Companion Plants?

smallbutfierce said:
I am going to be doing some more reading on this, but how does one utilize these plants?  Ie, do you just plant near your peppers, really close and in between, on the perimeter?  I have a 20'x40' garden and been having slug issues.  Its been super rainy, and I live in a very heavily wooded area surrounded by swamp.  I figure beer traps will just be a constant thing.  I have mint, basil, and oregano already growing in a different area, was thinking of planting in between every other plant on the outside edges?  I have read mixed things about mint for slugs, but if it fails I will have plenty of mint for my restaurant.  
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Ring your plants with copper at ground level to help deter slugs. I use copper sheeting (emf shielding) but if you strip some heavy gauge electrical wire and wind it in a 10 inch circle a few times around the stem it should prevent them from climbing up your plants. Slugs hate copper...
 
I didn't plant any companions this year and the bees all seem to be slacking around out back on patches of clover.  It's okay because I've apparently got a bunch of wasps pollinating all my peppers out front.  (Too bad they didn't bring their smaller cousins with them to murder the hell out of the freaking aphids.  :()
 
Slug said:
I didn't plant any companions this year and the bees all seem to be slacking around out back on patches of clover.  It's okay because I've apparently got a bunch of wasps pollinating all my peppers out front.  (Too bad they didn't bring their smaller cousins with them to murder the hell out of the freaking aphids.  :()
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Dude, you gotta plant some stuff to attract those parasitic wasps. Herbs, flowers, etc. I forgot to bookmark the site, but solid7(RIP) had linked to an organic gardening site with a good list of things to plant to attract certain beneficial insects depending on hat your problem was.

I planted some lime basil and epazote(I think that's it, the stuff to cook with beans so you don't fart so much?) and just seeded some cilantro(I read the ladybugs like this for its lacy foliage("foilage," read in Marge Simpsons voice) I don't know if that worked, or if I already had wild stuff growing around to attract them.
 
Jubnat said:
Dude, you gotta plant some stuff to attract those parasitic wasps. Herbs, flowers, etc. I forgot to bookmark the site, but solid7(RIP) had linked to an organic gardening site with a good list of things to plant to attract certain beneficial insects depending on hat your problem was.

I planted some lime basil and epazote(I think that's it, the stuff to cook with beans so you don't fart so much?) and just seeded some cilantro(I read the ladybugs like this for its lacy foliage("foilage," read in Marge Simpsons voice) I don't know if that worked, or if I already had wild stuff growing around to attract them.
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Nice simpsons reference, love that episode. "if its clear and yellow you've got juice there fellow. If its tangy and brown you're in cider town" -ned flanders
 
I pulled up these resources before I actually read the thread, so sorry. When people talk about "companion planting" the conversation is usually really psuedoscientific and mythological.  I'm glad we're talking about pest deterrent and attracting pollinators. I never considered attracting wasps to the garden, I'll have to read more about that.
 
Anyway, here are two documents about "companion gardening" that I enjoy:
 
The Myth of Companion Plantings - Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University
 
Companion Planting and Flower Borders - Robert Kourick, Cornell University
 
 
 
Gorizza said:
I pulled up these resources before I actually read the thread, so sorry. When people talk about "companion planting" the conversation is usually really psuedoscientific and mythological.  I'm glad we're talking about pest deterrent and attracting pollinators. I never considered attracting wasps to the garden, I'll have to read more about that.
 
Anyway, here are two documents about "companion gardening" that I enjoy:
 
The Myth of Companion Plantings - Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott, Washington State University
 
Companion Planting and Flower Borders - Robert Kourick, Cornell University
 
 
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I'll have to check out those articles later tonight.
 
But, I'm guessing the psuedoscience that you're talking about is like when people say:
plant basil next to your tomatoes, it'll make them taste better.
if you plant hot peppers next to sweet ones, they'll all be hot.
planting oregano next to mint will make your mint taste like oregano.
 
Jubnat said:
Dude, you gotta plant some stuff to attract those parasitic wasps. Herbs, flowers, etc. I forgot to bookmark the site, but solid7(RIP) had linked to an organic gardening site with a good list of things to plant to attract certain beneficial insects depending on hat your problem was.

I planted some lime basil and epazote(I think that's it, the stuff to cook with beans so you don't fart so much?) and just seeded some cilantro(I read the ladybugs like this for its lacy foliage("foilage," read in Marge Simpsons voice) I don't know if that worked, or if I already had wild stuff growing around to attract them.
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Cilantro is awesome. Attracts so many beneficial insects. But it doesn't ease farting :) At least I don't think.
 
Dill is also very, very good. Fennel (but planted near other plants, it can have an adverse effect).
 
Jubnat said:
 
I'll have to check out those articles later tonight.
 
But, I'm guessing the psuedoscience that you're talking about is like when people say:
plant basil next to your tomatoes, it'll make them taste better.
if you plant hot peppers next to sweet ones, they'll all be hot.
planting oregano next to mint will make your mint taste like oregano.
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What you're describing is the absolute worst, but also when people try to personify plants as if they "like" growing next to other plants. 
 
Another big problem is that very few intercropping systems have actually been proven to deter pests, so most claims that they work have never been scientificallly proven. Some have though, like planting basil to deter tomato hornworm. More details about these in the Kourik paper.
 
One time I planted loads of seeds in the moonlight with my mum in the garden using an astrological planting calendar 
 
We don't believe in this sort of thing but thought it would be funny, no joke they were the biggest vegetables she's ever grown
 
dragonsfire said:
http://www.almanac.com/video/gardening-moon
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Did you just quote farmer's almanac at me?
giphy.gif

 
 
Someone at Stack Exchange did a good review of "lunar gardening," I'll leave it here.
https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/a/4822
^Really well researched, and does a great job of explaining why this myth will probably never go away. Worth a skim even for the less skeptically minded.
 
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