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Companion Plants for Pest Control

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 8, 2010 39 Comments

Last updated on May 18th, 2012


“COMPANION PLANTING” — the theory that certain plants benefit each other when grown in close proximity — has proven an effective means of pest-control here at A Garden for the House. Last summer, rabbits immediately stopped munching my cosmos and zinnias after I edged the plants with fragrant lavender. And onions, when planted around the vegetable beds, have surely repelled moles, voles and certain insects, too. Now, what other plants are thought to aid each other in the garden?

COMPANION PLANTS:

Allium (onions, chives, garlic, shallots). Plant near roses, fruit trees, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, and other vegetables. Deters aphids, weevils, moles, fruit-tree borers. Protects roses from mildew, black spot and aphids.

Basil. Plant near tomatoes or asparagus. Repels aphids, flies, mosquitoes and spider mites; controls the tomato hornworm and asparagus beetle.

Beans. Plant near beets, carrots, cucumber, corn, eggplant, potatoes. Encourages growth by adding nitrogen to soil; is reported to control the Colorado potato beetle.

Borage. Plant around tomatoes, strawberries, fruit trees. Repels the tomato hornworm; attracts honeybees.

Castor Bean. Plant near vegetables to thwart moles. Do not, however, mistake the castor bean as edible; all parts of the plant are poisonous.

Celery. Plant near broccoli, cabbage, leeks, tomatoes, cauliflower. Deters the white cabbage-moth.

Coriander. Benefits all vegetables by repelling aphids.

Cosmos. Plant between rows of corn. Thwarts the corn worm (see comment #25 below).

Cucumber. Grown up cornstalks, the prickly vines of the cucumber discourage woodchucks and raccoons.

Fennel. Plant near tomatoes. In reader Karin’s  experience (see comment #25 below), tomato hornworms devour the  fennel, and and leave the  tomatoes alone.

Geranium. Plant near cabbage, corn, grapes, roses. Repels cabbage worms; may thwart Japanese beetles.

Horseradish. Grow near potatoes, to discourage Colorado potato beetle.

Hyssop. Locate near cabbage and grapes; deters the cabbage moth.

Lavender. This is my favorite repellent. Protects vegetables and flowers from rabbits and woodchucks.

Leeks. Plant near celery, carrots and onions. Repels carrot flies.

Marigold. Plant near tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, roses. Deters a wide range of harmful insects.

Nasturtium. Plant near cucumbers, squash, other veggies, and fruit trees. Repels cucumber beetles, white flies and squash bugs. Deters fruit tree borers.

Oregano. Plant near broccoli. Repels white cabbage moth.

Parsley. Grow near asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, roses. Deters carrot fly and beetles.

Pennyroyal. Place near broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage. Thwarts ants and cabbage maggots.

Pyrethrum. Plant in both vegetable and flower gardens. Impedes aphids, leafhoppers, ticks, pickleworms and cabbage worms. Repels the dreaded iris borer.

Radish. When you sow vegetable seeds directly in the garden, be sure to sow radish, too. It sprouts quickly, insects get used to the taste, and therefore leave your other, more-cherished seedlings alone.

Rosemary. Plant near carrots, cabbage, beans. Restrains carrot flies and cabbage moths.

Rue. Reportedly repels Japanese beetles.

Sage. Plant near carrots and others. Fends off carrot flies, cabbage moths, ticks.

Soybeans. Adds nitrogen to the soil, a benefit for all heavy-feeders. A possible deterrent for the Japanese beetle.

Summer Savory. Aids beans by frightening the bean beetle.

Thyme. Plant near cabbage to control flea beetles, cabbage maggots, and cabbage moths.

Does companion planting appeal to you? Let me know, in the comments field below.

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Comments

  1. 1

    Eric says

    April 8, 2010 at 4:13 pm

    Kevin, this is great information. I grow my vegetables in raised beds (like you do) and this list gives me a sense of what to plant where.

  2. 2

    Adele says

    April 8, 2010 at 8:38 pm

    I have always planted tomatoes and basil together, because I like to eat them together! Good to know that in the garden, basil actually benefits the health of tomatoes.

  3. 3

    Sheila says

    April 8, 2010 at 10:44 pm

    I always plant T & B together, too! And I've never seen a tomato hornworm. Sounds like a dreadful creature!

  4. 4

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 8, 2010 at 10:48 pm

    Sheila – trust me…the tomato hornworm is not something you want to meet!

  5. 5

    Katreader says

    April 9, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    I'll be sure to try some of these. Sad to report, in my experience rue doesn't repel Japanese Beetles. I have a gorgeous, huge, rue right next to one of my rose of sharons and those dastardly bugs still destroy the rose of sharon. They don't bother the rue though…

  6. 6

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 9, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    Katreader – I believe you. Japanese beetles are fearless.

    As I recall, you treated your lawn with milky spores last year. Perhaps it will “kick in” this summer? Let me know if you notice any reduction in JBs…

  7. 7

    Andrew says

    April 10, 2010 at 3:07 pm

    I've noticed that rabbits leave all of my “smelly” plants alone — snap dragons, petunias, etc. These would be good companion plants, I think, for the vegetable garden.

