Showing posts with label Companion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Companion. Show all posts

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Cottage Garden Plants and Companion Herbs, What Are They?

When we think of romantic country gardens, a garden full of Cottage Garden Plants comes to mind. Many do not realize that many of these plants are also herbs and help each other grow and thrive. Cottage Garden Plants and companion herbs are synonymous.

The different properties of companion herbs turns the garden into an organic garden; one that doesn't require toxic pesticides.

Catnip Plants

What is a Cottage Garden?

These were the gardens of the commoners or poor in England and contained everything the family needed for food and medicinal use. Informal garden of a rambling nature that is interplanted with flowers, herbs, vegetables, berries, etc. All space is used and plants are crowed in together to form a living mulch and conserve moisture and cut down on weeding The beds are wide and paths are narrow

What are Cottage Garden Plants? (The flowers are also herbs)

Flowers: Asters, Baby's Breath, Bachelor's Buttons, Clematis, Cosmos, Dame's Rocket, Delphinium,Cranesbill Geranium, Hydrangea, Hollyhocks, Iris, Lady's Mantle, Lavateria, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Pansies, Peony, Petunias, Phlox, Poppies, Roses, Sweet William, Violet, Wisteria, Zinnias Herbs: Artemisia, Artichokes, Basil, Bee Balm, Calendula, Catnip, Chamomile, Chives, Coral Bells, Cornflowers, Costmary, Daisy, Dandelions, Dianthus, Dill, Echinacea, Evening Primrose, Feverfew, Foxglove, Garlic, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Oregano, Onions, Parsley, Peppers, Plantain, Rosemary, Sage, Sedum, Sunflowers,Thyme Fruit: Blueberries, Strawberries, Apple Trees, Peach Trees Cherry Trees Vegetables: Beans, Beets, Carrots, Eggplant, Loose leaf lettuce, Peas

What is a companion herb or plant?

Plants which release chemicals and help other plants grow and increase their productivity. Plants which help enrich the soil by providing nutrients and organic matter or pulling up nutrients from deep within the soil. Plants which provide shade or mulch for shorter plants and protect bare soil. Plants which prevent pest problems by repelling unwanted bugs Plants and herbs with the ability to attract beneficial insects, repel pest insects, and can even ward off weeds. Companion plantings combine more than one crop in a given area, so garden space is used efficiently.

How to create a Cottage Garden?

Create a bed that is wider than regular beds. No need for a designer. Create the bed to your liking. Plant Cottage Garden Plants and Companion Herbs closer together using all available space to help conserve moisture and cut down on weeding. Any paths should be narrow. Mix annuals in with perennials. Use lots of color. It should be brimming full of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Add a bird bath and bird feeders. Place a bench where you can sit and enjoy its beauty. It should be inviting and bring pleasure and memories to everyone that looks at it.

Planting companion herbs takes a little know how, but it really isn't that hard to do if you plan out your garden, and know which herbs to use for what. You'll want to plant these in the spring, at the same time you would plant your vegetables and flowers. Knowing which ones to plant can eliminate the need to use toxic pesticides.

Please visit Cottage Garden Plants for a list of Companion Herbs and the pests they repel.

The main thing is be creative, do some experimenting and most of all have fun in creating your Cottage Garden. Enjoy!

Cottage Garden Plants and Companion Herbs, What Are They?

Saturday, November 26, 2011

All New Square Foot Gardening - Companion Planting

Organic vegetable gardening means that you will not be spraying toxic chemicals on your fresh food, and you won't be spreading chemical fertilizers on the ground. If you don't do that, how do you keep your garden from becoming a bug feast or prevent sparse, low quality crops?

Companion planting is the solution. Companion planting can be described as growing two or more different kinds of plants close together so that some benefit is derived, like repelling pests, attracting beneficial insects, adding needed nutrients to the soil, or providing shelter

Catnip Plants

Some plants give off scents or chemicals that repel insects, insects like worms and beetles that can destroy your garden. Other plants help prevent disease or attract insects, which are beneficial to plants. And some plants are exceptional at breaking down the soil and helping other plants absorb vital nutrients. Essentially companion planting is used to help your core plants thrive without chemicals.

