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Companion Planting

G

Guest

Some notes.

The coriander has picked up aphids. The aphids do not congregate on it as in drawn to it, they are on the tom, the coriander, and the bean. Will give them a heavy garlic oil hit before the new system gets planted with pot. (been building)

The herbs is very strong.

I think there is an improvement.

It smells great too.



With the introduction of other plants I also introduced problems. Aphids. I got off lightly I could have brought in others too. There are lots of spiders working that room but they can't keep up with the small bugs - mites, thrip, whitefly, and aphid.
 
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G

Guest

hehe.

I left the insects alone to see what would happen.

I got coriander and chamomile INFESTED with aphids.

On the pot only 2/3 feet away - a lone praying mantis. The chamomile and coriander are obviously more attractive to the aphids!

I now have a pepper in the companion bed too, and some spring onions in with the weed bed. Constantly pruning large pieces of tomato plant off.

The insect trapping plants are amazing! And a very handy supply of guppy food.
 
G

Guest

BUMP!

OK, long overdue to update this thread I think it's all relevant organic info though I'm not trying to companion plant indoors anymore, I'll add the odd thing or two at times just to see how they behave themselves...

What happened.

The chamomile and corianders aphid infestation was chronic. I was feeding the guppies every day just by shaking the coriander...

It took over a month for the aphids to make it over to the grow but make it over they did. Ants were everywhere as usual so it should of happened a lot sooner. These herbs 'took one for the team' -

Sunflowers will take on aphids and it doesn't kill them, and ants will move aphids to sunflowers in preference over other plants.

Removing the infested plants from the bed helped a great deal but then the toms were getting hammered, and the onions weren't doing anything apparent...

The geranium constantly had dead insects, whitefly, and some other little winged critter in it.

Outdoors, I've had a lot of pests but the preying mantis's are doing a great job I see very little damage to select plants planted close to marigolds. The grasshoppers and larger beetles are bewginning to arrive, time to shift the geranium out there and see if predators move into it.
 
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SilverSurfer_OG

Living Organic Soil...
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Hey neat thread Bongsong!

I like your info on the herbs such as coriander. I planted nasturtiums around my tomatoes and they have remained insect trouble free, but then so has most of my garden so far :D

The only problems i have had have been possum related... but thats been fixed with improved barriers.

I always have grasshoppers on my weed outside. Do these guys eat aphids and such?

Hey and i also love your setup with the aquaponics! How small a system is feasible to begin with?

:smoweed:
 
G

Guest

20 gallons is the smallest AP system I've seen that runs well. It's the cabinet guys cabinet. Thing I'm liking about AP now I'm getting my hands in the dirt again is that I have a constant supply of bacteria and fungi for my gardens and compost (and the veg, ahh it is the best)

In OZ I'd go for a small tropical set-up as it is easier to heat water than cool it. Most your heating will be free you see.

Grasshoppers are bizarre. They are mainly vegetarian but there is a 'switch' that gets tripped when they hit certain numbers. Then they eat everything!

What's happened is they've consumed their hatching grounds food source. Dry springs bring them on, and we both just had one.

They'll eat anything and your weed is attractive to them. They prefer tender leaves, like many insects, but if they are not present will even eat wood and bark.

Deter them from your garden by keeping other areas of your property well-watered to provide a lush alternative. Provide a birdbath or other water to attract birds to your garden. I throw them some grain now and then let em know they're welcome. The cicadas got here earlier so luckily the birds were onto my place already.

Hoppers lay eggs in dry grassy areas such as roadsides and vacant lots. Watering your property throughout the year, including winter, will reduce the number of dry areas. Although heavy frosts will kill the adult hoppers, their eggs survive extreme cold. To expose grasshopper eggs to predators, cultivate, double-dig or till your garden after a heavy frost.

A couple of minahs would clear out a small garden fairly quickly, unless they're everywhere...

Exposed eggs will be snapped up by ants.

Hope that helped... Beware the biblical plague!
 

SilverSurfer_OG

Living Organic Soil...
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I have only seen 3-4 grasshoppers on my plants so not too worried.

