Companion Planting for Vegetables, Herbs and other Garden Flowers and Plants

Companion Planting for vegetables, herbs and flowers is the idea that some plants have a beneficial effect on others growing nearby and other plants have a detrimental influence. This is an ancient idea that was seen during the times of the Romans, and perhaps even before then. One only has to look at the old-age tradition of orth !merican agriculture of planting corn, beans and squash together. Corn grows tall, trying to steal as much sun as possible and taking out a lot of nitrogen from the soil. "eans grow up the stalks of the corn looking for the sun too, but putting nitrogen back into the soil. Planting s#uash at the same time does well on the conditions and grows and spreads on the ground growing and harvested long after the harvest of the beans and the corn. Therefore, by intercropping, or companion planting, you have been able to grow $ different vegetables in the same space as you would one.

Companion Planting for Deterring Insects

!lthough many will disregard companion planting and see it as old wives% tales, many

plants, flowers and herbs do defend themselves against insects by being poisonous to them or developing a strong scent that frightens them away, and it is possible that a plant growing close by might benefit from being in this bug-free &one. 'o, although companion planting is also mi(ed up in folklore, there is also an element of fact and this method can be happily adopted by those who practice organic gardening. )or e(ample, French marigolds *Tagetes patula+ secrete an en&yme or a hormone into the soil that deters nematodes from infesting their roots, and it does seem that tomatoes or other nematode susceptible plants growing as neighbours will be protected. ,t may be significant that most of these beneficent plants are strongly aromatic. Planting dill with your tomatoes will attract the tomato worm for you. Planting nasturtiums will take care of cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and great for repelling white fly. They are also good for planting under apple trees to get rid of colding moth. asturtims are planted among cucumbers for protection against the cucumber beetle and the -e(ican bean beetle. asturtiums and tans help get rid of the Colorado potato beetle, and catnip and nasturtiums for repelling the green peach aphids. ,f you want to get rid of aphids then you will need to interplant with sow thistle, stinging nettles or broadbeans. !unflowers will help trap harle#uin bugs, and potatoes, calendula daisies are good for earwigs.

Companion Planting for "enefiting other Plants

-any times, planting certain plants together is also for practical reasons. Planting lettuce ne(t to corn means that the lettuces can be shaded during hot summers. .hen you plant cabbages in the late summer, at the same time, and in the same bed, you can also plant garlic. .here cabbages will use of a lot of nutrients, and where the cabbages will be harvested in the autumn, the garlic will continue growing until the following summer resulting in good crops for both. Chives and onions planted near carrots will help also deter the presence of carrot rust flies. #adishes when planted ne(t to Chervil benefit from the shade the herb casts, and the result is lovely /uicy radishes that are not woody at all. "eans are heavy feeders and therefore it is advisable to companion plant it with something less greedy. Therefore mustard is a perfect companion.

Companion Planting for $ttracting good Insects

The common dandelion that some see as a scourge in the garden should think again. ,t is now known that dandelions attract pollinating insects. )urthermore, they also release ethylene which is a gas that encourages fruit setting and fruit ripening. Daisies, dill, corriander and parsle are all good for attracting beneficial insects into the garden. The pollen they provide make them wonderful bee plants, but in addition they also attract parasitic wasps that prey on insect pests. These plants should be planted throughout the garden at regular intervals as many of these wasps are tiny and fly only over short distances. 0arger predatorial insects like lacewings and hoverflies also feed on the pollen. "y allowing these plants to go to seed, not only are you keeping the insect population in check, but you can save seeds at the same time for ne(t planting season. 1erbs too have been known to repel certain insects. !outhernwood is good for repelling the cabbage butterfly and tobacco for flea beetles.

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"rings nutrients to the surface, Comfrey, 3erusalem artichoke, dandelion. benefiting other plants. Comfrey, dandelion and stinging nettles. "uild up of minerals in leaves. -arigolds5 root e(udate is fatal to 4(crete material from their nematodes. roots. "eans e(crete mycorrhi&a, which benefits Plants add nitrogen to the soil. plant roots. Peas 6 peas 7fi( nitrogen5.

4nriching the 'oil

'trong-'melling Plants !ttracting Pollinators

Oil in some plants has fragrance 8arlic, pyrethrum and rosemary that repels insects. )lowers attract increasing yields. pollinators, 9ellow and blue flowers attract bees eg. blue borage.

Parsley, celery and carrot family attract Plants attract other predators to !ttracting Other Predators hover flies. Their larvae consume aphids, the pests that attack them. when in seed. Confusing Pests Planting close together causes Pennyroyal camouflages cabbage smell and camouflage of odourand celery camouflages cabbage shape. appearance.