An example would be planting corn and beans together. Corn removes nitrogen from then soil while growing. Beans fix nitrogen back into the soil while growing and help the corn

I'll provide a warning though to people who would plant beans in with their corn. Bean varieties include pole beans (climbing beans) and bush beans (non-climbing beans). Do NOT plant pole beans in with your corn. The climbing beans will create a twisted and leafy jungle around your corn plants, making it difficult to harvest the corn.

Companion Planting Suggestions

Marigolds have a very strong fragrance. Many insects find marigolds quite distasteful including nematodes (roundworms), whiteflies, beetles, and aphids. To use marigolds as a companion plant, plant them at the perimeter of your square foot garden box. Take care to not plant them too closely to your vegetables because they do attract spider mites and slugs.

Nasturtiums or wormwood are good when planted close to the cabbage family as they attract the white cabbage moth away from the plants. Nasturtiums are also very helpful when planting broccoli

If you're growing tomatoes, geraniums repel cabbage worms, Japanese beetles, and leafhoppers. If you're planting corn, grapes, peppers or cabbage, geraniums are also beneficial.

If you intend to grow tomatoes, planting garlic with them is a good idea. Planting them with carrots is a bad idea because the tomatoes will stunt the growth of the carrots. Avoid planting dill and kohlrabi near tomatoes, because they slow tomato growth.

Horseradish is good with potatoes.

Parsley is good with tomatoes.

Santolina is a good insect repellent, especially for spinach and lettuce.

Thyme is a good protective border for the vegetable garden and repels fruit moths.

Keep ants away? Catnip, Mint, Onion, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tansy, Wormwood.

Slug repellent? Artemisia, Fennel, Garlic, Rosemary, Sage (Fennel is harmful to most plants especially beans, cucumbers and tomatoes)

When you don't want flypaper in your garden - Basil, Pennyroyal, Rue, Tansy (also repels Aphids and greenfly)

Don't Forget The Bees

You need bees and other pollinating insects if you are:

planting tomatoes planting potatoes planting beans planting pumpkins

Bees are attracted by most flowers because they collect nectar to make honey and pollen to feed to the larvae. Going from flower to flower to collect as much as they can before going back to the hive, they take pollen from one plant to the next and help with plant fertilization as they go. Flowering plants are important in a vegetable patch. Some of the best include: allysium, red clover, Queen Anne's lace, cosmos, coriander, parsley flowers, dill, small daisies and lucerne.

Happy eating!

All New Square Foot Gardening - Companion Planting

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Planting your vegetable garden companion

Companion planting is the method to grow different plants together for a healthy coexistence. Benefit Plants are not always affected by pests and diseases. In essence, encourages this type of system, the growth of all plants. The nasturtium seeds with cabbage, beans and peas is fantastic, because it attracts aphids away. Companion planting is natural and minimizes the use of chemical fertilizers and sprays. In some trial and error you canForm a good plan. In your garden, it is extremely useful if you want to increase the yield. The exact combination of vegetables planted in growth opportunities, reduce disease and promote beneficial organisms thrive in the garden.

Planting herbs with vegetables also discourages pests from a strong smell of natural herbs. For example, use rosemary with bean weevils from the Ward-beans. Similarly, rosemary, sage, thyme and mint along with the cabbageto prevent moth attack cabbage. If you decide to basil, you will benefit many. Basil keeps the flies away from potatoes. Chives planted to discourage aphids, mint prevent ants protect the garlic and horseradish potato blight and prevent the potato beetle.

Catnip Plants

Companion planting vegetables helps to keep the parasites of other vegetables. For example, rhubarb, beans, leeks and black fly prevention protects against flying carrot carrots coming close. Other popular categoriesThis type of system are: celery, cabbage moths, which takes away from tomatoes and asparagus beetles help. Some vegetables have chosen to live with other vegetables selective. So you must be careful when planting these.

Asparagus is very common in this type of system, since it goes well with most vegetables. However, planting asparagus with tomato, parsley and basil is perfect for the whole group. Bush beans are ideal for planting potatoes, cucumbers, corn,Celery and strawberries. But not the planting of the seeds of bush think onions. The two stop mutual growth. With this type of system, the protection and onion salad with radicchio protect beet. The planting of the cabbage family (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and green cabbage), along with beets, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, potatoes and spinach is particularly advantageous. But the planting of cabbage-family with dill, strawberries, pole beans and tomatoes will have side effects. Carrots areideal for systems with a variety of vegetables such as peas, celery, cucumbers, lettuce, rosemary, sage and onion, but should not be grown with dill.

