Does anyone here practice Companion Planting?

[lily51]

We always plant marigolds with the tomatoes, which keeps away the tomato worms. Also, there are marigolds that deter destructive nematodes.

Borage is a favorite of mine, easy to grow once it's planted. And it does reseed, but is very easy to pull from areas where it is not wanted. Have never really had it take over an area. I start it from seed in the greenhouse, then transplant. Once in the ground outside, though, it doesn't do well if you try to move it around like marigolds.

[Rogue11]

Aside from planting marigolds around my tomatoes I haven't done much companion gardening yet. But coincidently we just took a tour at a local organic farm last weekend, where we learned a bit about companion plants. I took a lot of notes, and this post is giving me a few more ideas. So this weekend I am planning on heading for the nursery to get some new plants.

[jal_ut]

Companion planting? What exactly does that mean? In a dictionary sense companion = one that accompanies another : comrade, associate; also : one that keeps company with another.

I suppose the row next to the beets is the beet's companion, etc.

If you are referring to the mystical associations some tout are mutually beneficial to the companions, then I suggest we would be far better off to spend time thinking about keeping our soil healthy and fertile.

This and giving plants their own space and enough of it will show much better results.

This is another one of those things where I see a writer needing something to write about, so he invented this theory. Most of it is hard to prove in actual practice.

IMO

[DoubleDogFarm]

I suggest we would be far better off to spend time thinking about keeping our soil healthy and fertile.

James, Good point.

I always find it interesting, when one recommends a flowering plant as a attractant. If the flower of this plant is favored, why would the pollinator visit the un-attractant flower.

Eric