Topic: Companion plants

[bugboy]

Many people suggest planting companion plants to ward off bugs/slugs/etc... eg marigolds ( which you do not eat ) are meant to be good to plant next to beans. Anyone got any practical results on this sort of thing ?

[gavin]

French Marigolds (older single varieties of Tagetes) are supposed to confuse cabbage white butterflies.  Don't know if they do or not - but they do look good among the brassicas.

They are also supposed to repel carrot fly - but I haven't tried that yet.

I sow a cheap packet of Little Gem lettuce among the brassicas too - keeps the slugs happy, and I know where to find them.

Otherwise, the only one I know works, is sowing peas or beans alongside sweetcorn.  Both seem to benefit.

All best - Gavin

[Mrs Ava]

no help what-so-ever.....but as I tend to grow things all over, and organically, I don't seem to be bothered toooo much by bugs......am I inadvertantly companion planting.....maybe  :-/.  My grandad always grew a few sweet peas in with his runners to encourage plenty of bees....no help at all....sorry.
Does this mean you have tried tho?

[teresa]

Hi EJ

Like the idea of sweet peas with runners to encourage bees etc.
Lottie to my left is a lawn and to my right he grows potatoes and is planning a lawn so realy have to plan to attract the right insects.
Any idea what keeps white fly away?
Teresa

[Mrs Ava]

well.......according to Mr Flowerdew, marigolds keep white fly out of the greenhouse, but don't drive them out once they are in.....apparently cucumbers or sweet tobacco may be used as a sacrifical crop to lure whitefly away from toms or other plants, then when the whitefly have infested them, the sacrificial plant can be removed and destroyed.....taking with it all the whitefly.... thyme  and nasturtiums has also been known to deter whitefly.
hahahahaha, just read that you can thin the numbers by running a vacuum cleaner over the plant.....so who will be out first hoovering their lottie?
;D

[Hyacinth]

I companion plant and it seems to have worked well for me for years - or I've had spectacularly good luck ;D

Rows of carrots are 'hedged' with chives to fox the fly, tagetes are planted both by the beans and amongst the bush tomatoes to bring bees in, and nasturtiums are the 'sacrificial' plants for greenfly. I grow climbing french beans and sweet peas together on a wigwam cos they look pretty. ;D

Had no success with keeping cabbage whites away, tho.