Celery plant seems to be more friendly. It goes well with almost all vegetables, but has a special predilection for the asparagus. Plants also salad with carrots, cucumbers and strawberries produce creates the good. On the other hand, corn is a rebel against tomatoes, but love to grow potatoes, beans, peas andPumpkin.

There are several flowering plants that can be used in plants and vegetables. Zinnias prevent infestation of parasites, if used, is planted with cucumbers, melons and pumpkins. Plant marigolds with beans helps to protect the beans.

The list of plants used in the company of plants is long and some are:

Borage is to plant tomatoes and strawberries are used. And 'magnetized bees and wasps, and also adds valuable minerals from the soil.

Catnipmaintains, ants roaches and mice, and has a sweet scent.

Chives on the desire and the development of carrots and tomatoes. Prevents scab when planted with apple trees.

Coriander repels aphids toe with some vegetables, potato beetles and mites.

Peas help to enrich the soil with nitrogen, which is very useful for a variety of other plants.

Parsley with tomatoes and asparagus beetles to attract hoverflies and defend.

TheMenthol in peppermint has had to good use, as it repels moths, cabbage aphids and flea beetles, bees and beneficial insects, but inviting.
Planting radishes with the squash plant protection against insects that eat the fleshy vegetables.

Companion planting is the mantra for organic farming. The exercise used to improve the production of your garden.

Planting your vegetable garden companion

Friday, June 3, 2011

Companion planting

Companion planting is a traditional method of vegetable gardening involves planting two or more close to each other to protect and support to parasites, both air and ground crawler. This process ensures a strong growth, higher yields, by repelling pests or predators of common pests draws. Learn which plants take a couple little man of trial and error. For example: Anis seems to germinate best when grown with coriander, coriander, but not growingalso find anise. Garlic scares Japanese beetles, but if planted close to something in the family of peas and beans, inhibit growth.
One of the most compelling reasons for the plantation company to use technology is the ability of some plants to attract beneficial insects.

Benefits are those who are different from common garden pests such as aphids and caterpillars. beneficial insects are considered the good guys are and why gardeners are warned not to spray insecticidesat random.

Catnip Plants

beneficial to include, but are not limited to:

a) parasites - feed on pesky aphids, caterpillars and larvae.

b) lacewing larvae - feed on aphids.

c) the beetle larvae - feed on aphids.

d) Ground beetles - feed on ground-dwelling pests.

e) hover flies and robber flies - feed on insects, including leafhoppers and caterpillars

The insects have different nutritional needs at different stages and cyclesDevelopment so that a variety of plant materials are needed to bring in your garden. While looking for insects do, and eat pests, there may be certain times during their life cycle, that their diet consists mainly of nectar and pollen. The attraction of these insects in your garden, you must provide a shelter for the host plants and even plants.

Variety and diversity both in plant material and seasonal availability are crucial. The hedges are used toserve this function. L ', shrubs, trees and weeds would be out of the first leaf spring and the first fruits as food sources.

The hedges are rare today, but most backyard gardeners could plant fruit trees or flowering of the body and shrubs and perennials that have something in bloom throughout the season to add the edge of the yard or garden that not only the beauty to your garden but also promote the presence of beneficial insects to gardens as well.

L 'the following conditions are agreeable to attract beneficial insects:

a) low-growing plants as a cover for ground beetles (thyme, rosemary, or mint).

b) Shady, protected areas to lay their eggs.

c) the flowers are very small for small wasps, such as fennel, angelica, coriander, dill, Queen Anne's Lace, clover, yarrow, and rue.

d) Composite flowers (daisy and chamomile) and peppermint (mint, peppermint or catnip) Tighten the predatory wasps, hover flies and robberFlies.

In addition to the harm this can do for us pesticides pollute the air, water, soil, plants and animals. Learn how to combat pests without chemicals is a good way to help not only health but also the land and animals that live nearby.

Companion planting is the gardening method involves planting trees of two or more close to each other to protect and support on the ground and crawling pests air. Companion planting promotesstrong growth, higher yield and repelling pests or predators of common pests draws. Trial and error is involved in determining the pair mate. Companion planting is worth and, of course, the protection of people and the environment and serves to help the country and animal habitats in the area.

Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

Companion planting