Companion planting

[dazza]

I would like to hear from any growers who have had experience with companion growing, ie what did you use and your results. I have tried it for the first time using garlic with fantastic results. Drove the mites off for starters which was a bonus!! First time i have not had to use any sprays(natural of course) to kill the mites. Anyone please reply...

[pipeman]

hey dazza, despite repeated applications with pyrethrum spray and mortein, the mites keep coming back to feed on my mother plants.

 

so my question is, do I need to actually grow the garlic or could I just hang some cloves?

[Guest Urbanhog]

trying to keep vampires away from your virgin mothers pipeman? ::

[dazza]

It is a little tricky without knowing where about your plants are in their cycle, but it would need to be planted to get best results. If they are in the veg. phase split a clove of garlic and plug a few "sections"(not sure what they are called once split up) straight into the medium, with just the tip sticking out of the medium. The garlic is planted with the hard flat side down and pointy side up.

If you want to start the garlic in a hurry place it in a small beaker of water with some rooting hormone, and place in your room that has the veg. cycle. This should get it started a little quicker, if after a few days you get a strong waft of garlic in your room- great, things are moving along.

If you want to reduce the time even more, go to your local grocer and ask him if he has any garlic already giving out shoots- you may see this quite often in grocer shops- sometimes they will give you the garlic cheap as well!!

As soon as you have a "section" or two with a main shoot and small roots starting to form, place it in the medium making sure it will get some light. It does not need too much light at all but the more the better to start with. My garlic is in total shade as my plants are nearly ready but they(garlic- i have two "sections per 50l pot) are still green and healthy. I will now make sure i get a few "sections" started with every plant i grow as you can get them started together in a pot and later transplant them together into a larger pot, or together in the same "grow/clone box".

I had mites before i did the garlic thing(at the start of my veg. cycle) and i saw them dissappear within a week or so and they have not been back since. I found Pyrethrum didn,t work on my last crop- even the one with the garlic extract and my plants didn't like being sprayed either. I will plants garlic every time i plant mj just after the last results i have had. I have not had to use sprays one and judging by the look of my babies they appreciate it very much.

Also Pipeman, if you can drop the temp. of the room a few degrees that will make the mites a little uncomfortable and want to leave.

Keep your eyes peeled for a section i will post in the next day or so on companion planting -how and what. I have a good book on what are the best companions and what bugs they don't like so i will post it in a forum.

[Guest Wilderbud]

dazza, thanks for the tip on garlic - Im definately planting some this week to scare the bugs off that I have - they grow in the soil so are probably eating my roots [hence the slow growth] and they turn into little fliers that sit under my leafves and like to stare at me when I see them. The infestation level is beyond control with salt/oil sprays so Im hoping the garlic will rid my growspace of them before flowering time [only a few weeks away if growth rate increases].

 

I dont use chemicals at all because I cant afford them so Im always trying homemade ideas.

[pipeman]

hey thanks for the info dazza, I'm definitely giving this a try. be magic if it works

 

and yes urban, keeping the vampires way is a bonus for sure.

[dazza]

no worries, let me know how it goes...

[pipeman]

hey dazza (or anyone else that knows)

 

this is a couple of gloves of garlic separated. do I just wack em in the soil like this with the pointy end sticking out the top? Do I peel off the outer white skin or leave it on?

Edited August 28, 2003 by pipeman

[wassily]

I've tried a lot of things for mites - GF is a country farm girl and her family has oodles of rememdies for everything, but seriously get some AVID mite spray - 20 bucks I think for a litre. It is the best thing I've seen. Killed every fucker and then some.

Vazmite

[dazza]

Thats it pipeman, leave the skin on and wack em straight in the soil pointy side up, give em some water and thats it.