From: psmith@alfred.carleton.ca (Peter Smith)
Subject: Re: companion plants for potatoes?
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1993 12:30:54 GMT

babs@jfwhome.FUNHOUSE.COM, Babs Woods writes:
> 	Out of curiosity, if I planted potatoes I would be planting a
> monoculture in that plot and I was wondering if anyone had any
> recommendations for possible companion plants for potatoes?  I
> haven't heard of any, but if they exist I'd like to hear them.

I have had very good success with green bush beans.  I plant my
potatoes in rows.  So I planted a ring of bush beans around each row.
In other words, alternate rows and put beans at the end of each potato
row as well.
 
I have also used flax as a border, but have not tested it in isolation
from the beans yet.

One other companion that I've read about, but have not attempted due
to its invasiveness, is Horseradish.

Give the beans a try, and perhaps plant a small trap crop (potatoes
with no companion) off to the side of your main crop.
===

From: Moira_Carlson@mindlink.bc.ca (Moira Carlson)
Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1993 01:37:39 GMT

I have a book entitled "Carrots Love Tomatoes" by Louise Riotte,
Garden Way Publishing, 1985.  According to her, potatoes should be
grown near: beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish, marigold and eggplant.
They shouldn't be grown near: pumpkins, tomatos, raspberry, squash,
cucumber, sunflower.

Ms.Riotte goes in to a fair amount of detail, and does give some
reasons for the above.  If you want to try out companion planting,
this books gives a lot of information on it.

Now I'm interested too.  What is the net experience/opinion on
companion planting?  As an example, I have been growing garlic and
chives around my roses for several years (one of the classic bits of
lore re companion planting) and I can't see that it makes any
difference at all.  
-Cheers, -Moira Carlson