Best companion plants?

In your experience what's the best companion planting and why? I've just asked the question on my blog and thought I'd also put it as a discussion point on this forum. I couldn't do without French Marigolds in the greenhouse as they keep whitefly at bay for example.

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Permalink Reply by Colin Robinson on January 5, 2012 at 22:06

I do grow french marigolds and don't normally have a problem with whitefly but I'm not convinced the two are connected. I've tried block planting carrots and onions to deter carrot fly but it doesn't. Last year I had peas and onions next to each other and got great crops off both. Then I read somewhere that they should never be planted close as they don't like each other!!

I'd love to know how much of the companion planting idea is fact and how much imagination. I'm not saying it doesn't work but I suspect that people will often get the results they do regardless of companion planting.

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Permalink Reply by Crazii_C on January 5, 2012 at 22:17

i too always growing marigolds with my tomatoes, but because ive always done that i dont know if it has an effect on whitefly or not. i did try squash round my sweetcorn last year and both did poorly. however i put that down to my lack of watering rather than the companion planting.

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Permalink Reply by Damo on January 6, 2012 at 8:26

The advice on French Marigolds came from an expert talk we had at our Hort Soc so I'm going off what I've been told - the only thing is don't deadhead as it's the dying/dead flowers that give off the pungent smell that deters the whitefly - apparently. All I know is since I started packing them into my greenhouse I've had no whitefly. Sounds good to me!

But overall agree it's not an exact science hence I'm interested to hear what people's experiences are.

Both my sweetcorn and squash did poorly last year as well, think that was weather related - relatively cold and wet summer.

Crazii_C said:

i too always growing marigolds with my tomatoes, but because ive always done that i dont know if it has an effect on whitefly or not. i did try squash round my sweetcorn last year and both did poorly. however i put that down to my lack of watering rather than the companion planting.

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Permalink Reply by Liz Postlethwaite on January 8, 2012 at 21:26

Depends on what you're trying to achieve but on the whole the more varied a polyculture you cultivate the less problems you'll encounter. Works for me on my allotment anyway, as you can see here :)