companions

I have been asked to do a workshop on companion planting for veg at my garden pproject can anyone help as i feel i have limited knowledge HELP 

Thanks Tricia

Hi Tricia - can't you rope in someone to help who knows more?

I'll start off with growing nasturtiums to attract blackfly away broad beans

Growing climbing beans with sweetcorn works well.  These are two of the "three sisters" growing method (google it), the 3rd being squashes.  The beans fix nitrogen with nodules on their roots which helps feed the sweetcorn (which loves any feed with high nitrogen.)  The beans can be trained to grow up a sweetcorn stem and across to others, helping to support them against wind damage, instead of using twine as you normally do when growing sweetcorn in a block.  I normally plant a couple of bean seeds next to each corn plant, once the maize plants are about 30cm tall (if you plant them when the corn is too short, the beans will grow too fast.)

Of course, we need a reasonably sunny summer to grow sweetcorn in the UK - this year was a disaster!

This is a good site about companion planting http://www.growveg.com/growguides/companion-planting.aspx

I grow french marigolds and nasturstiums in the veg garden.

companion plants are good way of diverting pests away from main plants.Marigolds,nasturtiums ,garlic e.t.c. do this well especially for vegetables.I planted garlic by my roses to keep black spot at bay and other pests or to distract those insects that go by scent to detect a plant .

I have a huge poster in my studio that lists all the 'sympathetic' plants and the 'non-sympathetic' plants. Tomorrow in daylight I will try and see who printed it and give you the info.

French marigolds grown next to toms ward off aphids. Basil with toms is supposed to improve the taste. Grew both and I didn't have a big problem with aphids in the GH this year and the toms were ever so tasty.

Garlic grown next to veg wards off aphids, as does coriander and mint,. Chevil is supposed to ward off aphids from lettuce although I've not tried that one.  

Tansy - a strong smelling plant is supposed to deter ants, not tried that one either.  

Nasturtiums are supposed to be a magnet for caterpillars and are good grown next to brassica's, the jury's still out on that one, I grew both this year, although the nasturtium was several feet away from the brassica's and a path in between, the brassica's were covered in caterpillars and not one on the nasturtiums.

I've grown cornflowers in troughs next to my veg beds and they've attracted aphids.  One of the nice things about planting in troughs ot pots, once infested, you simply move the trough or pot away and the problem goes with it.

Have you had a powercut artjak?

No, chilli lover, but am settled in front of fire watching pirate film! Let's get our priorities right!  (and I always wanted to be a pirate when I grew up)

Still waiting Artjak? 

Zoomer44 wrote (see)

Nasturtiums are supposed to be a magnet for caterpillars and are good grown next to brassica's, the jury's still out on that one, I grew both this year, although the nasturtium was several feet away from the brassica's and a path in between, the brassica's were covered in caterpillars and not one on the nasturtiums.

 

Yep, seems to work the other way round - brassicas grown near nasturtiums keeps the caterpillars away from the nasturtiums 

I grow nasturtiums next to the broad beans to attract the blackfly, but it's not always easy to get the nasturtiums to flower early enough. Last year I sowed them too late and this year they got hit by a late frost. (The one that ruined all the flowers on the fruit trees, no cherries, apples or plums this year).

Zoomer44 marigolds near tomatoes do no stop aphids.

marigold only deter nematodes and leaf hoppers.

Colin - Zoomer was referring to French marigolds , (a different plant to the Calendula marigold) , see here http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/organic_companionplanting1.shtml

perhaps they're known by another name in the US?

I have bought Summer Savory this year - supposed to ward off black fly, tagetes rather than marigolds for white fly but will check this thead for more ideas. Also have a garlic spray recipe in a Chrissie pres book supposed to ward off slugs and snails

I have a seed mix off DT Brown that is labelled anti- aphid, Unknown if works am testing this  next season

Bjay

It's not just pests, beans make nitrogen, but don't ask me for details. One can see little white bobbles on broad bean roots which are nitrogen so you shouldn't dig them up too soon so as to leave it in the soil.

Colin - No one likes to be wrong, so I checked, about the French Marigolds, they do kill knot-root nematodes - one of the bad guys which are detrimental to plant health.

 Along with the link supplied by Dfa - Bob Flowerdews book ' Organic Garden Basics' has a few pages referring to to companion plants and beneficial planting. He says French Marigolds also deter whiteflies  

Seems I have a lot to learn about wht plants do what, hope i can keep up with all information

Bjay

Tinker santa hat; could you share that garlic recipe?

We all have alot to learn Tinker.  I've enjoyed David Attornbourgh this Christmas and watched a couple of his programmes about Kew on freeview last night..but then I was forced to watch him at a young age it was either go to bed or David....David won every time

Zoomer44 may so but if there are not told they doing it wrong they come back a whinge that companion planting does work.