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: $sparagus with tomatoes and parsley : "asil with tomatoes, asparagus, beans, grapes, apricots and fuchsias : "eans with carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, cabbage, celery, potatoes and sweet : "eets with onion, beans and kohlrabi : "orage with strawberries : "roccoli and Cabbage with dill, potatoes, sage, rosemary and mint : Celer with beans : Chives with carrots, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. Onions and chives when interplanted with carrots repel both onion and carrot fly without competing for nutrients below the soil. : Citrus with guavas : Cucumbers with corn, cabbages, potatoes and radishes corn

: Fruit )rees with chives, nasturtiums and garlic : Garlic with roses, apples, apricots and peaches : Geraniums with grapes : Grapes with mulberries and mustard greens : Horseradish with almost any fruit tree : H ssop with cabbages and grapes : Irises with roses : (ee.s with celery : (ettuce with carrots, onions, radishes and strawberries : &arigolds /French0 with tomatoes, roses, potatoes, daffodils and beans : &elons with sweetcorn : &int with cabbages and other brassicas, and peas : 'asturtiums with cucumbers, &ucchini, s#uash : %nions with beets, carrots, kohlrabi and turnips : Parsle with roses, asparagus and tomatoes : Peas with carrots : Potatoes with beans, sweet corn, cabbage, peas, marigolds and horseradish : Pump.ins with beans, sweet corn, cabbage, peas, marigolds and horseradish : #adishes with peas, lettuce, nasturtiums and cucumbers : #oses with grapevines, garlic, onions, chives and marigolds : !age with cabbages : !pinach with strawberries : !trawberries with beans, lettuce and spinach : !unflowers with s#uash and sweetcorn : )omatoes with basil, cabbage, parsley, marigolds, potatoes and cucumbers. .hen you plant tomatoes with brassicas *cabbages, broccoli, etc.+ they help reduce the pest numbers for both types of vegetables. : )h me with any "rassica

: +allflowers with apples

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: $pples with potatoes : "eans with beets : "eans with garlic : Cabbages with strawberries : Gladioli with strawberries, beans and peas : H acinths with carnations : &int with parsley : !unflowers with any vegetable but s#uash : +ormwood with /ust about everything 'o ne(t time you are planting your vegetables and flowers choose their neighbours carefully. .hen looking at people some neighbours are helpful, beneficial and nice to have around. Others are spawned in 1ell and do untold damage. -ake sure that the ne(t time you plant out, you choose good neighbours for your flowers and vegetables; <isit our Countr Corner !tore for books on companion planting, as well as a plethora of books on every sub/ect imaginable if you are into gardening, arts and crafts, homesteading, frugal living and being generally self-sufficient. !nd if you are looking to plant your own herbs, seeds and plants or would like some growing kits, visit our %nline Countr !tore for more details1 2ou will also find health products and herbs to bu through our 'aturall %rganic section1 Planting by the moon using -oon Phases= 1aven%t you ever wondered why it is that you are successful some years with your vegetable or flower planting, and other times you have failed miserably> o matter how careful you were the end results are pathetic and miserable specimens that weren%t worth the effort. -oon planting, or planting by the moon, as it is also known, has been a method of gardening practised by the most ancient of cultures. They knew when to plant and when to harvest, because they planted by watching the lunar phases and so created moon gardens long before it became the popular practise it has become today. -y elderly mother swears by planting by the moon, and , have to say she seems to have a green thumb. )or those of you who are skeptical, don%t be, because you cannot denounce something you haven%t tried. !nd once you investigate moon gardening you will be, forevermore, a convert; )or those of you who already practise organic gardening, by moon planting, you are really /ust adding another string to your bow, because they go hand in hand, along with companion planting. P0! T, 8 "9 T14 -OO = T14 -OO P1!'4'

.e are all in agreement that the moon has a powerful effect on the tides. .e will also attest that the moon can also adversely affect people and their behaviour. People weren%t called ?lunatics% for nothing; ,t is also believed that the moon affects the earth%s vegetation in different ways depending on the phase of the moon at any one time of the month. with the moon completing a cycle every @A BC@ days, and although there are D phases of the moon, for gardening purposes the moon phases are divided into E #uartersF new moon, Bst #uarter, full moon, $rd #uarter, new moon. The new moon will actually be a dark period where you will not see any moon at all. .hen you are looking at the moon from the orthern 1emisphere, you will see the phases as below. 1owever, if you are looking at the phases of the moon from the 'outhern 1emisphere, you will see the reverse. That is the wa(ing Bst #uarter will will remind us of the letter ?C? and the waning $rd #uarter will remind us of the letter ?2?.