CORIANDER: Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetle. A tea from 
this can be used as a spray for spider mites. A partner for anise.

COSTMARY: This 2-3 foot tall perennial of the chrysanthemum family 
helps to repel moths.

DAHLIAS: These beautiful, tuberous annuals that can have up to dinner 
plate size flowers repels nematodes.

DILL: Improves growth and health of cabbage. Do not plant near 
carrots. Best friend for lettuce. Attracts hoverflies and predatory 
wasps. Repels aphids and spider mites to some degree. Also may repel 
the dreaded squash bug! Scatter some good size dill leaves on plants 
that are suspect to squash bugs, like squash plants. Dill goes well 
with onions and cucumbers. Dill does attract the tomato horn worm so 
it would be useful to plant it somewhere away from your tomato plants 
to keep the destructive horn worm away from them. Plant it for the 
swallowtail butterfly caterpillars to feed on. Even their 
caterpillars are beautiful.

ELDERBERRY: A spray made from the leaves can be used against aphids, 
carrot root fly, cuke beetles and peach tree borers. Put branches and 
leaves in mole runs to banish them. 

FLAX: Plant with carrots, and potatoes. Flax contains tannin and 
linseed oils which may offend the Colorado potato bug. Flax is an 
annual from 1-4 feet tall with blue or white flowers that readily 
self sows. 

FOUR-O'CLOCKS: Draw Japanese beetles like a magnet which then dine on 
the foliage. The foliage is pure poison to them and they won't live 
to have dessert! It is important to mention that four-o"clocks are 
also poisonous to humans. Please be careful where you plant them if 
you have children. They are a beautiful annual plant growing from 2-3 
feet high with a bushy growth form.

GARLIC: Plant near roses to repel aphids. Accumulates sulfur: a 
naturally occurring fungicide which will help in the garden with 
disease prevention. Garlic is systemic in action as it is taken up 
the plants through their pores and when used as a soil drench is also 
taken up by the roots. Has value in offending codling moths, Japanese 
beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. Researchers have 
observed that time-released garlic capsules planted at the bases of 
fruit trees actually kept deer away. Concentrated garlic sprays have 
been observed to repel and kill whiteflies, aphids and fungus gnats 
among others with as little as an 6-8% contentration. It is safe for 
use on orchids too.

GOPHER PURGE: Deters gophers, and moles.

HORSERADISH: Plant in containers in the potato patch to keep away 
Colorado potato bugs. There are some very effective insect sprays 
that can be made with the root. Use the bottomless pot method to keep 
horseradish contained. Also repels Blister beetles. The root can 
yield antifungal properties when a tea is made from it. 

HOREHOUND: Stimulates and aids fruiting in tomatoes.

HYSSOP: Companion plant to cabbage and grapes, deters cabbage moths 
and flea beetles. Do not plant near radishes. Hyssop may be the 
number one preference among bees and some beekeepers rub the hive 
with it to encourage the bees to keep to their home. It is not as 
invasive as other members of the mint family making it safer for 
interplanting.

KELP: When used in a powder mixture or tea as a spray, this versatile 
sea herb will not only repel insects but feed the vegetables. In 
particular kelp foliar sprays keep aphids and Japanese beetles away 
when used as a spray every 8 days before and during infestation 
times. If you have access to seaweed, use it as a mulch to keep slugs 
away.

LARKSPUR: An annual member of the Delphinium family, larkspur will 
attract Japanese beetles. Larkspur is poisonous to humans too.

LAVENDER: Repels fleas and moths. Prolific flowering lavender 
nourishes many nectar feeding and beneficial insects. Use dried 
sprigs of lavender to repel moths. Start plants in winter from 
cuttings, setting out in spring.

LEMON BALM: Sprinkle throughout the garden in an herbal powder 
mixture to deter many bugs. Lemon balm has citronella compounds that 
make this work: crush and rub the leaves on your skin to keep 
mosquitoes away. Use to ward off squash bugs.

LOVAGE: Improves flavor and health of most plants. Good habitat for 
ground beetles. A large plant, use one planted as a backdrop. Similar 
to celery in flavor.

MARIGOLDS: (Calendula): Given a lot of credit as a pest deterrent. 
Keeps soil free of bad nematodes; supposed to discourage many 
insects. Plant freely throughout the garden. The marigolds you choose 
must be a scented variety for them to work. One down side is that 
marigolds do attract spider mites and slugs.

