Pests will be repelled from plants if gardeners plant 'number one herb'
This herb is easy to grow and can repel pests as small as aphids and as large as deer.
Garden lovers all know the frustration of nurturing a beautiful garden only to have it destroyed by pesky bugs shortly after it blooms. From aphids, worms, and ants to slugs, carrot flies, mites, and more, these annoying pests can significantly impact your garden's growth.
However, an expert has revealed a natural "little garden bodyguard" that wards off any major threats to your garden. Many homeowners often use garlic as a deterrent, but another herb has taken the number one spot. A garden expert from Gardenery said: "The number one herb I recommend in every single garden is chives, from the Amaryllidaceae family (if you're feeling fancy) or the onion family (if you're not).
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"Chives are one of the easiest plants to grow in the garden. They're just not fussy at all. And the best part is they're good at repelling pests as small as aphids and as large as deer."
Chives act as amazing repellent due to their incredibly strong scent and act as a great companion for other plants. Chives also help deter mites and Japanese beetles, as well as rabbits, reported Wilson's Garden Center.
This is also the case for green onions, which protect your garden from carrot rust flies, cabbage worms, aphids, and slugs. The expert continued: "Plants in the onion family put off a strong scent that pests find unappealing.
"For this reason, I typically plant chives nearby any leafy greens I'm growing—lettuces from the aster family, spinach and Swiss chard from the amaranth family, and brassicas like kale, arugula, mustards, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, etc.
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"That's one way to keep bugs off my future salad greens. Chives can also repel carrot flies, so it's a good idea to plant some chives near your carrot patch."
Chives are perennials, which means they will die in the winter and bloom in the spring. According to the garden expert, chives blossoms attract beneficial insects, including pollinators like bees and butterflies.
They added: "So it's always a great idea to plant chives near your fruiting plants like cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini. Bonus: the oniony scent of chives will, again, repel aphids and even those dreaded hornworms that pray on your fruiting plants.
"I also love putting chives near my strawberries. Now, I've read that you shouldn't plant chives near your peas or beans.
"I've grown them together plenty of times without any noticeable issues, but if you're a rule follower, then keep these plants separate.
"Overall, chives are a wonderful protectant from pests. I like to grow them on the borders of my raised beds so they can drape over the side and act like little garden bodyguards."
Other beneficial herbs to plant are sage and parsley. Sage deters snails, cabbage moths, beetles, black flea beetles, and carrot flies, as well as flea beetles, "which prey on potatoes and sweet potatoes. Do not plant near cucumbers, onions, or rue," reports Wilson's Garden Centre.
Whereas parsley, whilst it repels some bad bugs, it is needed to host ladybugs and good insects. However, the garden expert warned: "Parsley is a biennial herb in the carrot family. Biennial means it wants to stay in your garden for two years before it goes to see."
