Herbs/Flowers for Veggie Garden

10 years ago

Starting my first vegetable garden and I'm looking for what you would consider the MUST HAVE herbs/flowers for companion planting. My list of from researching is huge and I cant afford to buy them all right now. Since I'll be growing organically and live in the south, my focus is on plants that help keep bad bugs away. Trying to narrow it down to a handful of plants, multi functional ones are a plus!

Garden will have the following veggies:

Beets, broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, cucumber, Eggplant, kale, lettuce, melons, onions, peas, peppers, pumpkin, radish, rutabaga, spinach, all varieties of squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and watermelon.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Featured Answer

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

10 years ago

To be perfectly honest I wouldn't spend a single penny on 'companion' plants. Just grow what you want to grow. You could have a few simple open-faced annuals such as Calendula or Limnanthes to attract pollinators and predator insects such as lady bugs and Lace wings. As to herbs just plant what you want to eat. But there really very little evidence for any plants deterring 'bad bugs'.

To get further advice on your first veggie garden I'd go on over to the Vegetable Garden Forum which is much more active than this one.

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Comments (7)

maxjohnson
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Some people are lucky to live in places that have less pests, here in Florida pests and diseases are rampant.

There are lots of people saying there is no scientific back up for companion planting. I'm not into companion planting the sense of one specific plant as a partner for another specific crop, but I do think having biodiversity in the garden is important to promote it's health. If there were no science at all behind it, there should never be pesticides require for monoculture agriculture ever, 100% of all vegetables you buy in store must be 100% free of pesticides, since base on this argument monoculture crops don't require biodiversity to thrive or resist pests at all. You should be able to grow 100 acre of corn without ever worrying about pests. Try having a commercial tomato field operation in Florida without using pesticides and see how it goes, actually just try growing tomato in Florida at all. I do agree however having good soil, compost and mulch will provide vigor and protection for the plant, but that is part of the biodiversity.
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Jes Lynn
10 years ago
I apologize for hopping in - maxjohnson I wasn't sure how to personal message you - you said you had experience with Vietnamese peppers and in trying to figure out what I'm growing!
Jes Lynn
10 years ago
Maxjohnson it says you replied but I can't see it - how can I message you?
hawaiisam
10 years ago
Alyssum interplanted with lettuce and broccoli suppresses aphids according to recent studies. Plus it is pretty and easy to grow from seed.
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beesneeds
10 years ago
Nasturtiums. Every time I see this kind of question, that's my first answer. The whole plant is edible, leaf, stem, flower, and seed. It's beautiful. It's flowers attract pollinators- it can also act as a trap plant, especially for aphids.
Wild Haired Mavens
10 years ago
Calendula

marigolds

borage

nasturtiums

Basil

chamomile