For all you fighting bugs along with myself...

Wish I had researched this before I planted my box. This is a great article on growing bug repellent items mixed in with your veggies, and some other good information I didn't know...

Why do I plant marigolds in my vegetable garden?
Marigolds are easy to grow and they help keep the aphids away . “The relationship between plants and
insects is known as ‘companion planting.’ it’s by far the safest, natural way to garden organically.”

Plants That Naturally Repel Insects:There are many beneficial herbs that keep
insects away.

Ø Peppermint repels ants, white cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles.
Ø Garlic discourages aphids, fleas, Japanese beetles, and spider mites.
Ø Perennial Chives repel aphids and spider mites.
o Chives are often planted among roses to keep aphids away and to resist the disease, Blackspot.
Ø Basil drives away flies and mosquitoes.
Ø Borage deters that monster of vegetable garden insects, the tomato hornworm.
Ø Rosemary and Sage repel cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies.
Ø Annual Marigolds can be used anywhere to deter Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. They are also known to repel harmful root knot nematodes (soil dwelling microscopic white worms) that attack tomatoes, potatoes, roses, and strawberries. The root of the Marigold produces a
chemical that kills nematodes as they enter the soil. If a whole area is infested, at the end of the season, turn the Marigolds under so the roots will decay in the soil. You can safely plant there again the following spring.
Ø Nasturtium is another annual, in this case a trailing vine, that keeps away Colorado potato bugs, squash bugs, and whiteflies.
Ø The perennial, Artemisia or Wormwood, deters slugs that are so devastating to foliage.
Ø Radishes can be planted to discourage cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and stink bugs.

Attracting Good Insects To Your Garden:

Plant certain vegetables, herbs, or flowers in your garden to attract
predatory insects that will feed on the harmful, undesirable ones.

Perennial Yarrow…attracts ladybugs that consume masses of aphids. The lacewing that feeds on aphids, mealy bugs, mites, and scale needs lots of pollen from flowers and evergreens for shelter. Wasps and bees are also beneficial to the garden. Even the prehistoric-looking preying mantis is a friend, so don’t discourage it from visiting. When you create a natural balance in your garden you’ll discover how much better everything grows and you won’t need to worry about damaging the environment.

Ideal Planting Companions For Vegetables:The following is a list of vegetables and their ideal
planting companions, plus combinations to avoid:

• Beans-like celery and cucumbers but dislike onions and fennel.
  
• Beets are compatible with bush beans, lettuce, onions, kohlrabi, and most
  members of the cabbage family. Keep pole beans and mustard away from them.
  
• Cabbage, celery, dill, onions, and potatoes are good companion plants. Dislikes include strawberries, tomatoes, and pole beans.
  
• Carrots, lettuce, radish, onions, and tomatoes are friends. Dill isn’t, so plant it at the other end of the garden.
  
• Corn prefers to be near pumpkins, peas, beans, cucumbers, and potatoes. Keep tomatoes away.
  
• Cucumbers like sweet corn, peas, radishes, beans, and sunflowers. Dislikes include aromatic herbs and potatoes.
  
• Lettuce grows especially well with onions. They are also compatible with strawberries, carrots, radishes, and cucumbers.
  
• Onions can be planted near lettuce, beetroot, strawberries, and tomatoes but keep well away from peas and beans.
  
• Peas, carrots, cucumbers, sweet corn, turnips, radishes, beans, potatoes, and aromatic herbs are good companions. Keep peas away from onions, garlic, leek, and shallots.
  
• Radish grows well with beetroot, carrots, spinach, parsnip, cucumbers, and beans. Avoid planting near cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or turnips.
  
• Squash can be planted with cucumbers and corn. Tomatoes, carrots, onions, and parsley are good companion plants. Basil improves growth and flavour. Keep cabbage and cauliflower away from them.
  

Go figure, time to transplant some stuff around to make room...

Thanks for posting the research. I have read about it before but I haven't tested it out. Might be interesting to try.

A note though, last year I had a ants NEST in my pot of peppermint so at least that one didn't hold true for me. The ants were very happy there.

I might try a few of the other solutions though to see if they help.

I was a little put off by bugs and was considering spraying but decided against it. I have started planting appropriate companion plants and I figured that the first year of my garden things will be a little out of balance, but expect that to right itself in time as long as I don't kill off all of the beneficials with the bad guys. I may be wrong, I am about most things, but that is my plan and I am sticking to it. Plus, it's cheaper.

