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Want to stop pests ruining your crops? Try companion planting with these tips

Tomatoes planted with tagetes
Tomatoes planted with tagetes Tomatoes planted with tagetes

1. Distract nuisance pests: Use nasturtiums, which are great for attracting pollinators, but they also attract aphids and cabbage white butterflies, so be prepared to plant them in the garden as sacrificial plants to draw pests from other plants. The old-fashioned orange-flowered pot marigold (Calendula) can be used around any vegetable plants that are attacked by aphids. The sticky substance of the pot marigold leaves attract and trap aphids. Marigolds work too, particularly in greenhouse and polytunnels, as does basil – plant it around tomatoes to help deter whitefly.

2. Attract beneficial predators: The white flowering annual, alyssum (Lobularia), makes a low growing plant and when planted between lettuce and other salad crops, the white flowers attract hoverflies that feed on aphids. Herbs such as mint, thyme, fennel, dill and sage should be allowed to flower, as the blooms will attract pollinating insects and other beneficial insects such as hoverflies.

3. Plant things which repel pests: French marigolds (Tagetes) planted between tomatoes and cucumbers in a greenhouse or polytunnel help to repel whiteflies, which can be a real pest. Plant spring onions between rows of carrots as the strong onion scent will help to deter or confuse carrot root flies looking for somewhere to lay eggs. Grow some garlic too. Again, the smell will help repel pests, particularly if you bruise the leaves every so often as you pass.

4. Grow pretty companions: Grow sweet peas in the vegetable plot close to runner beans. The scented flowers are great for cutting and will also attract bees and pollinating insects to pollinate the beans. A selection of hardy annuals, such as nigella, cosmos, calendula, sunflowers and amaranthus, not only looks good and can be used as cut flowers, they also attract pollinators and beneficial insects into the garden.

5. Discourage ants: If you have ant problems, grow some mint – it deters them completely. If the ants are in an area where you cannot grow the mint, some cut mint scattered around will deter them. Mint also deters mice. Pennyroyal is also excellent.

6. Clear caterpillars: Hyssop, particularly anise hyssop planted among cabbages and other brassicas, will help deter cabbage whites from landing and laying the eggs which hatch into the caterpillars that munch your crop.