Top Five Companion Plants For Tomatoes

Here in this article we will give you some of the best choices for companion plants of tomatoes. As a companion plant they provide one or more than one of the benefits to the tomato plants like:

1.    Reduce pests
2.    Improve health and flavor
3.    Reduce diseases
4.    Help in pollination

We have discussed about the basic of companion planting in our earlier article. So if you have missed that by any chance you can find it by clicking here. There are so many plants which can act as a companion to the tomato plants but here in this article we have chosen our top five.

Marigold:

These brightly colored flowered plants are known to everybody for their pungent smell. And surely you can use them to deter pests. It is a best controller for the nematodes (More on nematodes in this article).
They produce a substance called alpha-terthienyl

which reduces the root knot nematodes in the soil. The best way to do it is to first grow the plant and at the end of the season chop and till them into the soil. Apart from nematodes, slugs, worms and other garden pests can be reduced by planting Marigold plants along with
Tomatoes.

Spinach/Lettuce:
Planting Basil, Spinach or Lettuce along with tomatoes can greatly increase the taste of tomatoes. You can also save a lot of space by planting them in union. It increases the rate of pollination for both the plants. As a “cherry on the top of the cake”, it also saves your tomato plants from whiteflies, mosquitoes, aphids etc. Being larger in size tomato plants also provide shades for these leafy vegetables.

Carrots:
As they say: “Carrots love Tomatoes”. Carrots share the space well with tomatoes. The roots of the carrot break up the soil very well. So if you have planted it along with tomatoes, the tomato plant can take nutrients, water etc very easily. It is also helpful in harvesting. Plant the carrots when the tomatoes are very tiny and they will be ready to be harvested by the time tomato plants require more space to proliferate.

Onions/Garlic:
Onions and garlic are natural deterrent of pests. This is due to their pungent odor. Planting them along with tomatoes will definitely reduce your pest management cost. They are a good option if your tomatoes are infested with spider mites. Planting garlic cloves around tomato plants is like providing a natural insecticide to the plant. 

Borage:
Borage protects tomatoes from the hornworms. Growing borage along with tomatoes can help deterring the worms and keep your tomatoes healthy. Borage also has a fresh flavor to it so you can use the smaller leaves to salads or refreshing drinks. Besides tomatoes you can also use borage as a companion plant with Cabbage to deter cabbage worms.

For more ideas about companion plants of tomatoes see the video below.


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Top Five Perennial Vegetables

In one of our earlier article we have stressed on some points on the importance of growing perennial vegetables. There are so many vegetables which can be grown as perennials. Here in this article we will give you five of the most common perennials which are our favourite also. So here is a list of our fav five:

1. Papaya: A good choice as a fruit and also as vegetable (the raw ones). A papaya plant can produce more than 100 kgs of fruit in a year. They can be grown from seeds as well as through vegetation.
   
2. 
   Garlic: Though in most of the places garlic is grown as annuals it is basically a perennial plant. It is one of the healthiest vegetable you can get in the nature. 
   
    
3. Groundnut: Apart from their perennial features they are also known for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. The edible part of the plant is tubers. You can easily grow them by sowing tubers in moist soil.
   
   
4.  Sweet Potato: Apart from the roots of the plant leaves are also edible and are used in many parts of the world. The leaves are much more enriched in protein than the tubers.
   
   
5. Bitter Melon: as the name suggests they are bitter in taste. Their immature fruits are the most consumed part of the plant. They growing techniques are more or less similar to that of growing cucumbers.

This is a short list of our favourites. Which one do you grow? Share your experience with us.

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Top 8 pests of Tomatoes

I have discussed about tomato growing in one of my earlier article. This article is more about various problems which we face while growing tomatoes. So here are the top 8 pests which may prevent you from getting your desired results though not in the same order.

1. 

   Aphids: These are very small insects which are found on the leaves or the stems of the plant. Though one or two of them may not cause any major harm to the plant, once the numbers grow they create problems like curly leaves or yellowing of the plant or leave some sticky residue on the plant.
2. Cutworms: They are very tiny caterpillars and suck the juice out of the plant. Severe attack results in chewed stem which can easily seen on an infected plant.
3. Horn-worms: These are cylindrical in shape and greenish in color. You would find them underside of leaves. They have a voracious appetite and can eat up most of the plant in couple of days.
4. Beetles: These are also called Flea-beetles as they resembles a flea. Though I have mentioned it as Tomato pest, it can also cause damage to cabbage, potatoes, eggplants etc. If your plant is being affected by beetles you will find numerous small holes in the leaves.
5. Psyllid: These results purplish veins in the leaves of the plant.
6. Spider mites: They form webs on underside of the plant.
7. Nematodes: It is one of most problematic areas of tomato growing. These are tiny little (often microscopic), worms which infest the soil. I have written a separate article on nematodes and their control. You can find the article here.
8. White-flies: They feed on plant juices and leave behind a sticky residue.

There are several ways to fight those problems. It is very easy to get tempted to opt for chemical pesticides but the bad news is that many of the pests have developed resistance to the chemicals. So to solve the problem we must give organic methods a chance.

You can try spraying water or organic mixtures such as Neem oil, garlic extracts. Some of the pests can be easily removed by just picking them with hands for some you can try crop rotation or companion planting. They are so many ways by which the pests can be prevented by using organic means. You will find many techniques if you explore the site.

Please do post your comments and your experiences in handling tomato pests.

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Top Five Aquaponics Fish for The Fish Tank

In our earlier article we have given you an elementary idea about Aquaponics system and basics of Aquaponics Design. To extend our discussion here, in this article we will give you an idea about the various Aquaponics Fish which you can grow in the system. Though you can grow almost any fish you want, we recommend that you stick with fresh water fishes as most of the vegetables don’t like salt water.

