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Wild flowers next to fruit and veg
Runciepat
Posts: 4
in Fruit & veg
Would it be problematic to have a wild flower area adjoining my vegetable plot? Just concerned it will attract wildlife that are tempted to taste my growing veg as well - or would the flowers tempt such bugs and beasties away from the veg and therefore be a help?
0
Posts
Hi
Wild flowers will be fine near a veg patch. The wild flowers will attract pollinators for your beans and peas.
The creatures that might feast on your veg will find them anyway, whether or not there are flowers nearby.
Last edited: 02 April 2017 09:53:10
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I agree with Dovefromabove. It's more likely to be beneficial than problematic. Some of the 'pests' are quite specific to particular varieties anyway, so the wild flowers may disguise your veg (the theory behind planting onion near carrot to deter carrot fly) or won't attract the pests anyway.
Saying that I've given up growing broccoli. I've tried everything and something gets it every time - caterpillars, mice, rabbits, weather. It could be because my neighbours grow a large area of brassicas (so all the pests head our way and my few plants are in the firing line) or I'm unlucky and it would have happened anyway.
You never know until you try it.
Do look at wild flowers appropriate to your area though. You'll be more successful and it's better for the local wildlife.
I grow purple sprouting broccoli, but I net it rigorously with a fine mesh making sure that it's high enough above the plants to make sure the butterflies can't lay eggs on the plants through the netting, and also so that the wood pigeons can't land on the supports and peck the plants through the netting.
Mind you, we don't have rabbits to contend with here - they're happy to stay over on the golf course - so far
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The rabbits found a way through the rabbit proof fence by using a dried out dyke behind the spiky hedge. The mice just burrow through anywhere they can find.
I havent quite given up really. This year I have a white sprouting (calabrese I think) which I planted in Autumn 2015 to overwinter. It took 18 months and I spent last year picking off the caterpillars, but it's so nearly about to produce edible heads that I don't like to tempt fate and say it's successful;)
If I get just one edible spear I'll say I did it then lay my broccoli growing dreams to rest.
I love white sprouting broccoli ........ a real 'gourmet veg' it has a more delicate flavour than purple and is more tender - not like calabrese really. Enjoy
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you. I shall look forward to beating the rest of nature to it!!!
Thanks everyone. I'm off to scatter my wild flower seeds todaY - next to my sunflowers. Can't wait to see the results. I'm new to this allotment lark so excited to see the results. I know there'll be failures but looking forward to the successes and learning more ?