Groundhog
Member
Any beneficial plants or herbs that can/ should be planted near hops?
Cheers,
Alston
Cheers,
Alston
Companion planting w/ Hops
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HoppyDaze
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Now that you got that our of the way and to answer the damn question....
There are some flowers and herbs that can be planted as ground cover to attract the bugs so they will stay off the hops.
Marigolds have worked well for me.
There are some flowers and herbs that can be planted as ground cover to attract the bugs so they will stay off the hops.
Marigolds have worked well for me.
+1 on Marigolds
You can't answer the first question without knowing what the goal is.
Do you want to improve your soil by planting nitrogen fixing companion plants? Cover crop for fall/winter/spring to prevent erosion? Are you trying to control aphids? Something else? and yes, Japanese beetles are also part of the discussion.
What is the goal of your companion planting? It's not a simple yes/no question and if you want the right answers for your situation, you need to elaborate.
Do you want to improve your soil by planting nitrogen fixing companion plants? Cover crop for fall/winter/spring to prevent erosion? Are you trying to control aphids? Something else? and yes, Japanese beetles are also part of the discussion.
What is the goal of your companion planting? It's not a simple yes/no question and if you want the right answers for your situation, you need to elaborate.
COLObrewer
Well-Known Member
The answer is yes/maybe.
HoppyDaze
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there are LOTS of potential companion plants with different benifits.
BUT many also come with their own added maintenance and nuisances.
For example; white clover. It is benificial as a nitrogen fixing plant but, in my experience, attracted a TON of bugs. Leaf Hoppers (Grass Hoppers) and Butterflies to be specific. The grasshoppers munch on teh foliage and the butterflies lay devastation by way of catterpillers.
My point is, if you are doing this study the option well and pick your poison carefully.
BUT many also come with their own added maintenance and nuisances.
For example; white clover. It is benificial as a nitrogen fixing plant but, in my experience, attracted a TON of bugs. Leaf Hoppers (Grass Hoppers) and Butterflies to be specific. The grasshoppers munch on teh foliage and the butterflies lay devastation by way of catterpillers.
My point is, if you are doing this study the option well and pick your poison carefully.
jjones17
Well-Known Member
A few things here from a fairly experienced gardener but no expert.
Marigolds - I have heard to buy french variety marigolds (the ones with the smaller flowers), and not the african marigolds (the ones with the huge, mophead flowers). African marigolds do not repel the bad nematodes and other soil pests, while the french variety do. In my experience, both varieties entice the foliage eating bugs to eat the marigold and not the nearby plants to a degree. May as well get both benefits - Get french (smaller flowered) marigolds. Also consider Calendula, and get the seeds. They are easy to grow from seed directly in your garden bed.
Other plants of interest are Geraniums and Garlic for Japanese beetles.
Consider Borage - A REEEALLY good plant that repels all kinds of insects as well as benefiting nearby plants in other ways.
I also like Visnaga Casablanca. Its really good for attracting the good bugs.
Marigolds - I have heard to buy french variety marigolds (the ones with the smaller flowers), and not the african marigolds (the ones with the huge, mophead flowers). African marigolds do not repel the bad nematodes and other soil pests, while the french variety do. In my experience, both varieties entice the foliage eating bugs to eat the marigold and not the nearby plants to a degree. May as well get both benefits - Get french (smaller flowered) marigolds. Also consider Calendula, and get the seeds. They are easy to grow from seed directly in your garden bed.
Other plants of interest are Geraniums and Garlic for Japanese beetles.
Consider Borage - A REEEALLY good plant that repels all kinds of insects as well as benefiting nearby plants in other ways.
I also like Visnaga Casablanca. Its really good for attracting the good bugs.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
Basil is supposed to keep deer out and it is awesome fresh.
Hell, you should be growing basil no matter where you put it!lol.
Hell, you should be growing basil no matter where you put it!lol.
