There’s a lot to learn when you’re new to gardening, but picking up a few tips and tricks like companion planting can make it a lot easier to master.
The scoop
A TikTok user, Niya (@niyabrownmatthews), posted a video sharing a gardening hack to keep pests at bay from her crop of fairytale eggplants.
@niyabrownmatthews Natural Pest Control for eggplants 🍆 1. Planting companion crops like marigolds, nasturtiums, & basil 2. Introducing beneficial insects such as ladybugs or lacewings 3. Using neem oil spray as a natural insecticide. 4. Applying diatomaceous earth around the base of plants to deter pests. 5. Setting up physical barriers like row covers to protect eggplants. 6. Sprinkling crushed eggshells around plants to deter slugs and snails. 7. Attracting birds to the garden to feed on insect pests. 8. Spraying a mixture of garlic and pepper as a natural repellent. 9. Spraying a mixture of soap and water to suffocate soft-bodied pests like aphids. 10. Applying a solution of diluted essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus as a natural insect repellent. #gardentips #organicgardening #gardening #companionplanting ♬ original sound – niyabrownmatthews
“Not only are they beautiful vegetables and good for you, but the pests like to eat them too,” she said in the video.
“I like to plant these along with chives with these eggplants to keep those pests away. You can also companion them with tomatoes as well as marigolds in the garden.”
She also suggested a few other methods for controlling pests, like using neem oil spray as a natural insecticide, sprinkling crushed eggshells nearby to deter slugs and snails, and attracting birds to your garden to eat insect pests.
How it’s helping
Gardeners use the companion planting technique to grow different plants alongside each other to mutually benefit them. This can help deter pests without chemicals, improve your soil quality, produce better crop yields, and maximize garden space.
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Smaller plants and flowers can be used in between larger crops to fill in empty soil space, tall plants can be grown next to shorter ones to provide shade, and plants that attract pollinators are good for the overall health of your garden.
Gardening provides you with a lot of benefits as well. Growing your own food gives you better-tasting produce, saves you money at the grocery store, and can help improve your mental and physical health. It’s also good for the environment because it decreases the demand for mass-produced and globally shipped produce.
What everyone’s saying
Commenters on the video were impressed with the hack and information on companion planting, and some said they would try it out for themselves.
“Good info thanks,” one user said.
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“The fairytale eggplants are super cute!” another commenter said.
“Thank you so much for sharing,” a user commented.
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