Plant These Herbs to Protect Your Garden from Pests

Did you know you could use plants to protect your other plants? That's right.
This type of companion planting is one of the best forms of organic pest control. This packed episode is your guide to the best herbs you can plant in your garden to protect your fruits and vegetables from pests ranging from ones you can barely see (aphids) to ones as large as you (deer) and everything in between.
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[@Christian-jx3nx]

What I’ve learned in 10 years of gardening: When pest pressure is high companion planting does not work. Keeping your garden clean and using organic pesticides like neem, soap, vegetable oil, spinosad etc or covering brassicas does work but you have to spray weekly or every two weeks. Pests even attack mint.

[@abbibrannan333]

My dear tenant died. What does that have to do with Gardenary? Just what you said, Number 1 is chives! Yes, dear Dan was an outdoor caretaker as well as ornimental gardener, Every single flower pot and plant of the dozens had CHIVES planted also in the container. So I already saw that deer and maybe some others do not like potatoes, onions and chives so they tend to go elsewhere. Now to finish watching and learning, Thank YOU!

[@katrynlord6516]

8B here. All the herbs you have listed here except for the onions parsley and sage are very invasive in 8B. Those , along with majorum and mint have taken over entire beds and sections of my yard in a year at my house. Now I only plant them in huge pots. I do notice not as many bugs but I wish they wouldn't take over the whole crop so I could plant them in the actual beds of my veggies. I dehydrate my herbs and dry much of them for tea or a mix for sprinkling on whatever eggs, potatoes hot dishes anything.

[@poetsgarden1]

good point...my herbs are in pots.

[@goldiemandella7594]

Thought for sure you would also mention marigolds and dill.

[@poetsgarden1]

I dont have dill but I do have marigolds

[@suzanneseely7167]

Yes, please discuss the beneficial flowers.

[@GoingGreenMom]

Highly recommend bronze leaf fennel! It doesn't bulb, but has this wonderful texture and disks of yellow flowers that attract beneficial insects that protect brassicas and tomatoes. Can also say that oregano does nothing for the things she mentions other than bees loving it. And it is invasive in my garden.

[@poetsgarden1]

i love chive flowers in my salad..so pretty so tasty. I east Borage flowers as wel.

[@Missoptimystic]

Rosemary got you through grad school!🤣🤣🤣 I get it, because that's what lavender did for me!

[@hyacinthABC]

Rosemary, chives, thyme, sage - all have taken over my garden beds in 9b and are hard to control. Almost as invasive as mint!

[@4thHouseOnTheRight]

Same. Now I only grow my herbs in pots and put them where I want in the garden. Only exception has been basil & sage. Both look like bushes but they stay pretty contained as long as I keep them cut back.

[@cynthiacollins2668]

Not here! Only mint is invasive for me.

[@cynthiacollins2668]

Not here! Only mint is invasive for me.

[@paulababb7362]

Hi, I'm in zone 7a. Have you tried planting those varieties in a pot and partially sinking it? That works here, but we also have a cold winter

[@elainroles7217]

Wow, you must have a really green thumb.

[@sallyrucker8990]

I like having my herb garden all together in the front yard beds. They are lovely and most don’t need to be watered too much, since they are mostly Mediterranean. I do plant nasturtiums in my vegetable beds, and marigolds. These are terrific for attracting pests and insects away from my vegetables.

[@liengreen7873]

Yes!!!! Please on the flowers , but hopefully soon as I’m starting my seeds (I’m zone 4b)

[@marionbetham5017]

Thanks for this information, I would love to know more about the beneficial flowers in your next episode. I'm learning a lot :)

[@jeanettebreaux7110]

Marigolds will protect tomatoes

[@brendabadih8855]

Thank you for your natural guidance. The herbs you recommend are primarily "masking" and masking is one of the best preventative methods. Along w flowers, herbs are delightful additions. Wish I knew your location. I'm in Houston TX. Just planted, a little late, 10 beautiful corns. The rats are everywhere, I have yet to outsmart them shy of a rat terrier and a few feral cats. We got them trapped and neutered/spayed. Rats, opossums, racoons are a garden issue here. I have squashes on the vine. Come to the garden! This is a good video. Thanks. 🌱✝️

[@denisefaust6408]

Yes on flowers to protect plants please!! I do not use synthetics to help my garden thrive, thank you for all your great info!

[@deborahwynn677]

Would love to hear about the flowers for our gardens. Thrilled to hear that I have all of the herbs. Just need to grow more of them and spread them out.

[@leonebem]

Thank you so much for sharing!

