I'm not massively into companion planting. I think if you've got a garden full of everything then things tend to turn out okay.
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| The Enemy |
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| My nasturtium are looking a little holey now though |
Most of my nasturtiums are self set, and they come up everywhere. I tend to leave them in if they're in the corner of a bed and most of my sixteen beds have at least 2 plants growing in them. They look pretty, give me flowers for salads, seeds for "poor mans capers" and also attract the cabbage white butterfly away from my more useful plants.
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| The brassicas have plenty of holes but they'll survive! |
Does anyone else grow many plants to lure the pests away from their main crops?
Morning. I have planted marigolds (calendula) with my tomato plants this year as I read they are meant to repel pests.
ReplyDeleteI've hundreds self set around the place. In fact they were a right pain in my onions this year as they were about my worst weed in that bed! good job they've got a lot going for them - they make salads pretty as well (not the French ones though.
DeleteNasturtiums must taste better than all the other plants mustn't they?
ReplyDeleteWe tried companion planting on the allotment and also planting by the moon, I think it does work to a certain extent.
Briony
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I'm not sure about the idea of planting with the moon but I know I could never stick to it so it would be no good for me anyway!
DeleteI grow french marigolds amongst my tomatoes to deter whitefly in the greenhouse. I have been doing this for years and believe it works.
ReplyDeleteI've never (so far) had a problem with white fly but I've heard off other gardeners that it works.
DeleteI'm growing nasturtiums too and mine are like yours, full of holes and loaded with caterpillars. I'm a bit annoyed that the hens don't like the caterpillars, maybe it's because the caterpillars are hairy? Does anyone know?
ReplyDeleteYeah that annoys me as well. after I've picked them all off you think they'd go crazy for them but nope. They won;t hardly look at them!
DeleteIf you want caterpillars plant Nasturtiums. My swede leaves are full of flea beatle holes at the moment. Suppose we should go out with the soapy (what chemicals are in this) washing up water and hopefully wash the varmints away? Or maybe go around with a torch at night looking for slugs and snails and caterpillars? I think most chemicals are banned now a days. I don't like using pesticides and chemicals in the garden. Arable farmers use chemicals to control them. I always insist that we wash any fruit we buy before eating them. Suppose it's a good argument for growing and buying organic veg, Kev?
ReplyDeleteMy swedes are going on the compost pile - far more holes than leaves to the point where I don;t think they'll recover! I think the less chemicals the better really - remember how tight I am. anything thats better for your health and your wallet has got to be good!
DeleteWe tried growing nasturtiums this year but they got swamped by the weeds, but will definitely try again nest year. Companion planting is a good idea, and we will look more into that. Last year I planted coriander beside a row of brassicas. Although not planned, it turned out to be a good idea because the height and breath of the coriander's foliage sheltered the brassicas from being got at by butterflies.
ReplyDeleteMine have become weeds! That sounds like some big coriander - I normally grow mine in pots when I remember to sow it!
DeleteNasturtiums, are difficult for me here. The heat usually does them in fairly fast. But while I have them I do love to eat the flowers! I never make it out of the garden with the flowers. What do you mean the seeds for poor mans capers?
ReplyDeletepoor mans capers are my caper substitute heres the link - http://www.englishhomestead.com/2013/09/poor-mans-capers.html although I'd probably use a cider or white wine vinegar now as they get a bit strong after a while!
DeleteI have at times put a few sunflower seeds in one row of the six row corn planter. The starlings and bugs then go after the sunflowers first.
ReplyDeleteAt least that is what I imagine.
Sounds like a good idea. although my sunflowers normally fall over if I don't stalk them and doing it like that I'd be bound to forget!
DeleteFrench Marigolds go everywhere that I plant veggies usually but here for some reason all the French Marigolds that I planted have died, I must find out why ready for next years veg growing marathon.
ReplyDeleteI also find that planting onions and garlic around plants that you don't want infested with leaf nibbling critters works a treat, and especially so if planted near your carrots, they will deter the dread carrot fly!!
My french marigold haven't done well this year either Sue.
DeleteGill
Carrot fly hasn't been too bad here yet! although I do grow resitafly later in the year to try to stop the damage. I'll plant some french marigolds next year as well as my normal ones and see how they do.
DeleteI'm not a gardener myself, but I know from reading other blogs that many people do use plants to keep off insects. There are also plants used to ward off deer, the bane of many gardeners in our mid west.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some muntjac tracks around here and a could on the road early in the morning but so far no damage. They taste pretty good so hopefully I'd make something good from a bad thing if they attacked my garden!
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