Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 14, 1991                   TAG: 9103190124
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN                    PAGE: LG-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By CHARLES STEBBINS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PAIR PLANTS TO REPEL PESTS

It is based on the idea that certain plants repel insects or diseases not only for themselves but for all other plants in the immediate vicinity.

Gardening by companion planting means to pair up plants that repel pests with plants the gardener is cultivating.

The Virginia Tech Extension Service says this can reduce the need for chemical sprays, thereby aiding the environment and bringing about cleaner vegetables.

Companion planting is not a scientific theory and may not completely eliminate the need for other treatments to rid the garden of insects and diseases. But it is a cultural practice that apparently has worked for some gardeners and appears to be worth trying.

The Extension Service put together a list of companion plantings several years ago. Among them are:

Plant the herb basil with tomatoes to repel flies and mosquitoes.

Beans should be planted with potatoes, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower or cabbage.

Beets go with onions. Cabbage goes with potatoes, celery, beets or onions.

Pair up carrots with peas, lettuce, onions or tomatoes.

Cucumbers are good companions with beans, corn, peas and radishes.

Pumpkins and corn go together; radishes go with peas, lettuce and cucumbers. Squash is said to be protected when planted with nasturtiums or corn.

Marigolds, especially the old-style smelly types, are said to repel a wide array of insects and should be planted throughout the garden.

Another organic method that goes along with companion planting is crop rotation.

This means not to plant the same crop in the same spot in the garden year after year.

The Virginia Tech Extension Service says crops should not be planted in the same place more frequently than once every three or four years.

An alternative, if space is available, is to have two or even three garden plots and rotate planting between them. The unused plots could be planted with a cover crop than could be plowed into the soil in the fall.