Companion Planting.....

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Hi all!

I was reading Muddy Knees blogs and companion planting was mentioned. It got me to thinking. It would be nice to think we could avoid the use of chemicals on our vegetables to kill off the pests.

So, I did a little research and I’ve come up with some information which may be of use to goy’ers. Every time I come across any more, I’ll add it to this blog.
There is a section on www.bbc.co.uk/wildaboutyourgarden, under “companion planting” which has useful advice.

Pages 136-138 on “How to make a wildlife Garden” by Chris Baines (isbn 9-780711-217119) If you can get hold of a copy from your local library, has some more useful info.

The info. I’m listing below, I got from the internet somewhere. I’m ever so sorry, I can’t remember where it came from but I wrote it down. Anyway, here goes:

Plant companion planting at the same time as edible crops to prevent pests getting a foothold.
Plant french and african marigolds in between tomato plants to deter aphids (greenfly and blackfly)
Grow carrots and leeks together. Both have strong scents which drive away each other’s pests.
Plant nasturtium with cabbages. It’s a magnet for caterpillars, the idea is they will leave cabbages alone.(nasturtium acts as sacrificial plants and gets destroyed by blackfly and cabbage white butterfly)
Garlic planted among roses deters aphids.
Grow dill to attract aphid eating hoverflies.
Broad beans and Summer Savory (black bean aphids/blackfly hate the strong scent of savory)
Cabbages and Thyme (confuses cand repels cabbage root flies)
Lettuces and Mint/Hyssop (deters slugs)
Runner beans and Sweet peas (helps pollinate the beans)

Another source advised this:

Grow sage with carrots or plants in cabbage family to ward off pests.
Chevil – keeps aphids off lettuce.
Chives – onion scent wards aphids off chrysanth’s, sunflowers and tomatoes.
Coriander – helps to repel aphids.
Cornflowers – honey bees, bumblebees and hoverflies.
Dill – attracts aphid eating beneficial insects like hoverflies and predatory wasps.
Fennel – attracts ladybirds.
Honesty – draws nectar sipping flies like green lacewings (eats aphids) hoveflies (same) and bee fly to the frothy flower heads.
Nettles – favourite food of hungry ladybirds.
Poached egg plants – enjoyed by many beneficial insects.
Poppies – bumblebee, honeybees, butterflies, bee fly, green lacewing and marmalade hoverflies.
Sweet peas – nectar for bumblebees, hoverflies, lacewings, ladybird larvae (again, ladybirds eat aphids) and butterflies.
Strawberries – deter greenfly and encourage bees to pollinate flowers.
Tansy – strong scented plant deters ants.
Teasel – bumblebees, bees, hoverflies, butterflies, spiders and birds.
Yarrow – this boosts rigour in other plants and accumulates phosphorous, calcium and silica, which can benefit homemade compost when plants are added to the heap. It attracts many beneficial creatures such as hoverflies and ladybirds.

Geoff Hamilton mentions in his book “The ornamental kitchen garden” plants to grow with fruit and veg. But the most interesting point he made, is that he feeds his garden once a fortnight with seaweed extract. “This adds necessary trace elements which all plants need and it also helps with pest and disease control” “…more able to shrug off pest and disease attack. And I also believe that the coating of alginate from the seaweed protects the foliage from fungus spores….” He wondered if insects and fungus were deterred from the covered leaves because they don’t have the same taste, touch or smell they were used to.

This last idea I’m certainly going to give a try!

Happy experiementing!

• 20 Apr, 2009
• 9 likes

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