Companion planting is an old gardening tradition that isn't just about pest control. By combining plants carefully, you create plant communities, which help each other in terms of providing nutrients in the soil, by offering protection from wind or sun and also, by attracting beneficial pests or acting as a decoy for harmful ones.
Planting recipes
- Grow French marigolds among tomatoes. Marigolds emit a strong odour that will repel greenfly and blackfly.
- Grow sage with carrots or plants in the cabbage family to ward off pests.
- Plant carrots and leeks together on the allotment or vegetable patch to protect against a number of pests. Leeks repel carrot fly and carrots repel onion fly and leek moth.
Ten plants to try
Asparagus - prevents microscopic nematodes from attacking the roots of tomatoes
Chervil - keeps aphids off lettuce
Chives - onion scent wards off aphids from chrysanthemums, sunflowers and tomatoes
Coriander - helps to repel aphids
Dill - attracts aphid eating beneficial insects likes hoverflies and predatory wasps
Garlic - deters aphids and is particularly good planted with roses
Tansy - strongly scented plant deters ants
Plants in the pea family - lupins, peas, beans and sweet peas benefit the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and storing it in their roots
Yarrow - this boosts vigour in other plants and accumulates phosphorous, calcium and silica, which can benefit homemade compost when plants are added to the heap. It attracts many beneficial creatures such as hoverflies and ladybirds
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