Marigolds shouldn't be planted next to beans. Marigold roots exude an herbicidal effect against beans. Wish I'd read that before last year when I planted them next to my pole beans. Several of my bean plants died.

Marigolds did not deter the hornworms from my tomatoes, and they also did no good at deterring squash bugs. I tried surrounding my plants with marigolds, but the bugs crawled right over them. Ditto with catnip, which is supposed to be another squash bug deterrent. There seems to be a lot of evidence that marigold destroys root nematodes and whiteflies, but I've never had those problems (maybe because I planted marigolds???)

I also tried various sorts of mint and garlic plantings and sprays against the flea beetles on my eggplants, and none did any good.

I do believe in companion planting, especially for attracting beneficial insects, trap crops, and nurturing or supporting each other such as in the Three Sisters plantings, but my experience has been that with some exceptions, companion planting used for deterring insects has been the least successful. Perhaps the plants should be in a certain stage of growth, such as flowering, for them to work, or perhaps they should be made into a spray, etc. Those companion-planting guides usually give little information as to HOW they are supposed to be used to deter pests.

However, I am ever hopeful and will keep on trying. Thanks for giving me some new things to try.

ander217 wrote:Marigolds shouldn't be planted next to beans. Marigold roots exude an herbicidal effect against beans. Wish I'd read that before last year when I planted them next to my pole beans. Several of my bean plants died.

I planted marigolds next to my bean plants and they flourished. The only pest that doesn't want to leave them alone are the Japanese Beetles. I can't say weather or not they work for tomatoes, mine over grew mine in about three days with hot days and rain (one plant grew 6" over night), but most bugs have been staying away thus far.

I also think that companion planting might take a few years of planting the same crops in the same place (it's been suggested here and else where), which for some people may never truly work. I don't know. I think it might also be different for different parts of the country as well, I can't imagine that the far north and the far south will have the EXACT same thing happen continuously. Trial and error is always fun, unless your plants are destroyed. Grrr.

My head spins from reading all the conflicting info on companion planting.

There is a LOT of controversy over the benefit/detriment of planting marigolds in the garden. One guide says they attract red spider mites and shouldn't be planted. Another says plant them to use them as a trap crop for red spider mites. One guide says plant them next to tomatoes to eliminate white flies, while another says not to plant them with tomatoes because they make tomatoes more susceptible to blight. One says to plant them with beans to deter Mexican bean beetles, another says don't plant them with beans because of the herbicidal effect. One says plant them throughout the garden to attract bees, another says only the single flower types can be accessed by bees, not the double types commonly sold in garden stores.

I've read a lot of discussions on whether to plant marigolds next to beans.
Some people had problems while others didn't, but apparently it makes a difference as to which type of marigold you plant. It's the Mexican marigolds which have the herbicidal effect. French and targetes types don't seem to harm beans. I can only say I planted double-type marigolds from Wal-Mart under my Blue Lake bean teepee next to each leg. The beans came up fine, but all the plants quickly stunted or died, and very few of them produced. The nearby asparagus beans away from the marigolds grew just fine, but I realize it could be coincidence that my Blue Lakes died.

I hadn't thought about the possibility that resistance builds up over time in the soil. I wonder how well that would work using Mel's Mix and practicing crop rotation?

I think the bottom line is, try it in your own microclimate with your own pests and diseases and if something works, great. If not, go back to the drawing board and try something else.

I planted marigolds in several spots in my beds and apparently "someone" LOVED it because the leaves were lace within one evening. Not sure that it saved another plant because several other plants suffered the same faint but managed to come back from it. But at the very least some bug out there finds them delicious!

All I am using at this time are radishes and nasturtiums. They are both useful in and of themselves and radishes are so satisfying to watch grow while waiting for what they are planted with just to sprout.

I agree with conflicting information and when it is just observation you just don't know what the variables were and whether A resulted in B or if it was just coincidence.

I do know that bug infestations tend to cycle (my own observation) and who knows what natural occurences cause that. If the cycle looks like it will destroy the garden, I will likely spray with neem oil. My grandkids were not fooled with the idea of catching yellow beetles with black spots as a game.

Yes. Well my kids find it very amusing when I hand-pick bugs and yell at the same time. I have to admit, the mating squash beetles make me dance AND yell. Great family entertainment.