Tag Archives: mint

swiss chard companion plants

Although swiss chard looks similar to spinach they are not related, chard is actually a member of the beet family. The majority of plants will benefit from growing with other types of plant and swiss chard is no exception. Swiss chard companion plants will be of benefit to your plants in some way. swiss chard companion plants Like it’s near relative beetroot, swiss chard is relatively easy to grow with not much in the way of pests, with the exception of slugs and snails attacking young leaves. There are various types of chard, look out for rainbow chard which comes… → Read More

What To Plant In A Planting Box

My son recently set me up with a vegtrug to make growing vegetables and watering easier for me. After he put it all together I planted it up and now he’s made me a planting box. So what to plant in a planting box. What To Plant In A Planting Box My post entitled vegtrug planting guide gives all the information about what I’ve planted in there. This new one is like a large raised bed, it stands about 3 foot(90 cms) high and is roughly 3 foot x 6 foot (0.9 metre x 1.8 metres) and a depth of… → Read More

Companion Planting Figs

Man has been cultivating figs for at least 10,000 years and probably before that. During that time, many growing combinations will have been tried. We don’t need trial and error as we have all of that combined knowledge of companion planting figs to draw upon, The benefits of companion planting are well known and scientifically proven to improve plant health and growth. Fig companion planting is an interesting one as most figs do better with confined roots. This means that we need to be mindful that companion plants will be in competition for nutrients. Companion Planting Figs I mentioned confining… → Read More

Companion Planting Rue

Often found in homeopathic remedies, rue (ruta graveolens) also known as herb of grace is a beneficial companion plant. Companion planting rue will help to deter many pests including aphids, flea beetles, onionfly larvae, beetles, slugs, and snails. Take care when handling rue as it can cause skin irritation. Companion Planting Rue A mediterranean herb rue will tolerate hot, dry soils and is widely grown as an ornamental plant. It is a toxic plant and eating large quantities will cause vomiting, stomach pain, and even death. The benefits of companion planting rue are worth while however as long as you… → Read More

Companion Planting Catnip – The Benefits

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) also known as catnep, catswort, or catmint is a member of the mint family. Like all mints if planted with the correct plants catnip can be a very beneficial plant. Read on to find out the benefits of companion planting catnip. Companion Planting Catnip The Benefits Catnip has a strange, but not unpleasant smell and deters flea beetles, ants, aphids, weevils, cabbage white butterflies, and mice. It’s flowers attract many bees, hoverflies, and other pollinators. It also attracts parasitic wasps making catnip a very useful plant for the organic gardener. Companion Planting Catnip Just by looking at… → Read More

Herbs As Companion Plants

Herbs are one of the most used plants in the kitchen, and everyone has their own favourite herb. Did you know that using herbs as companion plants not only look good in your garden, but also benefit your other plants as well. think of the luscious aromas of summer, thyme, lavender, basil, oregano, Marjory, sage… I could go on forever. All of the herbs below will benefit your garden as well as your table. It’s time to get into the wonderful world of companion planting herbs. What Is Companion Planting? Companion planting is a system of growing plants together to… → Read More

How To Get Rid Of Ants Naturally

Ants are fascinating creatures, They can carry 20 times their own body weight, They farm other insects for food and they are excellent trackers. Unfortunately they can be considered to be pests to us humans. As an organic gardener, I try to keep away from chemicals so let’s get into how to get rid of ants naturally. One of the best reasons I can think of to keep ants away from your garden is that they actively introduce, and protect aphids onto your plants. Aphids produce as a waste product a sweet sticky substance called honey dew and ants feed… → Read More

Plants That Repel Aphids [Top Plants To Get Rid Of Aphids]

There are many plants that repel aphids and in recent years there has been much scientific research into this subject, the NCBI, the National Centre for Biotechnology Information in the U S A (see link below) is just one source of new information. Their research is quite in depth but It all comes down to observing nature and applying what you see to your own plot. So the following is all about plants that repel aphids but could easily be titled… Companion Plants. According to the NCBI plants repel aphids by :- Disguising the aroma of the host plant Changing… → Read More

Companion Planting Grapes

For centuries growers have been companion planting grapes to improve their crops. The Greeks and the Romans too, so if it’s good enough for the classics then it’s good enough for me as well. Companion Planting Grapes Grapes are not just a good source of fibre, they also contain many vitamins and minerals. But that’s not why they were popular in ancient times, no that was because they make great wine. That’s still true today but as with all plants the flavour, health and yield can be improved upon with companion planting. What To Companion Plant With Grape Vines There… → Read More

Companion Planting Mint

No garden is complete without a patch of mint, the colour, the smell, the taste. These are all very attractive reasons for growing mint. Another reason is discovered by companion planting mint. Companion Planting Mint Mint is a perennial plant that has many varieties and varied culinary uses and is commonly used to flavour drinks, food etc… Mint is also an excellent companion plant known to deter:- Ants Fleas Flea Beetles Cabbage White Butterflies Aphids Rodents Earwigs Mealy bugs Spider mites Grow mint close to Cabbages and Tomatoes to improve both health and flavour. As mint deters Cabbage White Butterflies… → Read More