nasturtiams & marigolds

[littlegem]

people plant these to keep cabbage white fly and stuff off of there produce, i'm going to try this as all my brassicas were eaten last year by caterpillars! :-[ But where do i plant these flowers? near to my crop or far away, really dont want a repeat of last year (going to fleece them from the start aswell)

[littlegem]

[stuffed]

Near I think.
If I remember right the marigolds attract hoverflies? which then lay their eggs where the resulting larvae can get a good meal when they hatch and lucky for us they like the bugs we hate.

[supersprout]

useful list of companion plants and their best mates at http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Guides/compplanting.htm
In terms of how far/close to plant, I interplant as close as possible and if I've put too many flowers in I pull them up to make room for the crop as it grows! Companions do their best work at the time when the plant is vulnerable - by November, when the aphids have gone from around the cabbage patch, so have the marigolds ::)

[Jitterbug]

I was also reading in a herb gardening book that if you grow hyssop in your kitchen garden it also attracts the butterflies/caterpillars that attack cabbage.  I just happen to have some seedling sprouting which I will be growing in close proximity to my Copenhagen cabbages  ;D

So give that a try as well.

[flowerlady]

Brilliant link supersprout  ;D  I've incorporated the info into my ever growing chart 'Friends & Foes Chart!! ;)

Angeliques chart said the following:-

"Nasturtiums can have a tendency to grow abundantly, but are very easily controlled.   They also possess many benefits for your Garden plants...  They are good companions for Radish, Cabbage & Cucumber.  Orange colored Nasturtiums will deter Aphids, Squash Bug & Striped Pumpkin Beetles, yellow ones tend to attract the beetles!  So plant orange Nasturtium close to your garden to deter insects, & plant yellow Nasturtium far away from the garden to attract the insects. Nasturtium is excellent in the Orchard & will control the Woolly Aphid if left to wander.  And they look lovely as a frame for your Garden
"

Marigolds: Deters eelworm. Given a lot of credit as a pest deterrent. Keeps soil free of bad nematodes; supposed to discourage many insects. Plant freely throughout the garden. The marigolds you choose must be a scented variety for them to work. One down side is that marigolds do attract spider mites and slugs. French Marigold (T. Patula) has roots that exude a substance which spreads in their immediate vicinity killing nematodes. For nematode control you want to plant dense areas of them. There have been some studies done that proved this nematode killing effect lasted for several years after the plants were These marigolds also help to deter whiteflies when planted around tomatoes and can be used in greenhouses for the same purpose. Whiteflies hate the smell of marigolds.

I shall have the prettiest allotment ever seen - hope I will be able to find the veg for the flowers  ;D ;) :o 8)

[grawrc]

They do brighten the place up, don't they?

[flowerlady]

Deffinitely  ;D

[supersprout]

Just had a thought flowerlady - if marigolds attract slugs, that could be beneficial as they would chomp their way through the flowers rather than through the veg :). Maybe wishful thinking, but a possibility.

Is your What goes with What chart going to find its way onto the wiki?

[grawrc]

Certainly hope so Sarah!

[MrsKP]

i've got loads of marigold seeds that my mum gave me last year and my idea is to plant marigold around the edges of my four small plots a) cos i hope that they'll keep some nasties away b) cos my back garden is pure lottie now apart from one small quarter circle where the poppies and cornflowers are going, so as much colour as i can get is good.  i've no idea if they're scented or not though  :-\

the slug defenders are primed !

8)

[grawrc]

Both calendula and tagetes have quite strong smells. I like them and so apparently do lots of beneficial insects. So that can't be bad.  ;) :P

[MrsKP]

i could use some tagetes just now  :-[

[dingerbell]

Poached Egg Plant is supposed to attract Hovverflies too.  I grew them with French Marigolds and nasturshums last year and it made my lottie look very pretty....don't know about the pests but at least the flowers didn't do any harm....Dinger ;D

[grawrc]

Yes they're lovely.

[derbex]

Orange Nastutiums deter Aphids!!!!!!!!!!!

I suppose that's why the stalks are always covered in blackfly -it's the aphids hiding from the flowers. I thought that nasturtiums were a sacrificial plant attracting aphods away from the ones you want to protect, certainly worked that way for me. F. Marigold are v.good at attracting hoverflies -must be synchronicity but I've just come in from sowing some in the propagator. I like to get them flowering early, so that they're in greenhouse at the right time.

Jeremy

[Rose.mary]

I agree Jeremy. I have already got my Marigolds in the greenhouse as apparently they deter whitefly entering but will not get rid once the whitefly are already there. So the sooner the better.
I will be growing french marigold, Mexican, pot marigolds and African. So something must happen.lol

Rosemary

[Columbus]

Hi littlegem, Hi all,  :D

I grow mine at the ends of my rows. So the crops make a long side of a rectangle and the marigolds and nasturtiums make the short ends. I grow some in module trays so I pop in baby plants when I put veg seeds in so they act as row markers too. The nasturtiums spread rapidly and I just drag them sideways if they encroach onto the crop too much.

Last years left loads of seed in the soil I don`t know if these will grow up this year?

I`m happy to have them in any odd space. I just like to see them around wether they are doing a useful job or not. They are cheap and cheerful and traditional on allotments.

Col

[derbex]

Columbus,

I've had some French Marogolds take -and I thought that they wouldn't. They were definately from my plants as I grow them in modules so couldn't have accidently spilled the seed. My packet has finally run out now -maybe I'll have to try some of this years seeds!

Rose.mary

how do you get on with the Mexican? I couldn't get them to germinate? In the greenhouse I seem to get a flush of whitefly early on and then they disappear, I put it down to something breeding itself up to eat them :) Maybe it is the Marigolds though, can you autumn sow them?

Jeremy

[Rose.mary]

Hi derbex
I haven't tried them yet. I have sown most of the others but not them. I am assuming they are not very hardy so will leave till much later.
I got them from Chilltern seeds and there doesn't seem to be many in the packet.

Rosemary

[Hyacinth]

Hi littlegem, Hi all,  :D

The nasturtiums spread rapidly and I just drag them sideways if they encroach onto the crop too much.

Last years left loads of seed in the soil I don`t know if these will grow up this year?


Col

They will! - you'll have so many you'll be weeding them out.

Would anyone like some dwarf single mixed nasturtiums for companion planting btw? I've got abt 20-30 seeds going spare

French marigolds - I save seeds year on year and usually grow abt 150. They get interspersed with my carrots, between the bush tomatoes...everywhere in fact. If anyone would like some, PM me.