  8. 8

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 11, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Andrew – you're absolutely right. In fact, a flower garden or vegetable-bed edged with snapdragons (all one color of the dwarf variety would look especially nice) is unlikely to be bothered by rabbits or woodchucks.

  9. 9

    Wendy says

    April 21, 2010 at 8:25 pm

    What a great list of companion plants! Have you also used an organic bug spray for pest control, such as Safer Brand's Tomato and Vegetable Insect Killer? It’s safe to use up to the day of harvest. And it’s easily broken down by the environment.

  10. 10

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 22, 2010 at 11:41 am

    Welcome, Wendy! Thanks for the tips. I've heard nice things about Safer products. To date I have not required them. However, should the good people at Safer's invent an organic spray to eradicate the Japanese beetles from my rose garden, I'd be the first in line to buy the product!

  11. 11

    Ginger says

    May 7, 2010 at 3:20 am

    I live in an apartment building, and have been slowly expanding my miniature flower bed (originally 3'X 3'and maybe 2″ deep). The biggest challenge of course has been the rocky, gravel-decorated soil, with barely enough worm & microbial life to break down fall leaves & kitchen trash.

    This year, however, neighbors joined me, smelling bits of lavender & parsley from last year. As I invited them to break up & plant garlic, gestures helped overcome the language barrier enough to explain bugs don't like things that smell strong.

    It seems strange to me that this is a new concept, but it highlights the importance of working together! 🙂

  12. 12

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    May 16, 2011 at 10:59 am

    Ginger – What a great story. I think that gardening, on any scale, is a universal language.

  13. 13

    Dean says

    March 6, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Thank you. I will use these hints.

  14. 14

    christine says

    March 19, 2012 at 10:17 am

    Thank you !

    This is great information. Some of the ideas I already use, but there is a few that I will need to try in this years planting season :o)

  15. 15

    Linda says

    March 25, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    Great info, thanks!
    what about snails & slugs?
    anything that will repel deer?

  16. 16

    doris ayla dumont says

    April 15, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    great ideas. i put out a small bowl of beer for the slugsand deer will keep out, hopefully with lumps of hair from the barbershop around the perimeter of the garden.

  17. 17

    Linda Jenkins says

    May 1, 2012 at 10:00 am

    What can I do to repel rabbits? They have chewed some of my hostas to the ground.

  18. 18

    diane carlsen says

    May 6, 2012 at 10:39 am

    thanks for the list — it mentions several companion plants to affect cabbage worms and moths,
    my main insect problem (altho the moths are pretty flitting around) Which would you say would
    be the first and best to try?

  19. 19

    Beverly says

    May 6, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    I discovered an accidental combination last summer that made a huge difference in my gourd vines. A chance seedling of Artemisia ‘Sweet Annie’ landed quite close to my gourd trellis. I allowed it to remain. The absence of cucumber beetles, spotted and striped, was remarkable and in stark contrast to the plague of them I dealt with on the gourds the previous summer. (only 20 feet away from this position).

    It is certainly possible that something else was at play (no chemicals, though) but I thought it was ironic that the presence of Sweet Annie coincided with the absence of the pests.

    Right now I am combing the miles of garden beds for another Sweet Annie seedling to use in the same way this year.

  20. 20

    Chris says

    May 6, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Nice list! I also plant pots of catnip among my eggplant. It repels those aweful black flea beetles. Don’t put it in the ground though, unless you really want it. It is a relative of mint and will take over. And I find that lemon balm around the border of my garden repels critters. Grab a handful of lemon balm leaves and rub them on your skin for a natural deliciously lemon smelling insect repellant. It is a mint relative too and will spread and reseed itself. But it is attractive and has so many uses that I let it go.

  21. 21

    Jana Hensley says

    May 7, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    What would be good to put near my geraniums for the little black speck type bugs?

  22. 22

    BONNIE says

    May 9, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    Very nice to know, thanks

  23. 23

    BONNIE says

    May 9, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    I”m sorry to say I have tomato worms and I always plant basil next to my tomatoes. Ugly creatures!!

  24. 24

    Greer Conrad says

    May 13, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    tomato hornworms are nearly impossible to find. They are very good at blending into the foliage. If you see the little black pellet droppings and eaten leaves, you will know there is one there somewhere. You can spend quite a few minutes trying to locate the little bugger and they will hold on for dear life so wear gloves and pull hard to dislodge them. I tried feeding one to the chickens and they turned up their noses ( assuming they have noses). Good hunting.

    Thanks for the list. I have several of the plants listed in my garden. Unfortunately, not planted where they would do the most good according to the list. Next year!!!!

  25. 25

    Karin Rougeau says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    I didn’t see fennel on your list, so here is my experience with it.

    I had never grown it or even tasted it ( not fond of taste ) so experimented one year about 12 yrs ago. Had it fairly close to the large tomato patch I was growing for us and my husband’s large family in Louisiana.

    Went out one day and the fennel was decimated ! Hornworms ( 2 ) by then Huge ones were still munching away.. never touched a tomato plant.. So I now Companion Plant fennel with my tomatos.