[@sharonaubrey-smith5121]

Loved your talk on herbs, thank you so much. Would love to see your talk on flowers😊

[@sharonlamaster5017]

Keep your great information coming! 👋

[@annierampersad3982]

Thanks for this information.Happy gardening to all. Much love from Trinidad 🇹🇹

[@magnetic189]

What zone is Trinidad?

[@MyPlantWorld]

thanks for useful care tips

[@user-pj7pn1re9s]

I am so excited to get this information. just bought the book too. thank you.

[@SoilandMargaritas]

I old you are amazing! I could listen to you all day talk about garden stuff 💪🏼

[@lindabrown760]

Wow, great informative information! Thank you so much. I just came across this video and I will for sure start listening to more from you!!

[@sandrafagan8693]

Brilliant 👏

[@poetsgarden1]

thank you so much for your natural approach!!!!!

[@ranns160]

Thank you so much.

[@zlatamontgomery1593]

Thank you for video

[@aggiekromah6254]

Thank you my dear I love all of your posts😁👌👌❤️

[@Godwinsjc]

Thank you God Bless

[@zenrockgardens]

I am really rethinking my gardening because of you and I am really excited about it. Thank you.

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

Yes, I want to know about flowers too. Thanks! Making my list of herbs to purchase. I already have seeds, but going to get a few plants already started too.

[@cristinagomez9627]

Yes, please. I would love for you to make a video on the beneficial flowers for the garden :) Thanks for taking the time to make this video!

[@ourvalentine2012]

Yes please for the flowers that are beneficial!

[@donnamariejones3866]

Thank you soooo much, I am starting my first raised sustainable raised bed Sun garden here in Sacramento county growing zone 9b. I am learning so much from you and am sorting through my seeds this morning and I have all the repelling herbs here in my seed collection!! #stayingontheoffense in the garden;) I would love to learn more about the beneficial flowers 🌸 to use in my garden 🪴

[@dlindsay913]

Flowers please! Thanks for your help!

[@Minamac1Cali]

Yes please discuss which flowers are best

[@AAHomeGardening]

I have all these in my garden

[@kaybee1776]

Yes! Please share about the flowers. I see you planting pansies and snapdragons but not sure what else. Thank you for this very helpful info!

[@ashortenhaus]

pls do a flower one!

[@laurabruton3789]

I have fallen in love with your channel!! Ever since I saw how you do zinnias. I have OCD and worry about doing everything perfect- the way you explain plants is so special and wonderful- thank you!! I am hooked now!!

[@swetha2244]

Loved it. And Yes please, do talk about what flowers 🌸 to put in the garden.

[@patcharles3336]

I have all those herbs you mentioned for years now, all over my yard. The pests are still there. Just yesterday I sprinkled pellets for slugs in my garden. Thanks for showing off your lovely garden!❤

[@fredrickvanolphen3299]

Thanks so much Nicole! ❤️🌿💕 Mint is another but it tends to be invasive so it's n best grown in pots.

[@debbieperry5089]

Would be interested in attracting flowers

[@susanrigginscolorado]

Yes please - flower info!

[@Gardenary]

Coming soon!

[@kerryalbritton6532]

Excellent video for planting herbs 🌿 would love to see your flower one also

[@Gardenary]

It's here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGSzlZyMf9N8h7s

[@anniemorrison1250]

Beneficial flowers would be great to hear about. I will be trying these ideas of herbs to repel pests. I'm growing in pots, so I will put these herbs in pots next to the plants I want to protect. I hope that works. I'm hoping to attend a workshop one day. I live in east Tennessee. It's good to have someone in my zone to ask questions and get advice. TIA, Annie

[@barbtwining7650]

Flowers also please.

[@fabricdragon]

i grow thyme as an ornamental ALLLL over

[@saraleclerc2455]

Yes flowers please

[@poetsgarden1]

thanks for the ideas...Ive made lots of shorts on individual flowers, but it would be fun to make one with all the flowers I grow and eat. She gave a lot of great info here.

[@poetsgarden1]

i love chives...I grow alot of them..I t hink they look pretty and I use them daily. I put them on just about everything. I have very few pests in my garden. I love my rosemary too but its getting so big. I love my thyme too. Pretty little plant.

[@gbg975]

Are you in Houston area pr Tennessee at the moment ?

[@nsmigel3152]

Do you recommend one of each herb in each bed or each area?

[@LindaDavis-iq9zj]

Where did you find your raised beds? Perfection!

[@Gardenary]

Thank you! They're from shop.gardenary.com

[@melvinajessop696]

I want to know about flowers to help the garden

[@angelfhy]

Please do the flower one please please please

[@Gardenary]

It's coming up!

