POTATO (Solanum tuberosum L)
Published: 2015-03-13Tags: алелопатия, картоф, картофи, растения-компаньони, другаруване
Translation
This is a translation of a Bulgarian-language post. It conveys the content faithfully but is not the author's original English writing.
A good companion for potatoes — improving their flavour and fertility while protecting them from the Colorado beetle — is flax (caution: poisonous, especially the unripe seed pods!). Low-growing bean varieties also repel the Colorado beetle. Horseradish planted at the corners of the potato plot protects it from disease (though if you do not want it to take over, it is best to dig out the roots before winter). If you also plant a few tobacco plants, you increase the protection further. Other good companions for the potato are cabbage-family crops, as well as carrots, celery, corn, dead-nettle, peas, petunia, calendula and tagetes.
Potatoes grown near cucumbers become vulnerable to the pathogen Phytophthora — the infection that causes their leaves to blight. Do not plant potatoes near raspberries either, as they become more vulnerable to blight; the same happens if they are near cherry roots. If they do catch late blight, use a garlic spray — it helps the plants recover. A walnut tree near the potatoes will also be a problem. Never let red orache sprout near them, as it strongly slows their growth.