At Rare Dragon Fruit we love companion planting.
Companion planting attracts pollinating insects, maximizes crop growth, pest control, maximizing use of space and improves soil.
Once you plant a few beneficial plants and see the increased insect life you will be amazed and instantly converted. We really noticed this major difference when we started focusing on flowers.
Our plants were thriving as well we had reduced pests. Aphids and mealybugs were our main pest in the garden.
Hoverflies, lacewings, ladybirds and parasitic wasps like to eat these pests.
Our favorite plants to attract these beneficial insects are dogbane, marigold, Cuban mint, cats whisker, mother of all herbs, basil, ginger and turmeric.
Try to plant for every 10 food plants 1 flower.
Let spring onion, lettuce, parsley, fennel, mustard, rocket, dill and coriander go to flower.
These plants have powerful beneficial insect attracting properties.
The more variety of flowering plants you have the more varieties of beneficial insects will follow, Its amazing how quickly this can happen.
The more insects also bring in more birds which in turn helps to reduce larger insects like grasshoppers.
Happy Herbs Insect Control-
Basil: Aphids, fruit fly, white fly, and house flies, mosquitoes
Hyssop: Cabbage moth
Chives: Airborne & soil borne insects, aphids.
Dill: White cabbage moth
Fennel: Fleas
Lavender: Flies, beetles, moths
Oregano: White cabbage moth
Pennyroyal: Flies, mosquitoes, fleas, ants, mice
Rosemary: Cabbage moth, bean beetle, snails, slugs , mosquitoes
Sage: Cabbage moth, carrot fly, fleas, slugs
Southernwood: Cabbage moth, mosquitoes, flies, fruit flies
Summer Savory: Bean beetles
Tansy: Jap beetles, cucumber beetles, ants, flies, fleas, cutworms, cabbage worms.
Thyme: Cabbage worm
Catmint: Ants
Catnip: Flea beetle, ants
Coriander: Aphids
Garlic: Japanese beetle, aphids, peach leaf curl, apple scab, red spider mite, black spot
Marigolds: Mexican beetle, nematodes, various insects
Mint: White cabbage moth, caterpillars, aphids, flea beetles, mice
Nasturtium: Squash bugs, pumpkin beetles, aphids, white fly
Wormwood: Small animals, flea beetle, mosquitoes, mice, caterpillars, moths
Good bugs-
Ladybirds seem quite sweet, in actual fact they are vicious predators that eat up to 500 aphids a week.
Bees are essential for pollinating our vegetables and flowers
Vegi Garden Friends-
Basil: Tomato (Improves growth and flower)
Borage: Tomatoes, squash, strawberries (Attracts bees, repels tomato worm, increases fruit)
Chamomile: Cabbage, onion
Chervil: Radishes (Increases growth and flavour)
Chives: Vegies, roses, apple trees. (Increases rose perfume. Discourages climbing insects)
Garlic: Roses (Makes their flowers smell better and repels aphids)
Hyssop: Cabbage, grapes
Mint: Cabbage, tomatoes
Nasturtium: Radishes, cabbage, fruit trees
Pennyroyal: Roses
Rosemary: Cabbage, beans, carrots, sage
Sage: Cabbage, carrots, rosemary
Savory: Beans, onion
Tansy: Fruit trees, roses, grapes
Thyme: Cabbage
Dill: Carrots, tomatoes, celery
Onion: Carrot, beet, lettuce, Silverbeet (Scent masks the carrot scent and fools the carrot fly)
Oregano: Cabbages, cauliflowers, grapes
Parsley: Chives, roses, tomatoes, carrots
Sunflowers: Squash, cucumbers (Provides shade)
Potatoes: Bush beans (Protect each other from beetle attack)
Radishes: Carrots (Plant seed together. Harvest the radish first to loosen the soil for the carrots)
Tomatoes: Asparagus (The chemical in asparagus repels tomato pests)
Cucumbers: Cabbages (Cucumbers use cabbage leaves to shelter from the heat)
Pelargonium: Grapes
ALL ROUND GOOD GUYS
Plant thyme in the corners of the vegie garden or use carpeting thyme
along paths to attract bees to cross-pollinate.
Grow garlic randomly around the garden (except near strawberries, peas, beans & cabbages). It deters insects and improves the perfume of roses.
Dogbane, Cuban mintand Mother of all herbs- helps deter insects and masks the smell of vegetable plants.
Use marigolds as edging plants around the vegie garden as insects
don’t like the smell and they also deter nematodes.
Feverfew and southernwood have insect repellent properties. Plant them
throughout the garden but also near the chook pen or dog kennel.
Chamomile and yarrow help improve the vigour of the plants around them.
They are easily included in garden beds or vegie patches.
Sunflowers-are like a big sign saying insects come here.
Amaranth- has a vivid red flower.
Land Cress-Butterflies lay their eggs on these but the grubs can’t feed on the leaves of the cress.
Cat’s whiskers aka- Java tea, native nutmeg- bring in so many native bees
Mugwort- helps repel mites around your chicken pen.
