companion planting

[mrf94]

While looking up companion planting i found this

"Tagetes (African & French marigolds) Excellent on your plot! Deters aphids and whitefly through scent and by attracting hoverflies. Mexican marigolds (Tagetes Minuta), stops ground elder All marigold roots secrete chemicals, which help stop bindweed. The roots also stop eelworm from recognising their host plants, which include potatoes."


mrf

[mrf94]

[theothermarg]

It,s growing the things large enough to stop the local slug population from wiping them out thats the problem,they love them at the seedling stage
marg

[ceres]

Too right marg!  I put 8 that I'd grown indoors to around 8" tall in the coldframe - there's not even a stalk left.  Just empty pots.

[saddad]

 :o Can be a problem... even Sunflowers have been know to disappear!!
;D

[Barnowl]

Last year nearly all my marigolds were beheaded shortly after planting out so this year I'm going to let them get bigger.

[RosieMcPosie]

mrf, thanks for this useful post! so interesting, i'll give them a go x

[theothermarg]

I grew nasturtiums with the brassicas last year it seemed to lue the cabbage white away,I did net them as well so maybe that helped :D I shall do it again and I,v a feeling the spuds will have them without any help from me

marg

[GrannieAnnie]

I grew nasturtiums with the brassicas last year it seemed to lue the cabbage white away,I did net them as well so maybe that helped :D I shall do it again and I,v a feeling the spuds will have them without any help from me

WOW!  that is one impressive garden, Marg!!  Quite an inspiration to me seeing it so chock full. I'll have to try both the netting and the nasturtiums. Those green cabbage worms are disgusting- found one in my cooked broccoli one year :o >:(- turned me completely off growing broccoli!

What are the tall red flowers in the background?

[theothermarg]

thankyou but I hasten to add that, that the background isn,t mine as it is my ½plot on the allotment site! the red flowers(more cerise) are Penstemons growing on the edge of my patch. the taller netting is covering the PSB that is being picked at the moment
Marigolds coming up in the G/H at the moment, am covering with a plastic lid at night to keep them from being slugged( I hope)
marg

[Emagggie]

My yardlong beans have been decapitated in the greenhouse - I thought it was meece! Ooooooh-say your prayers slugs, your end is nigh!

Poached egg plants attract hoverflies who then feed on aphids, and bees love this plant too.

[Columbus]

Hi all,

I love to grow Nasturtiums, although the self seeded ones seem to grow better than the ones I start in pots. They smother the weeds. At the end of the season I harvest all the seeds and pickle them alone or with red cabbage. They are very good in a leafy salad too.

I also grow huge amounts of Marigolds in plugs which I pop in at the ends of my veg rows. I don`t know if they are helpful but I think its an allotment tradition and they look good.

Slugs are a whole different problem  ::)

Col

[cornykev]

I agree Marge, looks great.  ;D ;D ;D

[Herbyhazel]

Have you tried surrounding your marigold seedlings with either copper, or a moat of water, to keep the slugs off?