Can anyone suggest what flowers can be planted amongst
brassicas, to discourage butterflies. There's also
another for the greenhouse to combat tomato pests. Also
how do these CP's work? TIA.

Bertie

Bertie Doe wrote:
Can anyone suggest what flowers can be planted amongst
brassicas, to discourage butterflies. There's also
another for the greenhouse to combat tomato pests. Also
how do these CP's work? TIA.

You want french marigolds for the tomato greenhouse.

In article ,
says...
Can anyone suggest what flowers can be planted amongst
brassicas, to discourage butterflies. There's also
another for the greenhouse to combat tomato pests. Also
how do these CP's work? TIA.

Bertie


They work in a variety of different ways, for instance planting marigolds
or anything else with bright yellow daisy flowers will tend to attract
hoverflies which in turn will lay there eggs on your plants and the
resulting lavae eat the pests

Then planting something smelly like onions or garlic near carrots etc
disguises the smell of carrots and distracts carrot root fly from finding
your carrots

Probably the best bet for brassicas is to cover them in net or fleece to
stop the butterflies
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

Thanks all, that's given me some good material, to
research further.

Bertie

Charlie Pridham wrote:
Then planting something smelly like onions or garlic near carrots etc
disguises the smell of carrots and distracts carrot root fly from finding
your carrots

We have a load of left over garlic from last year that is sprouting and we
were going to companion-plant it with something on the allotment. Nick
thinks potatoes and peas are the way to go. Although since we don't tend to
get pests in our potatoes anyhow, I'm not sure what he's trying to ward off
....

Probably the best bet for brassicas is to cover them in net or fleece to
stop the butterflies

And pigeons.

Thanks again all. I spoke with a few folk on the
allotments today and someone remembered the Beeb doing
something on CP's.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...lanting1.shtml

Yes Sacha, it's garlic for roses, leeks with carrots
and nastutiums with cabbage - well worth a look.

Bertie

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...
Thanks again all. I spoke with a few folk on the
allotments today and someone remembered the Beeb
doing something on CP's.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...lanting1.shtml

Yes Sacha, it's garlic for roses, leeks with carrots
and nastutiums with cabbage - well worth a look.

Bertie

This is interesting - the BBC site mentions "Asparagus
prevents microscopic nematodes from attacking the roots
of tomatoes"

a). I thought nematodes were good friends who dine on
slugs - same nematodes?
b). The bbc Asparagus link, refers to growing them in
raised beds or borders, no mention of greenhouses? Can
they be grown in g/houses with toms?
c). 4 and 5 years ago, I planted toms in growbags. I've
stopped using them nowadays, partly because of their
use of peat, but also on cost grounds. Sadly the crop
over the last 3 years, from toms planted directly into
the g/h soil, have been much less than the g.bags. I
wonder if this is due to nematode attack, which maybe
naturally present in the soil floor? Is a root attack
fairly obvious? If yes I'll study them a bit more
closely come December. TIA.

Bertie
..

Bertie Doe wrote:
c). 4 and 5 years ago, I planted toms in growbags. I've
stopped using them nowadays, partly because of their
use of peat, but also on cost grounds. Sadly the crop
over the last 3 years, from toms planted directly into
the g/h soil, have been much less than the g.bags. I

Unrelated to your actual question, I'm afraid, but we've been using peat
free grobags for the past few years, and we're relatively happy with them.
(they're not as good as the seaweedy ones the MiL uses, but as long as you
remember to feed and water as required, they're certainly adequate!)

I can't remember the brand we use (I can find out if you're interested)
and they work out at around 10pound for 3, iirc.

New Horizon are highly recommended, though:
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ookie_test= 1
(but more expensive)

wrote in message
...
Bertie Doe wrote:
c). 4 and 5 years ago, I planted toms in growbags.
I've
stopped using them nowadays, partly because of their
use of peat, but also on cost grounds. Sadly the
crop
over the last 3 years, from toms planted directly
into
the g/h soil, have been much less than the g.bags. I

Unrelated to your actual question, I'm afraid, but
we've been using peat
free grobags for the past few years, and we're
relatively happy with them.
(they're not as good as the seaweedy ones the MiL
uses, but as long as you
remember to feed and water as required, they're
certainly adequate!)

I can't remember the brand we use (I can find out if
you're interested)
and they work out at around 10pound for 3, iirc.

New Horizon are highly recommended, though:
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ookie_test= 1
(but more expensive)

Thanks for that, the local garden centre stocks
'Westland' range. Later I'll google and see if they do
a peat-free version.

Bertie

Bertie Doe wrote:
New Horizon are highly recommended, though:
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ookie_test= 1
(but more expensive)
Thanks for that, the local garden centre stocks
'Westland' range. Later I'll google and see if they do
a peat-free version.

I'll check what ours are next time I go outside, but we got them delivered
(which was included in the price)

wrote in message
...
Bertie Doe wrote:
New Horizon are highly recommended, though:
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/H...ookie_test= 1
(but more expensive)
Thanks for that, the local garden centre stocks
'Westland' range. Later I'll google and see if they
do
a peat-free version.

I'll check what ours are next time I go outside, but
we got them delivered
(which was included in the price)

Thanks for that. I've been mulling over the reasons why
the bags produce a heavier crop. Ignoring the
possibility of nematode damage, the big advantage of
bags, is the fact that you are concentrating both
moisture and feed. Planting in the soil might mean that
the feed gets washed away.
In addition to 3 tomato plants, I also grew 2 cucumber
plants and these also did better in growbags.