One of the biggest problems any gardener can face is pests. Whether it’s slugs, snails, or various types of flies, there is a seemingly endless list of insects that want to eat your plants and any crops you might be growing this year.
Trying to keep pests away from your garden can be a nightmare – especially when you consider that the methods used to keep slugs at bay are not the same as the ones for flies. This can leave you having to juggle regular upkeep of several pest control methods at the same time – ending in headaches and frustration if they aren’t successful.
But according to one gardening expert on social media, you can do something to keep pests away from your flowers and fruiting plants.
What’s more, it simply involves planting a few herbs in the gaps between your plants. This will fill out your flower beds while keeping pests away, and you’ll even be able to harvest the herbs for use in the kitchen.
Chloe Taylor shared a video on TikTok in which she shared four herbs you can plant to keep bugs and other nuisance animals away from your plants.
1. Sage
Chloe started with sage, which she recommended planting near brassicas. This includes things like cabbage, kale, and broccoli. She also said it “grows really well” near carrots, so if you’ve got any of these vegetables in your garden this year, consider planting some sage alongside them to ward off pests.
The strong scent of the herb, particularly from compounds like cineole and camphor, can disrupt the sensory receptors of some insects and can keep mosquitoes, carrot flies, cabbage moths, slugs, and snails away from your garden.
2. Thyme
If you’re growing tomatoes or aubergines in your garden, thyme is an excellent herb to plant alongside them. Chloe stated that the potent smell of thyme helps to deter pests that disturb these plants, such as whiteflies, mosquitoes, hornworms, and some types of maggots.
Chloe added: “As a bonus tip, this particular herb also attracts lots of beneficial insects [such as bees], as it gives off these really nice little flowers.”
3. Lavender
While you might think of lavender as a flower rather than a herb, the plant is part of the mint family and is often grown in herb gardens where it is cultivated for its essential oil.
When planted around cabbages, leeks, or carrots, the herb will attract pollinators like bees, which love the striking purple flowers, but it will also deter unwanted pests. The flowers can also be cut from the bush and taken inside to help deter even more unwanted pests from inside the home.
You can make lavender bags from the dried flowers and hang them inside your wardrobe. Alongside adding a few springs to your sock drawer, the plant can help keep clothes moths away so your favourite tops stay hole-free.
4. Chives
Finally, Chloe recommended planting chives near carrots, strawberries, and tomatoes. Chives can help repel aphids, carrot flies, and other pests that love to nibble on your hard-earned fruit and vegetables.
The strong scent of chives helps to mask the scent of vegetables that flies and other pests find attractive, and as they don’t like the overwhelming smell of the herb, they’ll stay away as they are unable to detect the presence of any pleasant scents.
According to Perfect Plants, you can also try planting basil, rosemary, lemon grass, and mint to keep insects at bay.
So there you have it – four natural solutions to keep pests away from your plants. Thank us later!