Certain plants repel pests. Planting them in or near your vegetable garden will reduce the need for pesticides.
- Grow marigolds among vegetables. Marigold roots secrete a substance that destroys nematodes and eel worms.
- Include garlic (Allium sativum) in the vegetable garden, or even garlic’s cousins, the ornamental alliums. Alliums of all sorts exude enzymes from their roots that are toxic to many pests.
- Rue, mint, tansy, lavender, sage, rosemary and wormwood all deter a variety of pests. so include these herbs.
- Nettles attract early aphids that provide food for emerging ladybugs. So the nettles keep the aphids off other plants, and encourage natural predators.
- Nasturtiums are irresistible to aphids, so use them as a decoy. Plant them well away from the vegetable garden as the aphids’ private dining room.
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