Not really feasible to keep my property well watered. I keep my veggie patch irrigated and some of my garden. Its very, very dry in my area...

I might plant some borage next to my plants and see if more/more potent resin is developed.
 

Dee9

Member
hey all -

I had 2 test plants in my garden planted with a yarrow each ( I love yarrow ) - the difference was very noticeable.

The plants with the yarrow kept all their leaves with no nute burn or def signs - they had the same food as all the other plants. Generally the two looked very very healthy and happy. - more so than their brothers and sisters! And that is not my biased opinion - my partner in crime actually noticed it before I did!

The only prob was I brought bugs into my garden! - but I took care of that(yes, organically).

Next time I will grow my own yarrow from seed in a sterile setting.

Currently I am working on borage. - will let you know how it turns out.

Good growing everyone!
 

MHHSP

Member
marigolds marigolds marigolds!

There is also a method of growing plants together, I believe termed, "the three sisters method". Plants placed together for the benefit of all. Example... Corn, beans, and pumpkin...

The corn plants grow tall, the bean plants grow up the corn for support as well as fix atmospheric nitrogen :yes:, and the pumpkin plants provide a ground cover that regulates soil moisture.
 

jasno

Member
i know someone who grew his mary jane in a rose garden, the buds smelled like roses and it was just awesome, i enjoyed smoking that herb so much

i dont know anything about companion planting, but it seems the plants are effected by the surrounding plants somehow... which can be really awesome if the right plants were in there

im thinking maybe mint or roses would be awesome to have nearby
 

eyesdownchronic

Active member
Gonna start a no till SIP tote system.
Trying to decide If i want to do a living mulch, or a dead mulch?

if anyone has any thoughts advice or experience. Im all ears.


*edit the real thing im worried about is the potential for the companion plants to host pests. I would be start everything fresh from seed. so no foreign material will enter the garden.
 
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chilliwilli

Waterboy
Think also about building a notill sip. A layer of perlite on top against fungus gnats is a good way imo but not sure about cover crop with that system. The dead bio mass would build up on top of the perlite and start the problem with gnats again. Was thinking about a perforated 4" pipe with a cap on top vertical placed in the soil as a mini worm bin. So when i trim back the cover crop or defoil the plants i could give the biomass back to the soil and keep the perlite layer clean.
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
I will use companion plants to hopefully repell most pests. And add those who help increase terps.
Not sure if i will add those who attract pests but when u watch those u can react faster against problems as they will show first on that plants.
I will try garlic, basil, french tarragon, cilantro, dill, nastrium, marigold, spearmint, camomile, anise, yarrow.
 

BOMBAYCAT

Well-known member
Veteran
I have been messing around with Chamomile increasing the number of plants from the seeds of the new plants that grow in the garden. It was very hard to start the original packet of seeds and I only got 2 plants where the seeds washed into the corner of the garden. I took the seeds from those and increased the number of plants. As others have said they are called the "Doctor Plant" and cause other plants to have more resin. This year I should get enough Chamomile to get a good test. The Chamomile plants are very resinous and stinky.
 

eyesdownchronic

Active member
I have been messing around with Chamomile increasing the number of plants from the seeds of the new plants that grow in the garden. It was very hard to start the original packet of seeds and I only got 2 plants where the seeds washed into the corner of the garden. I took the seeds from those and increased the number of plants. As others have said they are called the "Doctor Plant" and cause other plants to have more resin. This year I should get enough Chamomile to get a good test. The Chamomile plants are very resinous and stinky.
started some chamomile seeds, hoping for the best.
 

eyesdownchronic

Active member
I will use companion plants to hopefully repell most pests. And add those who help increase terps.
Not sure if i will add those who attract pests but when u watch those u can react faster against problems as they will show first on that plants.
I will try garlic, basil, french tarragon, cilantro, dill, nastrium, marigold, spearmint, camomile, anise, yarrow.
be careful with the mint, plant expands via root system and can overtake an area. Would not recommend any mint in a multi cropping system.
 

chilliwilli

Waterboy
Thx for the info. Maybe i skip the mint. Know this from apple mint. Hard to get rid off completely when she likes to grow in one spot.
 

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