2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[chickinboy]

Hi everyone,

 

Although I've been growing own veg for about four years, I'm still really rubbish at it. Still, each year, i've had a little more success. Last year someone told me to plant marigolds in my veg patch in order to deter a few of the little things that munch on certain leaves. I had much more success with leafy veg with fewer fly infestations, so I think it might have helped. I did get a little carried away, and probably had more marigolds than vegetables, but still.

 

This year, the marigolds have seeded themselves and started appearing all over the place, so I've left them to it - does anyone know of any other plants/flowers that are beneficial to grow along side veg for similar reasons?

Edited May 19, 2010 by Guest

[bluekarin]

Oooh I had an article in a mag about this! I'll have a look for it and let you know. They had advice about plants not to grow together as well.

I do know you should do something called three sisters plants (I think - correct me if I am wrong please!) where you grow sweetcorn, courgettes and runner beans together. Sweetcorn supports the beans, and something gives off some mineral which feeds the courgette.

[Christian]

A really good book for companion planting is called 'Carrots love tomatoes'

 

Written by an American, so some things don't apply - like how to get rid of raccoons from your pumpkin patch, but lots of hints and tips. Things like grow spinach with strawberries, onions and carrots, sweetcorn and beans etc.

 

Worth the couple of quid and I have bought it a few times for birthday presents.

[chickencam]

Before we invested in some enviromesh, we always grew our carrots surrounded by onions and shallots to deter carrot fly and it worked fairly well.

 

I always grow marigolds and basil in my greenhouse with the tomatoes, thanks for the reminder I need to buy some marigolds. I sowed my own seed last year and had completely forgotten this year. Both of these plants deter the whitefly and upto now we have grown tomatoes for about 5 years without whitefly.

[chickinboy]

great - thanks for the advice. Will take a look at that book!

 

p.s. I quite like the idea of a raccoon in my garden!

[chickenanne]

Garlic and roses are meant to be good together, but I always doubt how practical that is for a veg patch!

Nasturtiums are good around brassica's, as greenfly prefer them to the veg. Some folk say that they just attract greenfly though... and I'm not sure if they do anything that marigolds don't.

There are some definite no-no's, too: fennel and carrots both suffer if planted together. Onions and carrots are good, as mentioned already. Onions (or any alium) and brassica's are also menat to be good.

I'm sure there are loads of others that do well and do badly together though.

[chickencam]

Glad about the allium brassica combination, because I have just planted 4 sprout plants in my front flower bed next to my alliums

[Valkyrie]

Bob Flowerdew is the champion of companion planting. Recommend his books, although the one I refer to (apart from Geoff Hamilton) is on Organic Growing - although I think my one is now out of print. I grew red clover under my beans last year - very good as it becomes a vegetable manure and creates a living mulch underneath.