This classic has now taught generations of gardeners how to use the natural benefits of plants to protect and support each other. Here is a reader's complete reference to which plants nourish the soil, which keep away bugs and pests, and which plants just don't get along. Here is a complete guide to using companion planting to grow a better garden. 555,000 copies in print.
List Price: $14.95
Amazon Price: $9.72
Used Price: $9.00
Customer Review: Carrots hate tomatoes
There is almost no science to back up the author's claims about the benefits of companion plants. Most of her book is based on folk tales, myths and assumptions.
A gentleman named Craig Dremann actually studied the effects of companion plants and concluded that carrots detest tomatoes. Carrots do grow well with garlic and radishes but they grow very poorly with tomatoes. Carrots only grew to 6% of normal when interplanted with tomatoes. Tomatoes grew better with carrots so clearly the tomatoes were robbing nutrients from the carrots. Tomatoes also grow better with garlic but the garlic suffers, only growing 35% of normal.
The Craig Dremann booklet with his findings is called "Companion Plants: Carrots Really Detest Tomaotes" and is available from Redwood City Seed Company in Redwood City, CA.
Customer Review: Alphabetical Gardening Guide
This book is a gardening guide that focuses on companion planting. The book consists of short articles arranged in alphabetical order. In addition to articles about common garden plants, there are also articles about trees, topics relating to plant genetics and nutrition, pests, and diseases. Each article about a garden plant mentions other plants that do well with the plant, as well as those that don't. In each case, Riotte notes whether the companion plants should be interplanted or planted in separate but nearby rows, and explains the reasoning behind the preferences. The plant articles generally include the scientific names for the plants as well as the common names. The insect articles cover beneficial insects as well as pests. Suggested solutions for garden problems are all organic. The book is amply illustrated with pen-and-ink drawings. Following the alphabetical part of the book is a collection of longer articles and charts with useful information, including a pollination reference, a list of nut trees, a description of common poisonous plants and how to recognize them, a model garden plan, a list of garden suppliers, a list of suggested readings, and an index.
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