A centuries-old trick can protect crops without chemical sprays even today, one TikToker demonstrated.
In a very green video, TikTok creator Weeping WillowSA (@weeping.willow1) demonstrates how planting onions and garlic near cabbage helps keep black aphids from eating the cabbage.
“Please do companion planting and use other crops as pest control,” she urges.
The scoop
Companion planting is the practice of growing different plants side by side to boost yields, enrich the soil, and defend against pests, according to the New England Botanic Garden.
In the video, brassica cabbages sit next to onions that are crawling with aphids, yet the cabbages remain untouched by the insects. The aphids are so attracted to the onions that they leave the cabbage alone.
@weeping.willow1 Companion planting in action. #companionp #brassicas #garden #slowliving ♬ original sound – Weeping WillowSA
“My brassicas are a vision of perfection,” the creator says.
This method is nothing new. Indigenous farming traditions like the “Three Sisters” — corn, beans, and squash — have long demonstrated how plants can support one another.
Today, gardeners can companion plant with combinations like onions and brassicas or beans and broomcorn to keep edible plants pest-free.
How it’s helping
Companion planting can improve yields up to 35% and lead to fewer pests without costly pesticides. For home gardeners, companion planting brings higher yields, better-tasting produce, and more money saved.
Growing food at home reduces reliance on mass-produced, globally shipped produce, which can lower carbon emissions and prevent food waste.
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Home gardening is also good for mental and physical health; one study found that home gardeners, on average, consume more fiber than non-gardeners.
What everyone’s saying
According to Simple Spring, 26.55% of gardeners use homemade pest control solutions in lieu of pesticides, and the comments on this video definitely reflect a desire for people to get rid of pests without the chemicals.
“Now I planted onions strategically with cabbages. I hope it works,” one user commented.
“When they are on cabbage or spinach they do so much damage, but onion and garlic with them look healthy still,” one commenter observed about aphid infestation.
Another added, “Thanks for the tip, will use it now.”
Companion planting is both effective and symbolic; different ingredients together can make a whole garden greater than the sum of its parts.
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