For years I've been playing around with companion planting. I tried different combinations of plants to find which ones enhance each other's growth, or repel pests, or just look good together. I'd really like to hear your experiences and opinions on use of companion planting.
My favorite combination is tomatoes and basil, especially Purple Ruffles which also makes a great and beautiful vinegar to go over a platter of tomatoes. YUMMM!
Companion Planting
I have garlic and roses together in a perennial bed. The rose has no disesa and few insect problems.
This spring I noticed where red giant mustard had volunteered with dill and cilantro there was almost no flea beetle damage while row covered mustards were getting hit hard.
We also plant carrots and radish together mostly for spacing and weed control. The radishes come up first and are harvested first. The radish foliage smothers weeds so when the radishes are harvested the carrots are about 1/2 grown and the harvest gets rid of 90% of the competing plants (radishes). The two seem to like one another.
More please
I certainly agree, Marsh! I like to layer sliced mozzarella cheese, vine-ripened sliced tomatoes, thinly sliced Vidalia Onions. Sprinle the top with salt, pepper,and chopped Purple Ruffles basil. Then drizzle red wine vinegar and olive oil over the top and chow down, baby! Yummy!
Terri
Terri,
you got to be psychic, babe...I served nearly that same lunch today to my visitors. I served sliced Stilton cheese (from VT though), vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced Maui onions, thinly sliced Black Forest Ham, and red butter lettuce on Finocheo (sp.) bread. A salad of green butter and red deertongue lettuces with shredded carrots and beets drizzled with raspberry vinegarette (with olive oil, chopped Purple Ruffles and Lemon Basils, mashed roasted Inchelium garlic and assorted spices.) I admit not to have grown the cheese, ham, vinegar, olive oil and spices.
Marsh
Oh stop it! You're making me hungry!!! LOL You sound like a goumet cook, Marsh. Darn, I wish I lived closer to you. I'd invite myself over for dinner. ;)
Terri