Marigolds are one plant to add to your garden to repel insects.
A vegetable garden must be protected from pests such as insects that may damage or destroy your plants. Chemical means of control often prove to be expensive and leave behind toxic residues dangerous to humans or animals. An alternative to chemical pest control is companion planting, a method that involves planting specific plants near one another to repel pests. This method has been effectively used by gardeners for centuries and even allows you to grow extra plants in your garden. Does this Spark an idea?
Marigolds
Marigolds deter a wide range of garden insects, including whiteflies, nematodes, aphids, beetles and mites. The color of marigolds confuses flying insects and distracts pests from other plants. The fragrance of marigolds deters pests and also confuses insects. Plant marigolds alongside plants in your garden, create rows of them between garden plants, or scatter them randomly throughout your garden to repel pests.
Basil
This herb, when placed throughout a garden, deters most insect pests, including white flies, aphids, mites and moths. Like marigolds, basil may be planted sporadically throughout a garden or planted in succession around other plants to create a protective hedge. Basil can be grown in the same hole as tomato plants to repel pests and improve their flavor.
Garlic
Garlic is an all-purpose insect repellent, noted to repel insect pests in the garden and in the home. Garlic repels flying pests such as white flies, fruit flies, moths, gnats, mites and flying beetles. Ground-dwelling pests such as mites, maggots, grubs, caterpillars and beetles are also repelled by the scent of garlic. Since garlic grows as bulbs, the plants may be planted throughout the garden or as a border plant to ward off pests.
Borage
This plant, when grown in borders around garden beds repels insects such as moths and their larvae, flies, mites and gnats. It also repels grubs and worms from tomato and eggplants. Aside from protecting strawberry plants from pests, borage also improves the flavor of the strawberry fruits and increases the harvest.
Catnip
Catnip, planted throughout your garden, repels pests such as ants and rodents. This herb also repels fleas from your yard. While catnip has no cooking use like the other herbs in this article, it can be dried to create a treat for your cat or for friends' cats.
Pyrethrum
This plant is a main ingredient in many chemical insecticides. Avoid using the harmful insecticide but still reap the benefits of the plant by growing it in your garden. Plant a border of pyrethrum around any garden bed to repel airborne and soilborne pests from your vegetables.
Rosemary
This plant has a pungent aroma that most garden pests find unappealing. Plant it as a protective border shrub around every garden bed you wish to protect. Rosemary repels pests such as flying insects, grubs, beetles and mites. Rosemary grows wide and large if allowed, so use only in borders.
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