Companion planting is a surprisingly effective strategy for growing food that gardeners want to consume and deterring pests without the use of harsh and unhealthy pesticides.
TikToker Sow Viable (@sow_viable) shows just how it’s done with a highly instructive clip. “Wow, so beautiful,” one response post observed, likely pleasantly surprised by the vibrant and robust health of the plants.
@sow_viable Companion Planting Elephant Garlic next to our cabbage has kept pests away #Fyp #Cabbage #ElephantGarlic #companionplanting #GrowFood #Gardening #UrbanGarden ♬ original sound – Purposeflow_living
The scoop
In this case, Sow Viable chose elephant garlic and cabbage, the former working as a highly effective, natural pesticide, and the latter as a consumable vegetable that also happens to be very healthy.
Not everyone is a huge fan of garlic, but the sulfur compounds, such as allicin, that it releases into the air and soil produce a potent odor that cabbage moths, diamondback moths, and other insects can’t stand, driving them away and allowing the cabbage to grow undisturbed.
How it’s helping
Happy, healthier plants are the result of companion planting, and there are many more combinations out there than just elephant garlic and cabbage.
For instance, marigolds are perfect for combining with tomatoes, peppers, and beans. Nasturtiums repel aphids, whiteflies, and squash bugs, allowing cucumbers, squash, and zucchini to thrive.
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Chives, marigolds, garlic, lavender, mint, rosemary, and petunias are popular pest preventives. The combinations tend to be unique, with their own advantages and disadvantages, so each is worth researching thoroughly before attempting to use them.
Chemical pesticides disrupt the microbial communities that produce healthy soil, reduce soil biodiversity, threaten people and animals with acute toxicity and chronic health effects, contaminate water via runoff, and tend to kill nontarget species.
That’s a lot of negative packed into a chemical marketed as a pesticide. Avoiding it and instead embracing companion planting saves money, improves the health and flavor of produce, and improves soil quality.
Gardening alone produces its own health benefits — mentally and physically — according to the National Institutes of Health.
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Better health, better soil, better crop yields, and more gardening space are just a handful of the exceptional benefits that companion planting and gardening bring to the table.
What everyone’s saying
Naturally, several viewers were curious about companion planting: Will any garlic work? It will, as long as it is viable in your zone.
The original poster even gave out tips on how to keep deer out: “Blood meal. No deer here in Florida, but my cousin does that up north.”
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