Companion Planting

John Martin, Master Gardener

Home Gardening 

• Keep a separate herb garden to harvest, the companion plants in the veggie garden are serving a different purpose. 

• Keep dill out of the vegetable garden, it attracts too many pests. Plant in the cottage garden instead.

• Plant rosemary near carrots to mask the odor that attracts pests.

• Thyme and Rosemary repels cabbage worm, so plant near broccoli. Thyme should overwinter, if given a little protection.

• Chamomile attracts overflies and parasitic wasps that prey on garden pests. Replace one Lemon Balm with some Chamomile.

• Lupine is nitrogen fixing, try to plant one lupine for every two vegetable plants. Also use foliage as green manure and turn it into the soil at the end of the season. Plant seedlings on veggie garden. Use up remaining seeds in wildflower bed.

Marigolds

Marigolds work most effectively when planted closely in a solid block. French marigold "Tangerine" (Tagetes patula) is the most successful. Marigold produce the secretions 3-4 months after sowing, so must be grown for a length of time to be effective against nematode. Consider in corp rotation. Also leave roots in situ at the end of the growing season. John recommends turning the whole plant into the soil.

Green Manure

Ideally, you should dig in your green manure three to four weeks before planting new crops, and at least a month before sowing seed. This gives the manure time to rot down and return its nutrients to the soil before you use it again. However, if the crop looks like it's approaching maturity, you should dig it in sooner. Young green growth decomposes and feeds the soil in a matter of weeks but older, woody material takes longer. What's more, if flowers and seeds develop you could end up with a "weed" problem. To dig in a green manure, cut the foliage down and let it wilt for a couple of days, then use a sharp spade to unearth the roots and turn them back into the soil, digging everything in in the process.

John's Tips

• Plant zucchini in late June to avoid squash bugs

• Pull tomato plants in mid-September and plant cover crop. Then plant garlic in the same bed in mid-October.

• Dig cover crops in at least a month (early to mid April) before sowing or planting.

• Birds eat a lot of bugs. Put out bird houses.

• Use fish emulsion for tomatoes and peppers. For determinate tomatoes, once in mid-June. For indeterminate tomatoes and peppers, apply monthly in the growing season: mid-June, mid-July and mid-August.

• Master Gardeners Thursdays from 9-12 Voorheesville Demo Garden 

My Thoughts

Plant nasturtiums inside the broccoli cage to act as mulch and suppress weeds. Also, plant around the outside of the cage to serve as a "trap crop" and discard if infected.