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Is There A Model For Companion Planting?

Do you think it is true that some plants like some others and are happy with companion planting?

  • For example, tomatoes and marigolds are said to be happy together ... and some basil on the other side of the tomatoes, but a little away from the marigolds, please.....!!! I wonder, because things occur in nature a certain way .... maybe it is soil... or maybe it is something completely different .... And what about the plants that really do NOT get on well together? Have you found things like that? Please say?

  • Answer:

    Companion planting is about planting things near each other that have properties that benefit each other. I don't know that marigold make tomatoes 'happy' - but marigolds do exude a substance that nematodes, tiny microscopic worms that live in the soil and attack tomatoe roots, hate and will avoid. Radish is great for companion planting because many bugs don't like the smell of radish plants and will avoid them. I'm not a big radish fan, but I plant lots of them and let them get really big and flower and seed in the garden because when I do that I get virtually no squash bugs at all and the garden seems generally healthier. Lots of plants don't like onions or any of the allium plants. There are lots of articles on companion planting, information is readily available in a general seach. I have a very handly plastic printed 8-1/2 x 11 guide printed both sides that lists companion plants as well as plants that don't like each other. I keep it in my seed box and always use it when I'm planting my garden.

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No, Colorado State Univ hort or entomology department did a scientific test and found companion planting was bunk. The marigolds MIGHT repel soil nematodes if planted by the acre and tilled under, but a few plants around the tomato plant, naw. What might be true is not planting root crops together: 1. too much competition for certain soil nutrients if the soil fertility is low and 2. possible root boring insect moving from one crop to another. You'll see thousands of pages of people swearing it works, but until they do more than testimonials, that is until they do double blind scientific research, I'm not buying it. Still it has sold a lot of books and magazines.

fluffernut

Alot depends on the soil such as brown rich soil..sandy soil...light soil...chalky soil...heavy clay soil.

EDWARD W

Companion planting is used a lot in organic gardening, such as lettuce planted in between peas or bean so that the lettuce feeds on the nitrogen no duals that the beans and peas produce, tagatees planted next to beans, peas and tomatoes help to keep white fly or aphids at bay

Toni f

companion planting is usually about using other plants to draw off pests from other plants and help also attract more plooenating insects in. the marigolds are used to plant next to vegetable crops to do 2 things, 1 to attract more pleenating insects and the other is to 'self sacrifice' themselves from slugs and other pests to keep the main crop clear. by the way, it also looks prettier to have flowers about but the reason they are used in small time crop growingis to benefit the crop. marigolds, like you say, are a very popular and good example. Just so you know, if you ever grow carrotts, plant them in pots at least 18ins high, as the carrot fly wont attack them, they cant fly above 18ins off the ground

fast eddie

Yes, plants are happier with companion planting, because some plants are too competitive and invasive to other plants. And there have been studies that show that some trees stop root growth of other trees. Black Walnut Trees do this. Another example is that Zoyzia grass has a natural chemical that keeps other grasses from seeding into it, such as rye grass.

Moon

Marigolds are a great companion plant they repel pests. They have a naturally occuring chemical that the pestacide people use to make the bottled stuff. Also plant them around the door, to help with fly problems. I think the basil by the tomatoes is so it's easy to pick some basil when you harvest your tomatoes. And that is a good thing too. But yes I think plants like good neighbors like everyone else does

shasta d

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