I grow basil alongside my tomato plants - it helps keep whitefly at bay. I also grow french marigolds amongst them too for the same reason. Seems to work. I've never used aspirin on plants - the more stuff you add to the soil the more chance something will get unbalanced.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Agree with you @Pete.8 I just don't think a lot of these things are necessary. Tomatoes actually need very little in the way of extras, unless there's something desperately wrong with what they're being grown in.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Mine are grown in grow bags outdoors as I don’t have a greenhouse and I’m also growing potatoes, so I’m interested in testing this out.
Herbaceous’ link to James Wong mentions it makes the tomatoes much sweeter. Perryjohnbev, maybe you could test this out. On the same variety of tomato, feed some with aspirin and see if there is a difference.
@Pete.8- do you do that to make it easier to control everything? Blight etc too. We can't grow them outdoors here, for reliability reasons, but it would make life easier if I could have a couple outdoors.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl it's just tips I've picked up over many years of growing greenhouse tomatoes. I love basil and undoubtedly it helps deter whitefly. I like the smell of marigolds, but some insects do not - seems to work well for me until toward the end of the season when caterpillars and slugs seem to start munching on everything.
I had an awful infestation of blackfly on my runners a few years ago and I now plant french marigolds around them - still get some blackfly, but not so bad - which may just be a coincidence - but they look pretty anyway
I've not had to deal with blight I'm relieved to say, as I grow toms. in the greenhouse only. If you want to know when blight is likely in your area, you can sign up to blightwatch - I've already had one warning about a month ago.. https://blightwatch.co.uk/home/register/
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I just wondered if you grew then inside because of things like blight.
It's not warm enough here to grow outdoors. Night time temps in summer are often too low, never mind in spring. Not consistent enough. I only have a wee diddy greenhouse, so I only grow a few plants. I mainly grow my basil in the kitchen but I sometimes have a pot in with the toms.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
I also grow french marigolds amongst them too for the same reason.
Seems to work.
I've never used aspirin on plants - the more stuff you add to the soil the more chance something will get unbalanced.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I just don't think a lot of these things are necessary. Tomatoes actually need very little in the way of extras, unless there's something desperately wrong with what they're being grown in.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/trouble-in-the-vegetable-patch-break-out-the-aspirin-it-nips-pesky-blights-in-the-bud-9349916.html
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
We can't grow them outdoors here, for reliability reasons, but it would make life easier if I could have a couple outdoors.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I love basil and undoubtedly it helps deter whitefly. I like the smell of marigolds, but some insects do not - seems to work well for me until toward the end of the season when caterpillars and slugs seem to start munching on everything.
I had an awful infestation of blackfly on my runners a few years ago and I now plant french marigolds around them - still get some blackfly, but not so bad - which may just be a coincidence - but they look pretty anyway
I've not had to deal with blight I'm relieved to say, as I grow toms. in the greenhouse only.
If you want to know when blight is likely in your area, you can sign up to blightwatch - I've already had one warning about a month ago..
https://blightwatch.co.uk/home/register/
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
It's not warm enough here to grow outdoors. Night time temps in summer are often too low, never mind in spring. Not consistent enough.
I only have a wee diddy greenhouse, so I only grow a few plants. I mainly grow my basil in the kitchen but I sometimes have a pot in with the toms.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...