French Marigold (T. Patula) has roots that exude a substance which 
spreads in their immediate vicinity killing nematodes. For nematode 
control you want to plant dense areas of them. There have been some 
studies done that proved this nematode killing effect lasted for 
several years after the plants were. These marigolds also help to 
deter whiteflies when planted around tomatoes and can be used in 
greenhouses for the same purpose.

Mexican marigold (T. minuta) is the most powerful of the insect 
repelling marigolds and may also overwhelm weed roots such as bind 
weed! It is said to repel the Mexican bean beetle and wild bunnies. 
Be careful it can have an herbicidal effect on some plants like beans 
and cabbage. 

MARJORAM: As a companion plant it improves the flavor of vegetables 
and herbs. Sweet marjoram is the most commonly grown type.

MINT: Deters white cabbage moths, ants, rodents, flea beetles, fleas, 
aphids and improves the health of cabbage and tomatoes. Use cuttings 
as a mulch around members of the brassica family. It attracts 
hoverflies and predatory wasps. Earthworms are quite attracted to 
mint plantings. Be careful where you plant it as mint is an 
incredibly invasive perennial. 

MOLE PLANTS: (castor bean plant) Deter moles and mice if planted here 
and there throughout the garden. Drop a seed of this in mole runs to 
drive them away. This is a poisonous plant.

MORNING GLORIES: They attract hoverflies. Plus if you want a fast 
growing annual vine to cover something up morning glory is an 
excellent choice.

OPAL BASIL: An annual herb that is pretty, tasty and said to repel 
hornworms.

NASTURTIUMS: Plant as a barrier around tomatoes, radishes, cabbage, 
cucumbers, and under fruit trees. Deters wooly aphids, whiteflies, 
squash bug, cucumber beetles and other pests of the curcurbit family. 
Great trap crop for aphids (in particular the black aphids) which it 
does attract, especially the yellow flowering varieties. Likes poor 
soil with low moisture and no fertilizer. It has been the practice of 
some fruit growers that planting nasturtiums every year in the root 
zone of fruit trees allow the trees to take up the pungent odor of 
the plants and repel bugs. It has no taste effect on the fruit. A 
nice variety to grow is Alaska which has attractive green and white 
variegated leaves. The leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible and 
wonderful in salads!

NETTLES, STINGING: The flowers attract bees. Sprays made from these 
are rich in silica and calcium. Invigorating for plants and improves 
their disease resistance. Leaving the mixture to rot, it then makes 
an excellent liquid feed. Comfrey improves the liquid feed even more. 
Hairs on the nettles' leaves contain formic acid which "stings" you.

PARSLEY: Plant among and sprinkle on tomatoes, and asparagus. Use as 
a tea to ward off asparagus beetles. Attracts hoverflies. Let some go 
to seed to attract the tiny parasitic wasps. Parsley increases the 
fragrance of roses when planted around their base. 

PEPPERMINT: Repels white cabbage moths, aphids and flea beetles. It 
is the menthol content in mints that acts as an insect repellant. 
Bees and other good guys love it.

PEPPERS, HOT: Chili peppers have root exudates that prevent root rot 
and other Fusarium diseases. Plant anywhere you have these problems. 
Teas made from hot peppers can be useful as insect sprays.

PENNYROYAL: Repels fleas. Many people are now using pennyroyal as an 
alternative lawn. The leaves when crushed and rubbed onto your skin 
will repel chiggers, flies, gnats, mosquitoes and ticks. Smells nice 
too.

PETUNIAS: They repel the asparagus beetle, leafhoppers, certain 
aphids, tomato worms, Mexican bean beetles and general garden pests. 
A good companion to tomatoes, but plant everywhere. The leaves can be 
used in a tea to make a potent bug spray.

PURSLANE: This edible weed makes good ground cover in the corn patch. 
Use the stems, leaves and seeds in stir-frys. Pickle the green seed 
pod for caper substitutes.

RADISH: Plant radishes with your squash plants. Radishes may protect 
them from squash borers. Anything that will help prevent this is 
worth a try. Planting them around corn and letting them go to seed 
will help fight corn borers.

ROSEMARY: Companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. Deters 
cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies. Use cuttings to place 
by the crowns of carrots for carrot flies. Zones 6 and colder can 
overwinter rosemary as houseplants or take cuttings.

