I’ve written previously about vegetable companion planting (or ‘intercropping’) – the ancient horticultural concept of growing certain plant species together for the benefit of one (or both) of them. My tomatoes suffered terribly with White Fly this year for example despite my portable Dyson approach to vacuuming them up (and MrsGrow’s shrieks of horror). Now they’re on my Brussels sprouts sucking the sap from them too (see right). If I had planted French Marigolds in close proximity to these crops (or in easily transportable pots) the scent may have helped to reduce the White Fly numbers. This is just one example of how companion planting can improve plant health, reduce pests and boost vegetable yields.
Below is a handy pictorial guide to companion vegetable planting from Suttons Seeds. It highlights the dos and don’ts of vegetable companion planting. I noticed that for ‘potatoes’ they haven’t included my Grandad’s recommendation of planting Foxgloves nearby, I’ve always done that as it’s supposed to make the plants stronger and disease resistant, no idea if that’s scientifically proven though! Lots of ideas here anyway to keep in mind for your 2018 allotment planning.