[@cbak1819]

I have issues white white butterflies. I have already seen one this week..help😮

[@lovelight9164]

Im growing onions with my tomatoes and with my sweet peas so I guess I will see if its a good or bad thing.

[@umagandhi8422]

Great tips!! Any idea what to do with slugs?? Live in Atlantic Canada zone 6b thanks for wonderful episode!!

[@fireflyfarmletontheeno777]

Beer! Works like a charm. I put old glass yogurt containers in my raised bed and fill with cheap beer.

[@mahereentazree8693]

Also you can try mulching with egg shells, just crushing by hand.

[@GoingGreenMom]

I have found Roly polies eat slug eggs, but if they run out of food they love eating seeds and seedling roots too. So don't introduce them if you don't have them, but if you find them it might be worth transporting to slug prone areas.

[@lynnrowan1326]

I use raised beds and containers as my soil is heavy clay and drains poorly. Because they dry out fast, I water daily in the 90+ degree summer heat in the deep south. All these herbs prefer less watering. How do you incorporate these herbs with the vegetables?

[@ethelkamanga872]

Flowers

[@cbak1819]

Zone 6 here.. Rosemary never makes it through winters .

[@JustWatchMeDoThis]

I'm in 7b and I am going to overwinter mine inside. I want to make pots of mini Christmas trees out of some of it and decorate indoors this Christmas, then put it back outside during growing season.

[@wealthNwisdom63]

It’s something you’ll just have to keep in a pot same zone as you and I still have both of mine

[@jenniferc4083]

I'm in zone 6 as well. I dug up my rosemary, and other herbs as well, last fall and kept them in a simple hog panel hoop house all winter. The outside temp got down to -30°F but the inside temp only got down to 25°F. Not only did they survive, the rosemary are already blooming! Fortunately, we are having a warmish spring so I am able to bring them outside during the day and hopefully they will get pollenated.

[@GoingGreenMom]

What I finally did to get mine to survive my zone 5 winters (it died last winter but I'm zone 6 now supposedly, but it was getting crowded out by bulbs I think) is to plant it in a corner where it had concrete on 2 sides that is fairly protected from winter winds. So mine was in the slightly more than 90 degree corner by my patio and sidewalk with a porch and tree and such on the other side of the patio. Still got full sun but not the wind and best I can figure the heat sink effect slowed the temperature change in the soil. They don't like their roots messed with though, and I have some ditch lilies that are trying to take over, and buttercup that have spread in the area my rosemary was. But it survived about 6 or 7 years in that spot.

[@dandeliondreamspodcast9469]

I’m in zone 5 and thyme comes back for me no problem ☺️ rosemary is hit or miss 😬

[@Gardenary]

You can certainly try that if that's what you have space for, but make sure to stay on top of the watering. Those are shallow, so they dry out really fast

[@Anna-sb9oj]

The only herb I’ve ever had any pests on is rosemary. It had such bad aphids.

[@louisebb4183]

What pest are you talking about ? I have aphids even on chive and spring anions in the spring .

[@cynthiacollins2668]

Would it help to keep the squash vine borer if i place sage leaves by the squash stems?

[@Gardenary]

Try it and let us know!

[@cyndyfabian7555]

First time I've found you. I'm now a new subscriber. Grannie Cyndy from South Australia here. I have a 1/4 acre food forest garden in a 25yo subdivision in the Adelaide hills. I have all the herbs you listed here but will definitely adjust my planting of green vegetables to take advantage of them and of course increase my herbs. Thankyou so much for your information. 🌿☘🌱

[@cbak1819]

I have had a chive plant for 4 years beautiful and blooms long.. not once have I seem a bee or pollinator on them, wondering why?

[@GoingGreenMom]

It is a Last resort for the pollinators in my yard and it doesn't really bloom that long, so there are tons of other things they go to first.

[@jeannesmith1761]

Yes I would like to know the stuff for flowers cuz I have 30 gardens at memorial Park in New Kensington PA and I've been doing it 20 years now so yeah I like to know everything okay talk to you later thank you appreciate your show okay bye

[@tenafleming7199]

What can you plant with potatoes to keep the potato bugs out?

[@Gardenary]

I'd say marigolds and sweet alyssum

[@tenafleming7199]

@@Gardenary Thank you!

[@lbfaith]

Can you plant those Italian herbs in a hanging basket? Just curious. I wouldn’t know how to set it up that way.

[@GoingGreenMom]

I believe she was mentioning oregano and rosemary as being Italian, maybe there are particular types that drape, but both the rosemary I had for years and my oregano that comes back every year both grow upright rather than trailing like she says.

