There are a number of plants you can add to your garden that repel pests. These include:
Basil – asparagus beetles, tomato heartworms and thrips
Green Bean – Colorado potato beetles
Nasturtium – Colorado potato beetles and squash bugs
Tomato – asparagus beetles
Wormwood – slugs
Rue – aphids, cats, dogs, Japanese beetles, onion maggots, slugs and snails
Anise – aphids, snails and slugs
Borage – cabbage worms and tomato heart worms
Sage – cabbage loopers, carrot flies, flea beetles, imported cabbage worms and tomato heart worms
Thyme – cabbage loopers and white flies
Radish – cowpea curculio, cucumber beetles, harlequin bugs, Mexican bean leaf beetles, squash bugs and stink bugs
Garlic – aphids, cowpea curculio, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, Mexican been leaf beetles, root maggots, spider mites and squash vine borers
Onion – bean leaf beetle, cabbage loopers, carrot flies, flea beetles, harlequin bugs, Mexican bean leaf beetles, mice, rabbits, spider mites and squash vine borers
Potato – bean leaf beetles
Turnip – bean leaf beetles and harlequin bugs
Oleander – codling moths
Catnip – aphids, corn earworms, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, squash bugs and mice
Marigold – aphids, corn earworms, leaf hoppers, Mexican bean leaf beetles, rabbits, squash bugs, thrips and tomato heartworms
Hyssop – imported cabbage worms
Oregano – cabbage butterflies and cucumber beetles
Rosemary – imported cabbage worms and slugs
Dill – aphids, cabbage moths and spider mites
Lavender – mice, mosquitoes, moths, rabbits and ticks
Fennel – aphids, slugs, snails and spider mites
Pennyroyal – ants
Mint – ants, aphids, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, imported cabbage worms, rodents, squash bugs and white flies
Tansy – ants, cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles and squash bugs
Coriander/Cilantro – aphids, Colorado potato beetles and spider mites
Horseradish – potato beetles
Geranium – Japanese beetles, leaf hoppers
Butterfly (white) Sage – asparagus beetles
Larkspur – Japanese beetles
Chives – aphids, Japanese beetles and spider mites
Cloves – cowpea curculio, spider mites and squash vine borers
Lettuce – carrot flies
Petunia – leafhoppers, Mexican bean leaf beetles and squash bugs
Parsley – asparagus beetles and carrot flies
Companion Planting
There are a number of plants that can protect other plants from pests and disease and improve the flavour of certain food plants. Some examples include:
Basil planted near tomatoes improves flavor and protects against a variety of pests.
Oregano planted near cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber or grape vine repels pests that attack these plants
Garlic helps prevent disease in rose canes and raspberry
Borage repels pests that attack tomatoes and attracts pollinators to squash, tomatoes and strawberries.
Horseradish planted at the corners of a potato patch with beans also planted nearby repels potato beetles
Chives planted near apples help to control apple scab.
Chives planted near roses reduce the risk of “black spot” and repel aphids.
Chives planted near tomatoes and carrots repel pests and improve the flavor of the vegetables
Petunias repel pests that attack beans
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Pest Repellents and Insecticidal Soaps
North Carolina’s Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance offers a number of recipes for non-toxic pesticides that you can make at home and apply to your plants with a spray bottle, including the following:
Grind 3 large onions, 1 bunch of garlic and 3 hot peppers. Mix with water and leave overnight in a covered container. In the morning, strain through fine strainer or cheesecloth and add sufficient water to produce approximately one gallon (16 cups) of pesticide.
Soak 10-15 diced garlic cloves in a pint (2 cups) of mineral oil for 24 hours. Strain and add to a spray bottle.
Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living Executive Producer, offers a recipe for all-natural insecticidal soap spray, which uses 1-2 tablespoons of a natural liquid soap such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile soap in a quart (4 cups) of water. Once this solution is mixed, it can be added to a spray bottle.