Gardening

 Gardening....

Lets talk companion planting. 

For the last 2 years I have played with companion planting. 

I planted basil and Marigolds with my tomatoes and peppers.... In my opinion.... Winner!!!!!

I got double the amount of peppers and tomatoes as last year after reading about companion planting. 

Lets Talk Marigolds

THE BENEFIT OF PLANTING MARIGOLDS IN YOUR VEGETABLE GARDEN

Companion planting is all about planting flowers, shrubs, fruits or vegetables that help one another. Marigolds are a powerhouse in the vegetable garden, and serve to help protect you vegetable plants and improve soil. Find out the benefits of planting marigolds in your vegetable garden.

OLDS MAKE GREAT COMPANION PLANTS

Marigolds are beautiful, bright orange annual flowers that grow quickly and easily. These cheerful blooms should be considered an add on to your vegetable garden. They are easy to grow in containers and directly sown into the garden.

MARIGOLDS ATTRACT POLLINATORS

Gardens can’t produce without pollination. Bright flowers are natural attractors for pollinators. Orange and yellow are incredibly inviting colors that will attract bees, butterflies and other helpful bugs.

Marigolds repel pests

Both African and French Marigolds produce alpha-terthienyl. This substance repels nematodes – which are tiny worms that attack the roots of plants. The French Marigold provides the best protection against nematodes. Tomatoes tend to be prone to nematodes.

Lets talk Basil

Tomatoes: the essential basil companion plants

Yes, the rumors are true! Tomatoes do make great garden partners for basil. Not only are these two edibles successful together on a plate, they are also a match made in heaven in the garden. The main benefactor of the partnership is the tomato plant, but of course the gardener benefits as well. The value basil provides to tomato plants is in the form of pest control. Basil helps deter three main pests from tomato plants:

1. Thrips. These tiny narrow insects cause stunted new growth and fruits that are distorted and speckled with silver puckers. Both western flower thrips and onion thrips feed on tomato plants (which is why you should not grow onions near tomatoes if you have a thrips problem). The presence of tall basil plants next to tomatoes was shown to reduce damage from thrips
2. Yellow-striped armyworm. One study showed a reduction in the egg-laying behaviors of these leaf- and fruit-eating pests on tomato plants when basil companion plants were growing nearby. Surround tomato plants with basil to deter this pest. Yellow-striped armyworms are common in the southeastern and eastern US, as far west as the Rockies.
3. Tomato and tobacco hornworms. Planting basil with tomatoes has been shown to limit egg-laying behaviors by adult hornworm moths. Hornworm caterpillars can be difficult to spot on tomato plants, especially when they are small. Tall varieties of basil planted between and around tomato plants resulted in reduce egg-laying and therefor fewer hornworms and less damage.