Companion planting

 

Hi,
   I have just planted a Lime tree and wondered if there was anything
anyone would recommend be planted around the base. I have been told not to
plant anything to avoid root competetion, is this correct?

thanks
       Brian

 

Hi Brian,

I'm not too sure of the "correct" thiong to do, but I successfully grew a
heap of spinach and silverbeet around my lime, lemon and orange trees. Also
a friend put a heap of compost around hers and she grew a heaps of
"volunteer" cherrt toms.

Can't be too bad for the trees either as her (at least) are going great.
Mine are a different matter, but I don't think the plantings around the base
contributed to this - I have a leaf miner problem!

Cheers,
MC

 

I plant garlic around the base of each of my trees.  I never harvest it, but
let it grow year after year.  I also plant tulips around them for a pretty
display in the spring.  I heard an old wives tale about garlic keeping some
bugs out of your fruit and trees.  I have also read it in gardening books.
It seems to keep the rabbits from my cabbage plants.  I used to live in a
place that had lime, orange, and grapefruit trees in the yard and I never
noticed any of them bothered with bugs or other pests.

Dwayne