Good Companions & Mortal Enemies

No fighting in the ranks!

As gardeners we cannot be on patrol all day every day to keep pests at bay. Encouraging wildlife into the garden is one step to help, another is companion planting. It is a concept many people are familiar with but don't always put into practice. Companion planting works in different ways, growing plants which deter pests, or those which attract pests away from the crops or encourage beneficial insects which will feed on the pests either as adults or larva as well as pollinating crops. However some care needs to be taken because there are some plants which should never be grown together.

Some of the most well known combinations are French Marigolds among the tomatoes, they exude a strong odour which repels aphids (and me!). Alternatively you could plant Basil with the tomatoes because it attracts whitefly away from the tomatoes. Herbs make very useful companions around the vegetable patch, something obviously known by those who cultivated pottager gardens with their wonderful mixes of flowers, herbs and vegetables. Some of the most useful are Coriander to repel aphids; Marigolds (Tagetes) also repel nematodes as well as aphids; Mustard is a trap crop to attract pests away from crops; Yarrow attracts hoverflies which prey on aphids. Those are multi use herbs which will grow happily with most plants.

Artichokes keeping watch

Others work well for specific platnts; Cabbages can be protected by Chamomile, Dill, Hyssop, Mint, Nasturtium, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Southernwood or Thyme (not necessarily all at once!). Beans benefit from planting Bay, Petunias (not what I would call a herb), Rosemary or Summer Savoury. Carrot root fly can be deterred by planting Rosemary, Chives, Sage or Wormwood nearby. It seems that a good idea would be to grow an assortment of herbs all round the edge of the vegetable plot or allotment to give multi purpose protection for everything against everything else. Just remember to keep the Carrots away from the Dill, Alliums away from beans. Bear in mind that Hyssop dislikes Radishes, as much as Rue dislikes Sweet Basil and Cucumbers don't get along with Sage either. Of course if you are going to protect the cabbages with mint remember to keep it in a container otherwise it will take over the whole plot! Don't bother with Fennel – it dislikes nearly everything!

 

Mix in the pot not on the plot

It is not only some herbs and vegetables which don't get along, there are some vegetable combinations which should never be grown together. This is largely because at least one party involved will give off chemicals from their roots or foliage which the other does not like. This usually means that seeds may not germinate or growth will be inhibited. One of the big incompatibilities are all legumes with all alliums. Other common enemies are Cucumber and Potatoes or aromatic herbs; Potatoes and Squashes, Tomatoes or Sunflowers; Tomatoes also dislike Fennel and Brassicas. Runner beans dislike Beets, Kohlrabi, and Sunflowers. Tomatoes and Cabbages don't get on but usually the tomatoes are enclosed in a greenhouse or against a sunny wall so they are not likely to cross roots.

There are a great number of happy combinations to be had too, which is a relief really!

Just how close is too close?

Asparagus may not like being moved but it enjoys the company of tomatoes, parsley and basil. Beans (apart from Runners) tend to like anything which isn't from the onion family, Runners like Corn (Maize), Summer Savoury and Radishes though. Cabbages are ok next to Alliums, Celery and Beets but keep them away from the strawberries. Carrots, Radishes, Strawberries, Cucumber and Lettuces are compatible too. There are many other companions and enemies, look them upon the internet.

One of my least favourite plants turns out to be one of the best for repelling aphids and root flies, nematodes and slugs as well as a number of invasive weeds – Tagetes Minuta (Mexican Marigold). They give off chemicals from their roots and leaves making them very useful to gardeners, if you can stand the smell!

So with companion/enemy planting and crop rotation this vegetable gardening is getting very complicated!! I shall have to draw up some sort of chart – I may be some while..........