[@lbfaith]

@@GoingGreenMom i understood lol. I just didn’t feel like typing all the herbs outright 😂 but I’m looking into it. I think having a hanging basket with draping herbs would look pretty. Plus I’d like to set them up near my raised beds hopeful deterring bad pests.

[@user-fu3hb6pz2j]

Flowers please

[@marm2371]

What about Basil??

[@Gardenary]

The flowers are great for attracting beneficial insects

[@bonnieblenders4606]

I have a gopher problem. Any ideas?

[@Gardenary]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4C3qnqamb6Mepo

[@MucleenFiddler]

How can I get your book

[@Gardenary]

Both books are available at shop.gardenary.com!

[@angekentak]

Will they deter chipmunks etc?

[@Gardenary]

Check out this video for animals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4C3qnqamb6Mepo

[@kaittemurry4740]

What will protect from grasshoppers

[@Gardenary]

Herbs with strong scents like rosemary, basil, lavender

[@lindahaines9299]

I read asparagus and alliums should not be planted near each other! Is this true?

[@Gardenary]

Well, I would do asparagus in the ground anyways since it's a perennial

[@marciehaase2445]

How can you deter rodents. My herbs and flowers have been eaten by some kind of rodent. Some were sitting on my planting table

[@Gardenary]

Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4C3qnqamb6Mepo

[@pamsmith7369]

Chives are extremely invasive. I cannot get them out of my gardens! They’re EVERYWHERE!

[@danabella6540]

The problem with chives is they are all over the place

They grow pretty well in a wooden box outside. They'll fill whatever container you put them in. Plus you get flowers.

[@cynthiacollins2668]

Also depends on where you live.

[@GoingGreenMom]

I'm going totry and dig up a bunch of mine this year and get rid of all but a couple small clumps. They just spread sooo much and so many other things have been better for the insects and such in my ecosystem. Hoping to plant more bronze leaf fennel this year, and then maybe some dill next year. Also working actual onions in since we eat those but not chives. Seems the only thing chives do is serve as a target for our dog to pee on and a little bit of winter interest if they don't get blown down right away.

[@judithwalton9468]

Sorry my speed somehow got changed

[@peggybreaux8973]

I have every one of those plants. Nothing protects my plants from my neighbors Caterpillar that fall in my yard.

[@jcrane45585]

Thyme dies every other year for me in 8b

[@pfrodrigues1]

My chives are completely infested by afides 😅

[@alexandrascott286]

You can try buying ladybugs, or I read neem oil is a natural way to deter aphids. 👍 Hope you have better luck

[@kathleenviar5542]

Flowers please……..

[@johnnyelectric4844]

Dill

[@judithwalton9468]

For me, you were speaking so fast that I can’t even begin to discern your words

[@billpowers4279]

Go to the transcript section and read at the same time she's speaking. You can pause and write down what you're interested in. I often follow the transcript if I think I've missed some information I wanted.

[@danwhite1307]

adjust playback speed in settings

[@Greens5511]

Yikes, i feel for those who r going to follow this advice and spend years and years trying to get rid of most of them....i unknowingly planted chives one time about 20 years ago snd still to this day after A LOT of work, i still have one plant that volunteered next to my deck footing and i cant dig it out, so i have to b super vigilant every year to cut off the flowers before they mature to keep it from spreading. Same with oregano i have to pour boiling water on my oregano plant to stop it from taking over. I find her advice is just horrible! Do NOT do any of it!! Oh and i am in zone 3, so it gets deep freeze cold here

[@gilshelley9183]

Same old recycled Rodale nonsense.

[@cynthiacollins2668]

So what NEW have YOU learned that you can add to the conversation?

[@GoingGreenMom]

What is Rodale? I was hoping for some new ideas because this list hasn't worked and seem pretty invasive for me for the most part. I started bronze leaf fennel last year and it brought in braconid wasps to help protect my kale, but I was late in planting so it didn't work. Also didn't know it was perennial so plan to move some of it this year and expand because it actually started coming up on March. Dill is another food source for similar beneficials (and something I would use as an herb) so thought I would try to find that a home somewhere as well. My biggest pest is cabbage whites, but am learning that I actually have historically planted brassicas way later than I should. Thinking that I might just skip any that I don't have planted til August or early September so maybe it will break the life cycle enough that there is less pest pressure in the fall.

[@gilshelley9183]

@@cynthiacollins2668 You have no idea what you are talking about. You have no business disseminating rumors, lies and BS.

[@learning2no]

We have banana slugs they destroy everything with leaves. Will chives keep slugs away?

[@Gardenary]

That's the worst! Chives and green onions can deter them

[@learning2no]

@@Gardenary thank you for your response. I battle slugs everyday.