If you're losing your garden to sneaky pests and are looking for a smart solution, then you've landed in the right place.
Most Australian gardeners are consciously opting for natural pest control gardening instead of relying on harsh chemicals and pesticides. At the heart of this approach lies the concept of companion planting for pest control. It is one of the most effective methods that pairs plants strategically to repel pests, attract beneficial insects, and save your garden from doom.
In this blog, let's explore how to create a pest-resistant garden by using a more natural defence system.
What Is Companion Planting For Pest Control?
Your garden is a neighbourhood that features several plants within it. Some plants are wonderful neighbours to each other. They maintain balance by warding off pests and attracting beneficial insects that help pollinate and enhance the health of your garden. Other plants might be toxic and attract the wrong insects, creating a health issue for your garden.
Companion planting is all about creating a garden in such a way that you ensure that plants naturally protect each other from harmful pests.
Some plants may confuse or repel harmful insects by producing strong scents, and others may act as decoys, diverting the pests away from your vegetable patch or your garden. Some plants may attract beneficial insect species, such as ladybugs and lacewings, creating a supportive environment for pest control.
Why Build a Pest-Resistant Garden with Companion Plants?
Chemical sprays provide immediate relief from pests, but they also disrupt the ecosystem of your garden. A pest-resistant garden with companion planting is a more effective and natural way to manage the environment. Here are some reasons why it's so effective:
- Your plants reduce the dependency on chemicals to keep pests at bay.
- Companion planting promotes biodiversity
- Pest-resistant gardens enhance plant health and soil quality.
- Companion planting encourages natural predators.
Moreover, the eco-friendly nature of these gardens is safe for kids, pets, and pollinators alike.
Top Plants That Repel Pests Naturally
As your frontline defence, before planting your companion garden plants, you should first decide to add plants that repel pests. These guardians are known to deter many pests, including aphids and beetles. Let's take a look at them:
Marigold: Marigolds release a chemical that suppresses Nematodes (roundworms or ringworms) in the soil. They are also known to repel pests like whiteflies and aphids that typically feed on the underside of plant leaves.
Chive: Chive is known to protect plants, especially carrots and rose plants, from aphids. They emit an onion-like scent that repels common pests.
Garlic: Garlic contains Sulphur compounds that are responsible for its strong and pungent odour, which repels pests effectively.
Lavender: Lavender is an excellent plant for attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies, and, at the same time, is known to repel moths, fleas and flies.
Basil: Basil is another natural pest repellent that keeps mosquitoes and whiteflies at bay. Its aromatic scent deters pests from approaching it.
Adding herbs that repel garden pests and teaming them with other plants in your garden, such as rosemary, thyme, basil, and mint, can create natural pest deterrents.
Best Companion Planting Combinations for Organic Pest Control
Here are the best companion planting combinations to keep neighbouring plants safe from pesky flies and other pests. Apart from repelling pests, they are also known to enhance the flavour of your crops.
Carrots + Onions: The strong scent of Onions keeps Carrot flies away. Carrot flies are common pests that lay eggs at the roots while their larvae burrow deep into the root and damage it.
Tomatoes + Basil: Basil is the best companion plant for tomatoes. Pests such as whiteflies and hornworms often infest tomato plants. However, the scent of basil wards them off successfully.
Cabbage + Dill: Cabbage is usually infested by cabbage worms. Dill plant attracts wasps and other beneficial insects that feed on these worms.
Lettuce + Chives or Garlic: If you have greens like lettuce and spinach, Chives and Garlic are great companion plants because they ward off aphids that extract nutrients, weaken the plant and spread diseases.
For a detailed planting reference, keep the companion planting chart below handy. It can help you visualise plant pairings and avoid bad combinations.
Companion Planting Chart
Attracting the Good Guys: Beneficial Insects
To be at the top of pest issues, you need reinforcements! You can take the help of natural predators to battle pests. Here are the best beneficial insects that can safeguard your garden:
- Ladybugs: Eat aphids, mites, and scale insects.
- Lacewings: Larvae are voracious predators of garden pests.
- Hoverflies: Pollinate and consume aphids in their larval stage.
- Parasitic Wasps: Prey on caterpillars and aphids.
To attract these guardians, include beneficial insect-attracting plants like Yarrow, Dill, Cosmos and Alyssum!
Garden Planning for Pest Control
Apart from using companion planting and attracting beneficial insects during garden planning for pest control, other practices can naturally decrease the number of pests visiting your garden. Take a look at some of them below:
1. Rotate your crops each season
Do not plant the same crop family in the same spot and with the same soil every season, as this may lead to pathogen or disease buildup and spoil future crops.
2. Vary Plant Heights and Root Depths
Taller plants like corn often provide shade to shorter plants like lettuce, and plants like Carrot with deeper roots can complement shallow-rooted lettuces (Avoiding them competing with each other for the same nutrients and water)
3. Encourage Biodiversity
A mix of herbs, flowers, veggies and other native plants can help create an ecosystem where pests find it harder to dominate your garden.
4. Use Trap Crops
Trap crops are sacrificial plants that are grown to attract pests and lure them away from other priced crops in your garden. Nasturtiums are your best bet because they are a favourite plant of pests like aphids, especially black aphids.
Aussie Natives That Pack a Punch
Photo by Abdul Zreika on Unsplash
As Aussie natives are hardy, they serve as excellent allies in controlling pests. Below are a few natives to consider:
Kangaroo Paw: Attracts beneficial birds that eat insects
Bottlebrush: A favourite among beneficial bugs and pollinators
Tea Tree: A natural repellent with a strong scent for many garden pests
Lemon Myrtle: Keep mosquitoes and flies at bay
Final Thoughts
The idea of companion planting for pest control isn't just about eliminating insects but about creating a self-sustaining strategy that supports the overall health of your garden.
These natural strategies are eco-friendly and safe for your pets and children, as they are chemical-free and self-sustaining for a pest-resistant garden.
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Happy Gardening!