Marigolds attract the aphids. Same with Daisy and Aster. Now, these aphids may be of use to you as some of them actually eat other insects (bagworms, for example)
However, what you really want to do if you have aphid issues are to plant things that attract hoverflies, wasps, lacewings, ladybugs, and damsel bug nymphs, etc etc. They eat aphids like crazy. Remember not to spray insect killer all over the place. This is usually a vicious cycle that kills the predators and makes it a ripe environment for new infestations to be established unchecked, requiring more spraying, and so on. Sort of defeats the purpose.
From the following link:
http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm
Beneficial Insects
Beneficial insects are insects which you can attract to your garden, or buy from catalogues, which prey on harmful insects or their larvae. There are many different species for specific problems, and more information is available at several of the links listed on this page.
Brachonids,Chalcids and Ichneumon Wasps
These small beneficial insects destroy leaf-eating caterpillars. You can attract them to your garden by planting carrots, celery, parsley, caraway and Queen Anne's lace, all members of the Umbelliferae family. These plants are easy to grow, and some should be left to flower. It's the flower that attracts the insects.
Ladybugs
These common insects consume aphids, mites, whiteflies and scale. They can be attracted to your garden by planting members of the daisy family (Compositae), tansy or yarrow. Ladybugs are also available from catalogues online.
Lacewings
Lacewings are avid consumers of aphids, and their larva eat aphids and other varieties of other insect pests. They are attracted to "composite" flowers, such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Lacewings can also be purchased online at the sources listed below, and released directly into your garden.
Hover-flies
Hover-flies are avid consumers of aphids, and the larva of hover-flies eat aphids and other insect pests. Like the Lacewings, they are attracted to "composite" flowers, such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Seeds for these flowers are available online, or at most garden centers.
Praying Mantis
These large insects have an appetite for most garden pests. Praying mantis eggs are set out in the garden where they hatch and quickly grow to adult size. The eggs are available through mail-order catalogues, some of which are listed below.
However, what you really want to do if you have aphid issues are to plant things that attract hoverflies, wasps, lacewings, ladybugs, and damsel bug nymphs, etc etc. They eat aphids like crazy. Remember not to spray insect killer all over the place. This is usually a vicious cycle that kills the predators and makes it a ripe environment for new infestations to be established unchecked, requiring more spraying, and so on. Sort of defeats the purpose.
From the following link:
http://www.eartheasy.com/grow_nat_pest_cntrl.htm
Beneficial Insects
Beneficial insects are insects which you can attract to your garden, or buy from catalogues, which prey on harmful insects or their larvae. There are many different species for specific problems, and more information is available at several of the links listed on this page.
Brachonids,Chalcids and Ichneumon Wasps
These small beneficial insects destroy leaf-eating caterpillars. You can attract them to your garden by planting carrots, celery, parsley, caraway and Queen Anne's lace, all members of the Umbelliferae family. These plants are easy to grow, and some should be left to flower. It's the flower that attracts the insects.
Ladybugs
These common insects consume aphids, mites, whiteflies and scale. They can be attracted to your garden by planting members of the daisy family (Compositae), tansy or yarrow. Ladybugs are also available from catalogues online.
Lacewings
Lacewings are avid consumers of aphids, and their larva eat aphids and other varieties of other insect pests. They are attracted to "composite" flowers, such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Lacewings can also be purchased online at the sources listed below, and released directly into your garden.
Hover-flies
Hover-flies are avid consumers of aphids, and the larva of hover-flies eat aphids and other insect pests. Like the Lacewings, they are attracted to "composite" flowers, such as yarrow, goldenrod, black-eyed susan's and asters. Seeds for these flowers are available online, or at most garden centers.
Praying Mantis
These large insects have an appetite for most garden pests. Praying mantis eggs are set out in the garden where they hatch and quickly grow to adult size. The eggs are available through mail-order catalogues, some of which are listed below.
fattymattybrewing
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Here is my list of companion plants which are used for the commercial hopyard and our vegi garden every year.
http://www.simpleearthhops.com/p/companion-planting.html
http://www.simpleearthhops.com/p/companion-planting.html
jjones17
Well-Known Member
Awesome link! Thanks alot!
