Gardening expert Joe, known online as ‘JoesGarden’, has shared his top tip for keeping slugs, snails and pests at bay — and it involves adding one cheap plant as a companion plant in your garden beds
09:42, 30 Apr 2026Updated 09:50, 30 Apr 2026
Adding this cheap plant to garden beds will protect your other plants and vegetables from being eaten by pests (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
A gardening expert has shared the one plant he thinks belongs in every garden thanks to its natural pest control capabilities. Gardeners at every skill level understand the struggle of tackling stubborn pests such as slugs, snails and other insects. The good news is, you don’t have to resort to harmful chemicals to keep them at bay if you just add a few key plants to your usual lineup.
To help people in addressing this problem, gardener Joe, who goes by ‘JoesGarden’ online, has offered his top recommendation for keeping these unwanted guests away, which involves adding a specific plant to your garden and vegetable patch. “This here is one simple plant that I recommend in every garden,” he stated at the beginning of his TikTok video.
“Every part of my garden has to have nasturtiums.” He went on to highlight the advantages of this plant, noting: “What’s really cool is the whole plant, including the flowers, the seed pods, and even the leaves are 100 per cent edible.”
“But more importantly, they’re fantastic when planted in your vegetable patch because absolutely everything loves to eat them,” he added.
Joe explained that the appeal of nasturtiums to pests is actually advantageous, as it draws them away from other plants.
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“Slugs and snails can’t get enough of nasturtium foliage, and cabbage butterflies love laying their caterpillar eggs underneath the leaves,” he said.
In this way, nasturtiums function as a natural pest repellent, shielding your precious crops from harm.
Joe suggested that April is the perfect month to introduce nasturtiums to your garden, whether you decide to pick up an inexpensive plant from a shop or grow them from seed yourself.
He explained: “And now is the perfect time to pick up a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops, or even better, sow some seeds to plant all around the garden, where each year, they’ll grow bloom and self-seed to return every spring, giving you an almost endless supply all from a few cheap plants.”
In the comments, viewers shared their own experiences of growing nasturtiums, with many applauding the plant for its adaptability.
One user wrote: “I till my garden once a year, I planted these guys once, 10 years ago.
“I’ve never had to reseed. They are currently growing now. Once they drop seeds they live there now.”
Another commented: “I make a pesto using the nasturtium leaves and flowers! Good way to bulk up a basil pesto, and it’s delicious peppery flavour!”
While a third viewer added: “I’ve got a bunch in purple and a white/yellow colour as they are so good to hide dodgy fencing too.”
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