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In the Garden
Companion Planting
We have all heard the line that 'roses love garlic', possibly the most famous of all companion planting associations.
Companion Planting is based on the premise that plants have such likes and dislikes about their neighbours. Also that particular plants can reduce the incidence of pests in the garden.
Some theories about companion planting have been established, and others have had less startling success in scientific trials.
Overall, few cases of beneficial companion planting have been researched well enough to demonstrate true advantages. The lovely little Tagetes patula, or French marigold (actually from Mexico), and its cousins Calendula, have been shown to be invaluable in companion planting.
Using mixed plantings in the garden is likely to be beneficial simply because they bring greater balance and a diversity of plants and species, that, in turn, attracts pest predators and avoids the pest-ridden effects of monoculture.
Monoculture is the planting of rows and rows of the same plants- fields of lettuce, corn and onions, for instance, paradise for a pest or disease that, once introduced, can simply move from plant to plant. Monoculture does not encourage a healthy mixed population of creatures - essential in an organic garden.
Removing some of the traditional barriers and divisions in the garden will help to develop and maintain a healthy mixed population of creatures, and thus your garden's health.
Onions and carrotfly It is argued that carrotfly is attracted by smell and that planting carrots between rows of strong-smelling onions will disguise the carrots. However you need four rows of onions to one of carrots for there to be a real benefit. Once the onion leaves stop growing and the onion bulb begins to form, the benefit goes.
Beans and Brassicas Brassicas interplanted in alternate rows with unrelated crops (e.g. dwarf beans) will have a reduced pest level (e.g. aphid). But the plants need to be a similar size when planted, grown about 25cm apart (10") and the gaps between the plants filled as quickly as possible. To do this both need to be raised in pots and planted out together.
Tagetes The lovely little tagetes, or French marigold, however, is invaluable in companion planting. Cabbage white butterfly are attracted to their host plant by smell and planting rows of tagetes is effective in masking the smell and reducing cabbage moth damage. A secretion from the roots of the Mexican tagetes deters eelworms and your potatoes and tomatoes are left alone. Tagetes are also said to kill couch grass, and certainly this is a far prettier solution than the ubiquitous sprays! Tagetes and calendula marigolds planted near tomatoes and roses will reduce aphid attack as the marigolds will attract the hoverflies that are voracious eaters of these pests.
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