Examining 7 Flowers That Protect Your Vegetables From Pests

A good landscaping contractor will tell you that there are good bugs and bad bugs. Given that the estimated number of insects on the planet hovers around 10 quintillion, the certainty isn't whether or not they'll arrive, but when they'll arrive. While 99 percent of these garden dwellers are considered not harmful or even beneficial, it's the one percent that'll bring ruin to an otherwise well-maintained vegetable garden.



Some insects suck that sap out of the plants while others destroy plants by chewing on the foliage, stems and fruits. The cucumber beetle can transmit diseases that can be fatal to plants. The good news is that there is a way to keep bugs away from your plants that doesn't call for the application of any chemicals, harmful or otherwise. By simply adding certain types of flowering plants, you can prevent the bad bugs and their hungry friends from shredding your roots, seeds and stems.

Planting flowers in your yard and garden is more than simply a clever landscape design. The practice combines form with function. While they are certainly beautiful and add elegance to any property, they provide food for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and at the same time keep the other plants safe from insects. There are many flowers that are beneficial to gardens for deterring pests.

1. Tansy

Tansy has camphor-scented foliage that acts as a repellent to pests. Because of its bright yellow button flowers, tansy also attracts pollinators and beneficial insects into the garden. It is a beneficial companion plant to several crops, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, squash, cucumbers and potatoes. Tansy can protect your garden from ants, moths, mosquitos, ticks and mice.

This versatile defender can also be boiled into an insect repellent spray, which can then be sprayed onto your plants. Adding a teaspoon of dish soap will help it adhere better to the plant, and thus offering better insulation against a breach.

2. Petunias

The only flower to boast the sobriquet 'nature's pesticide' for its ability to repel leafhoppers, squash bugs, asparagus beetles, aphids and tomato hornworms, petunias also require very little maintenance. They grow well in the sun and, like snapdragons, they emit methyl benzoate. While this attracts bees for pollination, it is the active ingredient in the natural repellent, which drives away the troublesome insects.

Petunias can be planted near any cruciferous vegetables, such as peppers, grapes, corn, tomatoes, basil and beans to keep pests away. They can also help protect roses.

3. Nasturtiums

These beautiful, edible flowering plants prove very beneficial when put next to a variety of other plants. They trap crops for black bean aphids and cabbage worms. They repel cucurbit pests when planted near squash or cucumbers and attract bees and hummingbirds. Nasturtiums also repel whiteflies, beetles and cabbage loopers and produce an airborne chemical smell that contributes to the protection factor for itself and the plants around it.

4. Marigolds

Marigolds carry a scent and toxins that will drive away cabbage worms, mosquitoes and other pests. They also attract beneficial insects that attack and destroy aphids, like ladybugs, who can eat up to 50 aphids in a day. Other good visitors that attack the bad ones include parasitic wasps and lacewings Some of the vegetables commonly planted in the proximity of marigolds include:

• Potatoes
• Lettuce
• Pumpkins
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Melons

5. Lavender

The soothing scent of lavender actually repels mosquitos, moths, fleas and other pests. Its oil acts as an outstanding mosquito repellent, as well. The smell comes from the essential oils on its leaves. The best companion plants for lavender include kale, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Planting lavender under apple trees helps keep the moths away.

6. Geraniums

Along with marigolds, geraniums are the perfect companion plant. They both have strong fragrances that confuse pests and prevent them from reaching their target crop. When planted close, geraniums can protect many types of fruits and vegetables, including cabbage and tomatoes.

7. Chrysanthemums

Mums contain a neurotoxin, called Pyrethrin, that kills insects. They repel fleas, ants, ticks, Japanese beetles and scores of other insects and pests. Pyrethrin also acts as a mosquito repellent, but only when its oils are removed from the leaves.

Flower Power

Taking care of your garden means paying attention to sunlight, heat and water. Plants need to be put into friendly soil and pruned and must also be protected against bugs and insects. When the right conditions are in play, vegetables will flourish. Mingling flowering plants among your vegetables is the most organic way to protect them.

The different fragrances that different flowers put off when in proximity to certain vegetables act as literal guardians for these vegetables. As far as garden landscaping goes, planting companion flowers among your vegetables is good practice in our book. For more information about how different landscaping elements can help you keep healthy gardens and lawns, contact us at Canepa Landscaping today.

Sources:

https://garden.org/

https://phys.org/news/2017-06-petunia-shampoo-pesticide

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-to-plant-to-keep-bugs-away-24734

https://www.goodspiritsfarm.com/plant-of-the-month-june

https://garden.org/learn/howto/grow