Marigold to thwart green hornworm?

[Crandrew]

Originally Posted by DogsandDirt

Mints can be extremely invasive. I would keep them in pots around the garden rather than in it.

+1 keep it in a pot

[wmontanez]

I plant tagetes, basil and nasturtiums around my tomato plants. I have seen 1 of those tomato hornworms in a pepper plant once last year. So I guess is either I am lucky or the rotations/companion planting are working or both. I have not seen spider mites near my tomato yet. Slugs are somewhat present but does not seem to bother my tomatoes so far.

I try to do companion planting and rotation but I am very much interested in Allelopathy to help me since I use organic growing methods.

I read today in my Mother Earth News magazine that horseradish deters Colorado Potato Beattle...I have been lucky that CPB have not found my potato plants yet.

I found that the beds that had brassicas before potatoes in my rotation had no wireworm damage and later I found some publications that the brassicas releases some compounds into the soil that wireworms don't like.

[kath]

Originally Posted by wmontanez

I found that the beds that had brassicas before potatoes in my rotation had no wireworm damage and later I found some publications that the brassicas releases some compounds into the soil that wireworms don't like.

First I've heard of this- think I'll try to plant next year's potatoes where the fall brassicas are going. Thanks for sharing this observation.

kath

[wmontanez]

The areas where I had wireworm damage is when I converted lawn area to grow potatoes...

these 2 articles talk about it
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat...pnw/pnw607.pdf
http://orgprints.org/10863/1/Wirewor...en_manures.pdf

[zeroma]

While reading this thread with much zest, as I have French marigolds all over the garden, who knows what is good and what is bad and what do spider mites do anyway?

Do Spider mites become spiders? and aren't spiders good for eatting other bugs?

Much confussin on this issue, no?

[tjg911]

yes bt is definitely organic. i never heard of marigolds to deter thw but i have read they deter nematodes.

bt is so easy and effective why mess around with other things that may not work unless you want to have marigolds. i sprayed and the thw are all gone. i often don't have any thw in some seasons but if i do they seem to come appear one time and not again so i think i'm done with them... but i'll still watch.

tom

[kdlund]

Originally Posted by JamesL

My very limited knowledge of companion plants -
Borage and Basil to deter hormworms, Petunias to attract them.
The point of attracting them is of course is so you can lure them away from the tomatoes and then "deal with them" as you see fit.

[kdlund]

Originally Posted by JamesL

My very limited knowledge of companion plants -
Borage and Basil to deter hormworms, Petunias to attract them.
The point of attracting them is of course is so you can lure them away from the tomatoes and then "deal with them" as you see fit.

Although I have heard a lot about borage stoping the tomato worm, I find it untrue. I had two years ago planted over 150 tomatoe plants and got the worm. It dececrated my garden, not matter what I did to get rid of them they just kept multiplying. So I heard of the borage thing and planted it all over the tomato patch last year and still got thusands of worms.