So here is top five Aquaponics fish of our choice:

1.    Tilapia: Tilapia is a warm water fish. Ideal temperature ranges from 70 to 85 degree F. The best part of growing tilapia is that most of the varieties are resistant to diseases and pests and can survive low oxygen  level also. Tilapia grows very fast and can reach a weight of 1 kilo in 6 to 8 months. A downside of the story is in some places growing tilapia is prohibited. So if you plan to grow them first check the rule book of your country.

2.    Koi: They can survive in a high variety of water temperature (ranging from 30 to 80 degree F). They are brightly colored and can be considered as ornamental fish. Over time they grow whiskers around their mouth and can grow really large. Koi are very tasty and you can definitely use them as food. They are generally expensive compared to other fishes.

3.    Catfish: They are bottom dwellers; meaning they remain in the bottom of the tank. They are warm water (love temperature of 60 to 80 degree F) fish. The mature fish can reach a length of 18 inches and can weight up to 1and half kilos. Use a fish tank whose diameter is at least 4 feet if you are planning to grow catfish. It doesn’t have any scales and is a good choice if you are planning to eat your fish. A mature catfish can feed an entire family. A word of caution: some of the catfishes have spines on their fins; so be careful while harvesting.

4.    Goldfish: Goldfish are cultured mostly for ornamental purposes and less for eating due to their fantastic color varieties and body types. They like the water temperature same as the catfishes. They can reach up to 10 inches in length. They are very social and love interacting with humans. Goldfishes release a lot of ammonia into the water which is why it is a great choice for the Aquaponic system.

5.    Trout: This is a cold water (ranges from 50 to 65 degree F) fish. They are delicious and thus used mostly for eating purpose. These fishes are carnivorous.  For growing trout you are required to provide them a lot of oxygen and quality water. Some people prefer to grow trout in the winter and some warm water fish during the summer seasons.


Here are some points to remember:

1.     Don’t mix herbivorous and carnivorous fishes together. Otherwise you will be left with only one variety of the fish in the tank.

2.    Don’t mix warm and cold water fishes.

3.    Maintain the proper temperature inside the fish tank.


<<<How to improve your vegetable production nearly 10 times by using all organic methods>>>



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Related articles about Aquaponics:

Aquaponics System: Know the basics of Aquaponics Design

Advantages of Aquaponics System
Aquaponics System: 5 Steps To Success

Video: Preparing Aquaponics Fish Tank | Aquaponics Design A Step by Step Guide

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Roof Top Gardening Some Important Points

Want to do gardening but not having enough space in the backyard? Why not think upwards? If you have a roof top you can definitely use it to grow your favorite plants.

There are some benefits for roof top gardening:
1.    You can utilize your long unused space into a vegetable garden.
2.    Usually full of sunlight.
3.    Visually attractive.
4.    It can cool down the top floor of the apartment in the hot summers.

But unlike your backyard, you need to keep some points in mind before starting your roof top garden.

Weight: Weight is very important. First decide whether you want to use containers or you want to make plantation in the raised beds. In case you are planning to use containers try lighter material like plastic or fiber. Click here to know more about different container materials. Calculate the total amount of weight your roof top is going to bear. You need to add the weight of the soil (in wet condition), containers, mature plants along with their fruits, temporary weight such people and snow (in case you live in a place where snow fall is a regular incident). You can reduce the weight of the soil by mixing Coir or Perlite with the soil.

Sunlight: Generally roof tops are full of sunlight (unless your roof top is surrounded by some high buildings). So the chances are good that the plant will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight pretty easily. But over heating is sometimes also detrimental to certain plants. Beside heat from the top, there is a huge amount of heat also reflected back by the floor of the roof. So just keep in mind that in some cases you may need to provide some shading for the plants.

Wind: Your roof top is a place where the speed of the wind is maximum; especially if you live in high altitude. It is always better to provide some structural barrier or fencing to protect the plant in case of excessive wind flow.

Accessibility: This is a major issue. How easily you can access your roof top. Carrying soil, containers, equipments can be a real headache if the accessibility is poor. Please make sure you have lift or proper stairs installed before starting.

Watering: In the hot summer, the watering may required to do everyday. Make sure you have water connectivity in the roof top; otherwise carrying water everyday from downstairs can be a nuisance. Make sure you have proper drainage on the roof. You can also use the rain water if you have rain water harvesting system in place. You can find some idea about rain water harvesting in this article.

Besides these major issues some minor factors you also need to consider. In the likes of availability of electricity at the terrace can be really helpful though it is not essential. Also please take the required permission from your local authority before starting you garden.


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Top Five Plants for Indoor Gardening

If you are blessed with a backyard or a Terrace if might not want to row plant indoor but for the rest of us indoor gardening might be the only way out. It has its own share of problems. Lack of light, humidity, proper watering are some of them. Very few plants do good indoors without any artificial lights. Having said that there is hope. Here is a list of five plants which will give you satisfactory result.

Cilantro: Being a type of leafy veggies cilantro does well in indoor. Here is an article which tell you how to grow Cilantro.

cilantro

Mushrooms: Probably the best way to use the darkness of indoors is to grow Mushrooms. Here check this article for details on that.

Mushroom

Basil: Though basil prefer sun light and warm climate. It does fairly well indoors. The best place would be to place on a window where it will receive little bit of light here and there. 

Basil

Bay: It is a perennial plant and will do well in side your house. It also require proper air circulation. Please make a note if you want to grow Bay.

Bay

Chives: They are rich in antioxidants, Vitamin A and C and phytochemicals. These plants love humidity. Water regularly and make sure you soil does not get dry.

Chive

 

Which plant do you grow. Keep adding to that list.

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