RUE: Deters Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries. To make it 
even more effective with Japanese beetles: crush a few leaves to 
release the smell. Repels flies and has helped repel cats. Some say 
you should not plant it near cabbage, basil or sage. A pretty 
perennial with bluish-gray leaves. May be grown indoors in a sunny 
window. Rue can cause skin irritation! 

SAGE: Use as a companion plant with broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, 
cabbage, and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, black flea 
beetles and carrot flies. Do not plant near cucumbers or rue. Sage 
repels cabbage moths and black flea beetles. Allowing sage to flower 
will also attract many beneficial insects and the flowers are pretty. 
There are some very striking varieties of sage with variegated 
foliage that can be used for their ornamental as well as practical 
qualities.

Companion Planting: Sage

Sage can be planted with cabbage, carrots, strawberries and tomatoes 
to enhance their growth. Prune severely in the early spring to 
encourage bushy growth. As they get older they can become very woody 
and less productive. At this time you can divide the older plants 
using the new exterior growth for new plants. Discard the old crown. 
Growing sage from seed is a difficult task.

Sage is hardy from zone 4 to 8. Likes full sun and well drained 
garden soil.

Sage has natural antibacterial properties to it and has been used as 
a preservative for meat and poultry. It has a somewhat bitter flavor 
to it. The new leaves go well in salads, soup, marinades and 
stuffings. Try a little sage on oranges or Brussels sprouts for an 
unusual flavor!

SOUTHERNWOOD: Plant with cabbage, and here and there in the garden. 
Wonderful lemony scent when crushed or brushed in passing. Roots 
easily from cuttings. Does not like fertilizer. It is a perennial 
that can get quite bushy. A delightful plant that is virtually pest 
free.

SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and 
flavor. Discourages cabbage moths. Honey bees love it.

SUNFLOWERS: Planting sunflowers with corn is said by some to increase 
the yield. Aphids a problem? Definitely plant a few sunflowers here 
and there in the garden. Step back and watch the ants herd the aphids 
onto them. 

TANSY: Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries keeping in mind 
that it can be invasive and is not the most attractive of plants.

Tansy which is often recommended as an ant repellant may only work on 
sugar type ants. These are the ones that you see on peonies and 
marching into the kitchen. Placing tansy clippings by the greenhouse 
door has kept them out. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, 
striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, ants and mice. Tie up and hang 
a bunch of tansy leaves indoors as a fly repellent. Use clippings as 
a mulch as needed. Don't be afraid to cut the plant up as tansy will 
bounce back from any abuse heaped on it. It is also a helpful 
addition to the compost pile with its' high potassium content.

Tansy Warning: You do not want to plant Tansy anywhere that livestock 
can feed on it as it is toxic to many animals. Do not let it go to 
seed either as it may germinate in livestock fields. 

TARRAGON: Plant throughout the garden, not many pests like this one. 
Recommended to enhance growth and flavor of vegetables.

THYME: Deters cabbage worms. Wooly thyme makes a wonderful 
groundcover. You may want to use the upright form of thyme in the 
garden rather than the groundcover types. Thyme is easy to grow from 
seeds or cuttings. Older woody plants should be divided in spring.

WHITE GERANIUMS: These members of the pelargonum family draw Japanese 
beetles to feast on the foliage which in turn kills them.

WORMWOOD: Keeps animals out of the garden when planted as a border. 
An excellent deterrent to most insects. A tea made from wormwood will 
repel cabbage moths, slugs, snails, black flea beetles and fleas 
effectively. The two best varieties for making insect spray are 
Silver King and Powis Castle. Adversely Powis castle attracts 
ladybugs which in turn breed directly on the plant. Silver Mound is 
great as a border plant and the most toxic wormwood. Note: As 
wormwood actually produces a botanical poison do not use it directly 
on food crops. We personally have seen no evidence of artemisias 
suppressing the growth of plants other than seedlings though many say 
it does. Even with the silver mound artemisia

YARROW: Yarrow has insect repelling qualities and is an excellent 
natural fertilizer. A handful of yarrow leaves added to the compost 
pile really speeds things up. Try it. It also attracts predatory 
wasps and ladybugs to name just two. It may increase the essential 
oil content of herbs when planted among them. Yarrow has so many 
wonderful properties.
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