GIVE YOUR VEGGIES GOOD COMPANIONS!

   As you plant your vegetable crops this growing season, companion plant for fewer problems with pests and disease. Some plants trap harmful insects while acting as decoys. They trap bad bugs by attracting the pest away from vegetable fruit and foliage. Some plants deter pests and attract beneficials with their scent, color and foliage. Others interact underground, a phenomenon known as allelopathy.

   Tansy has proved to be a trapping plant for the Colorado potato beetle. The larvae like to chew on leaves of potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. The Rodale Institute Research Center has had success in reducing populations of Colorado potato beetles by planting tansy among potatoes. An added benefit is that tansy attracts a variety of beneficial insects because of its foliage. For every two or three potato plants, grow a tansy plant within a few feet of the potato row. Tansy can be grown in a container or in the ground, depending on the available space.

   Planting mustard greens among cabbage establishes a "trap" for moths and leafwebbers. If you plant mustard greens for cooking and eating, plant a few plants away from the cabbage for harvesting. For carrots, plant onions. The onion aroma repels the carrot rust fly. Planting dill deters the Mexican bean beetle, which feeds on the foliage of bush and pole beans.

   Companion planting beans and potatoes has been successful in confusing the Mexican bean beetle and potato beetles. Alternate planting rows in a larger garden or alternate plants for a small garden. Plant extra beans away from potatoes plants to harvest. The beans near the potatoes will also act as a trap plant for the beetles which feed on bean plant foliage.

    When planting a Brassica such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, plant mint nearby whether in pots or in the ground. If you already have mint growing in the yard but don=t want to transplant, routinely crush a few leaves near the roots of a Brassica crop. The scent of mint will confuse moths and butterflies, thus deterring them from laying eggs on the plants you want to harvest.

   Scientists have recently studied the allelopathic effects of the roots of marigold reducing nematode populations in the soil. They have shown that the secretions emitted by marigold roots deter nematodes on eggplant roots. Wild mustard is another plant that secretes compounds that are toxic to the fungi and nematodes that prey on corn. Trim the wild mustard fifteen days after it emerges and thereafter trim every thirty days to keep it from competing with the corn for nutrients.

   Dandelions have a allelopathic characteristic that makes them valuable when interplanted with tomatoes. Dandelions produce an acid that ties up soil-bound iron needed by the disease called fusarium. Canadian researchers have found that the dandelion can protect tomatoes from fusarium. In southern states, fusarium attacks tomato roots and reduces yields from a plant. Planting resistant varieties of tomatoes is an important step in avoiding the disease. For North Texas bush tomatoes the following are recommended: Celebrity, Spring Giant, Whirlaway and Bingo. For vining tomatoes try Better Boy or Superfantastic. If you live outside the North Texas area, contact your local extension agent for varieties that grow successfully in your zone.

   Gail I. Morris
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