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COMPANION PLANTING

This is a technique practiced by many organic gardeners. The theory behind companion planting is that plants have specific likes and dislikes concerning their close companions in the garden and will do better if planted in close proximity to the correct plant. Similarly, by planting a particular species in the garden you can reduce the number of weeds or attract certain pest predators.

Many of the recommendations for companion planting are based on folklore and, as with many of these tales, there is some truth in them. There is a well-known theory that, because carrot-fly are attracted by smell, they can be prevented by planting carrots between rows of onions, so the smell of the carrots is disguised. On the other hand, the cabbage white butterfly is attracted to its host plant by smell and it can be fooled by planting the highly aromatic French marigold (Tagetes) between the rows of cabbages. Many scientifically controlled trials have been conducted which indicate a reduction in attack when this was done. Many gardeners have also reported similar results with eelworms, soil pests that attack potatoes in particular, where French marigolds are grown. Scientific research has confirmed that this is indeed due to