"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...

She believes that the local
wedgetails have designs on little Poopsie and Fluffina and she had sighted
one
cruising around.

(i'm pretty sure wedgetails have better taste than that ;-)


To get on topic I am unsure about companion planting. I think that it
*might*
work but the evidence is scanty. The local organic growers society
members
will tell you all the combinations that are supposed to be beneficial but
when
you ask them how they know they cannot tell you. I believe there has been
at
least one study showing it didn't do anything but I cannot find the
reference
right now. I would like to see that study and how it was done at least
before
making up my mind.

i doubt actually the entire concept could be covered in just one study,
though :-) taking an educated guess, i'd hazard some combinations would be
beneficial or actively harmful, & often there wouldn't be a difference one
could detect. however, as you say below:

One of the problems with such things is determining cause and effect.
There
are so many factors which affect how plants grow and if pests are a
problem at
any given time. Unless a factor is really strong and has a very obvious
result
under all circumstances you are left to wonder or to plant large numbers
in
latin squares and all that.

that's exactly it. even in one garden there are a multitude of factors. to
therefore extend that advice to everyone is probably pushing it. however, i
will from time to time conduct a few experiments & see if i can find any
good ideas which seem to genuinely work (i'm totally dropping basil & toms,
though! i've just seen no evidence in favour of it over 3 seasons, which is
enough for now.) if i find something i really feel genuinely works, then
i'll do it. why not?

To take an example of this problem some members of the society believe in
moon
planting. We were told by one that she had planted one lot of seedlings
by
the moon and another not. The ones by the moon did somewhat better
therefore
it's great. I didn't ask how she controlled for differences in soil, sun,
water, etc, etc nor how many plants did better and how she determined
this.
Such things can become a religion and you don't want to go there.

that's right. better to take a more flexible approach, i find, unless &
until one has enough time & dedication to really take good notes on some
aspect that is of interest, & decide for oneself.

i'm not saying that planting by the moon doesn't necessarily NOT work - just
that putting faith in it cos someone says so is not in & of itself enough to
make me a believer, & plus, extremists of all kinds bother me very badly. i
don't care what kind of extremist they are - i disapprove equally of them
all :-)
kylie