. No roof is needed.
The fleece was just fixed to canes to keep it vertical. I think I stole the idea from a posting here and there was a picture. I will look for it later and post here if I find it.

Col

[John_H]

I plant lots of wild flowers (or rather I chuck the seeds around and don't bother to dig them up when they start growing) like primrose, cowslips, foxgloves.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50794154@N00/86897012/in/set-1385790/

I also let poached egg plants flower on the edges of some raised beds because they offer easily accessible nectar for the hover flies (who are goodies),

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50794154@N00/57127108/in/set-1385790/

I can then put netting under the flowers and harvest the seeds for using as green manure around fruit bushes and on uncultivated sections of the beds later in the year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50794154@N00/57127107/in/set-1385790/

[amanda21]

thanks guys.   :D

I am going to ask a really stupid question now - god I have no shame!  When talking about companion planting with flowers and veg etc how close do you need to have them - ie in the same row, bed or just somewhere on the plot?

Such as tomatoes being good for asparagus and visa versa - do I grow them right next to each other or just nearby? 

See no shame...... :-[

[grawrc]

O don't know amanda but I am intending to intersperse my asparagus plants with tomatoes. I'll see how it works. In theory the asparagus will have finished cropping before the tomatoes start.

[jennym]

I'd be wary of planting anything near to asparagus, they are normally grown in reasonably light soil and the roots are pretty easily damaged and soil compactedif you walk near to them to get to the tomatoes, and then there's the pulling out of the tomato plants at the end of the season... or perhaps I'm just heavy handed.

[grawrc]

You're probably right Jen but I'm going to give it a go anyway. I'll probably regret it, bit I'll let you know. ;)

[John_H]

I guess the answer is that it depends on how companionable you what them all to be :)

Bob Flowerdew makes reference to the mexican system, where they grow runner beans up maize and grow squashes underneath.

Presumably its just related to how much root space and light different things need to grow well?

(I tried to grow runner beans up sunflowers a couple of years ago,  it didn't work because the speed of the sunflower growth just snapped the bean stems apart!)

[Columbus]

HI all,

 Bob Flowerdew makes reference to the mexican system, where they grow runner beans up maize and grow squashes underneath.

I tried this "three sisters"  method last year and only the squash survived. This year I`m planning a block of sweet corn further away so it can get established before the squash reaches that space, and I`ll keep the beans to the edges. So they will meet as mature plants rather than grow together.

Col

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've been quite successful growing squashes and corn together; I just plant 18 inches apart, and replace the odd corn with a squash at the appropriate spacing for that variety. I've never tried adding beans to the mix as I don't want to pull my corn about as I pick them.