Companion/Cooperative Plant Growing & Overwinter Crops

[eien_herrison]

My garden's slowly coming along, and the vegetable patch has been bordered out into a raised bed with some soil in it (the gardeners are using the soil from the garden as they've said it's very fertile, so I suspect our only issue with it was the stones. This does mean there's a load of grass in it, but also the possibility of weeds; I'm going to

Comments

[virginiadear]

Your tomatoes will be happy with basil as a companion, and the basil will be pleased to be next to the tomatoes. Tomatoes and peppers don't seem to do much for each other: it's not a negative combination, but they aren't mutually protecting or enhancing.
Very sincerely, I encourage you to find a different companion for the peppers. (Basing this on personal experience.)
Marigolds are helpful in repelling, controlling or preventing tomato nematodes, but are actually not helpful, or are even actually detrimental, to other crops, so be careful with those

[eien_herrison]

Tomatoes and peppers: ah, okay. I've gotten most of the cooperative planting advice online so far, which is why I wanted to check with people who'd be more knowledgeable/experienced in this :) I certainly saw that basil is supposed to grow very well with tomatoes (said to make tomatoes taste better) so I'll certainly be planting those two together.

Your advice for marigolds seems to contradict a lot of what I've seen (in that it's a "wonder plant") but I'll try to avoid planting too many amongst too many different crops.

I'll have a look in to growing some radishes before things get too cold: average temperaturs over winter varies between 2.2-7.7C (36-46F), so not into the freezing range but I may need to start some things inside before aclimatising and planting out.

I'll have a look in to all of those books (the John Jeavons one sounds like it would be very useful as I am trying to maximise the produce from my land useage). Thanks :)

[virginiadear]

It was either Eliot Coleman or Brett Farnham (er...I think) who mentioned that marigolds are in fact not a wonder plant, but whoever the author was also listed the crops to which marigolds are good companion plants.

Oh--comfrey, if you can get Russian-14 comfrey (it's not invasive; most comfrey is very invasive, but if you're okay with digging the stuff out...) is an excellent companion plant for tomatoes, especially with marigolds. Comfrey is supposed to work wonders, if not miracles, in compost, and comfrey "tea" is said to be very beneficial for your garden plants.

Off the top of my head I don't recall Coleman (my food cropping bible!) touting the "Grow Bio-Intensive" method as such, but he does point out that some crops can be planted much closer together than is standard practice ("standard practice" being conventional, traditional or recommended-on-the-seed-packet spacing) and can be planted mingled with other plants or food crops as long as there are adequate nutrients to support what you've planted and nothing is being

[eien_herrison]

I've had a quick look for comfrey -- only one site I've got sells it, but they offer it as seed, sterile cuttings, and also as pellets in a 600g bag.

I'll preview those books (and see if I can preview some others) on the US Amazon site soon.

[ausmac]

not sure if they are easily available in the US (Id presume so) but a plant that is useful just about anywhere in the garden is the pyrthrum daisy. It has naturally occuring pyrthrum (the chemical in fly spray) and is a great garden plant for in the garden or even near doors, to help keep bugs away.

[virginiadear]

Pyrethrum daisies are available in the U.S. :-)

eien_herrison is in south-east England, according to their introductory post; I'm assuming the pyrethrum daisy is found there, too.

You've reminded me, however, that foxglove is regarded by the French as the Number One, Great, All-Purpose Companion Plant and Benefactor, protecting and enhancing virtually any and every other plant in the garden. I haven't tried them yet, but I find the look of foxgloves charming.

[eien_herrison]

I've had a quick look online and yes, I can buy Pyrethrum daisies (as well as pest control based on their insecticidal qualities). Foxglove sounds like another great plant, I'll add those both to my list.

[eien_herrison]

I'm in the UK, but I a quick check confirms that I can certainly get Pyrthrum daisies here.

[sheldrake]

Another book rec on this subject - I found Bob Flowerdew's Complete Book of Companion Gardening really interesting. :)

[eien_herrison]

Thanks, I'll check that out as well :)