I like the link but you have "pest repellent" listed. No columns for pest predator attractant? There are lots of good plantings for those bugs too...
Groundhog
Member
Thanks for the info, folks- all is super helpful...
Sorry to bother Randar- just a noob looking for a little help.
* Magnum- sprouted and growing well
* Nugget- sprouted and not growing much
* Cascade- has not sprouted
I planted all of the rhizomes around the 1st of April.
Sorry to bother Randar- just a noob looking for a little help.
* Magnum- sprouted and growing well
* Nugget- sprouted and not growing much
* Cascade- has not sprouted
I planted all of the rhizomes around the 1st of April.
Concerning yarrow. Yarrow has a rhizome of it's own. I have hops growing in a raised garden, each bed seperated by a cinder block. I was afraid if I grew yarrow in the same bed as the hops, that there may not be enough room (eventually) for both rhizomes. I was also afraid the rhizomes (eventually) might 'crash' into each other and become an unrecognizable mess that I can't maintain.
For those using yarrow as a companion plant, how do you do it. Are they in the same bed? Are they just 'near' each other. How many feet is 'near'? I want to plant yarrow but I want to control it as well as it can be invasive.
For those using yarrow as a companion plant, how do you do it. Are they in the same bed? Are they just 'near' each other. How many feet is 'near'? I want to plant yarrow but I want to control it as well as it can be invasive.
Yarrow as an attractant for predator species only needs to be "in the vicinity". I have mine a good 25 feet away, but have various beneficials scattered about in different directions.
Thanks Randar, then I have the perfect location for the yarrow. Someday I want to see your set up. Thanks again!
fattymattybrewing
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here is the updated spreadsheet with beneficial insects added:
http://www.simpleearthhops.com/p/companion-planting.html
thanks for the suggestion.
Do you have a shared (you can protect access to read only) Google Docs version (link)? The formatting on the website makes it hard to read, but that is a nice summary I'd like to bookmark.
fattymattybrewing
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Once again, another good idea. here is the spreadsheet which I agree is so much easier to read directly from google docs...
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aitc3OdxDO-WcHBCTExuaVBqTTZKc1l3TnJlTmhZVXc&hl=en
Once again, another good idea. here is the spreadsheet which I agree is so much easier to read directly from google docs...
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aitc3OdxDO-WcHBCTExuaVBqTTZKc1l3TnJlTmhZVXc&hl=en
Sweet. Thanks
One more good link to describe predator insects and their attractant plants:
http://homepage.mac.com/fredandjeannehoffman/.Public/plants.beneficials.pdf
Sounds good. I updated the beneficial insects tab with a couple more insects and included which plants are companions. I know the companion plantings column is not complete, but it lists a lot of options.
fattymattybrewing
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thanks and feel free to pop in there anytime and make more changes as you see fit.
Enjoying this thread,especially since my Hop Farm is Certified Organic.I have lots of good bugs LOTS .I am starting to have a grasshopper problem and not sure what to do about it.I use no insecticides at all.Typically the end of the month just before harvest it gets cool and wet at night and I get some aphids.So if I used any organic insecticide now I would kill a lot of beneficial insects especially lady bugs that control my possible aphid outbreak.The hoppers at this point are only eating lower vegetation which is not a loss and should have been stripped away. Wish I could figure out how to put a picture on here Cheers
Once again, another good idea. here is the spreadsheet which I agree is so much easier to read directly from google docs...
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aitc3OdxDO-WcHBCTExuaVBqTTZKc1l3TnJlTmhZVXc&hl=en
This spreadsheet is AMAZING...thank you from a new hops grower.
I'd be tempted to plant plums. Being the alternate host for the damson-hop aphid, it could make a magnet for the hopyard's aphids in the end of the season, and thus offer a possibility to treat overwintering aphids before they migrate back to the hops.