    Another one I learned about yrs ago from a woman who wrote for Llewellans Moon Sign book I used to get every year, I am a plant by the moon kinda gal, was the first person I had read concerning Companion Planting. Her full name escapes me but am fairly sure her first name was Loretta ( and in Young , actress ).
    Some day I have to find her book on this.

    Anyway, this was back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, so it has been awhile as you can deduce. One I remember very well of her tips on Companion Planting was Cosmos and Corn to stop the corn worm. She claimed interplanting cosmos worked wonders to deter the buggers and the corn shaded the cosmos from the full hot sun in Summer.

    Anyway, I know this is an old thread, but I hope you see this and can add those two to your very helpful List !!

    Karin

  26. 26

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    May 18, 2012 at 8:12 am

    Karin – Marvelous tips concerning fennel and cosmos. Will add to the list up top.

  27. 27

    Donna K says

    June 16, 2012 at 8:49 pm

    Just found this on Pinterest!! Printed out for my husband who has the green thumb in our yard! Now maybe we can grow more veggies with the suggestions! Thank you!

  28. 28

    Cara H says

    August 10, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Kevin, thanks for such a great list. I’m printing it right now so I have it available when I plan for next year. And I love how you continue to monitor the comments on your original article and add to the list. Nice!

  29. 29

    Bonnie Hawley says

    May 19, 2014 at 8:32 am

    In answer to the comment about slugs–I have over 150 hostas and never have any slug damage on them because I surround them with sand (the builder’s kind, not playbox sand). The little buggers get ‘scratched’ on the sharp edges and die from dehydration. I think this would work around any plant that slugs are attracted to.

    Thanks for the list–I too am printing it for future reference.

  30. 30

    Sharon says

    May 26, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    Kat Reader – Plant garlic around your roses & the Japanese will not eat them. Great repellent my Dad taught me.

  31. 31

    test says

    July 28, 2014 at 5:26 am

    Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your
    efforts and I am waiting for your next write ups thank
    you once again.

  32. 32

    HJ says

    January 21, 2015 at 5:28 am

    I am fascinated by the idea of companion plants
    I think its more environmentally friendly and much healthier for plants
    Came on this website as I searched for a rose problem I have
    Something seem to be eating the leaves of my beautiful roses
    I don’ like bug sprays
    I think it does harm to the plants too
    So this idea is great
    Now I have an idea of what to do
    Thanks so much for the advice

  33. 33

    Carolin says

    March 9, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    Are there plants that an be planted to deter deer? I am afraid after this monstrous winter we have had in New England where I was forced to feed the deer because there was nothing for them to eat, they will think my yard is free range! They stripped my huge rhody. (although it probably needed to be cut back anyway!) Any ideas?
    Thanks!

  34. 34

    Gail says

    May 16, 2015 at 3:29 pm

    I fortify my tomato plants with marigolds, borage and basil. While I will find a few hornworms on the vines, they never escape from the braconid wasp larvae which attack the hornworms and eventually kills them. I’m assuming one of the adjacent plantings attracts the wasps, but I could be wrong. Anyway, I stick with that formula each year.

  35. 35

    Carol says

    June 6, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    My KnockOut Roses have Rosette Disease. Can I save them?

  36. 36

    Lora says

    February 12, 2018 at 10:19 pm

    Japenese beetles love 4 o’clock flowers. They munch on them like nothing you’ve ever seen! Even better the plants are poisonus to the beetle and it kills them. After 2 years I hardly see any. I grow them in pots and place them near to the plants that the beetles love the most (usually my roses) they will always chose the 4 o’clocks over everything else. It must be like chocolate to them!

  37. 37

    Malissa Lichtenwalter says

    March 9, 2018 at 9:44 am

    Love the tip about 4 o’clock.
    I joined an organic community garden last summer and learned what flea beetles are and how much they loved my bok choy and more. I did learn about food food grade Neem oil which worked but required frequent applications after rain. Here’s hoping the flowers and Neem oil for me team the beetles and I get the bok choy this season.

  38. 38

    Malissa Lichtenwalter says

    March 9, 2018 at 9:45 am

    Love the tip about 4 o’clock.
    I joined an organic community garden last summer and learned what flea beetles are and how much they loved my bok choy and more. I did learn about food food grade Neem oil which worked but required frequent applications after rain. Here’s hoping the flowers and Neem oil double team the beetles and I get the bok choy this season.

  39. 39

    Reece says

    April 15, 2020 at 3:00 am

    Mornin’, Kevin! I’m Reece, great list thank you. I wonder if you could answer a question for me. I was wondering if, while companion planting for the purpose of pest control within the context of indoor potted plants. Do the necessary companions need to share the same pot/soil? Or will it cary from plant to plant. For example, as I understand it, some of the pestcidal plants seem to work via aroma. And so that would, imply to me that they just need to share a certain space? But then I remember reading that some plants do this via chemicals being released into the soil.

    TL;DR hehe! Do pesticidal comapanions need to share the soil of the plant they are there to protect?

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