There’s nothing more disheartening than heading out to your garden to pick vegetables, only to find them chewed apart by insects. You want to avoid the use of harmful pesticides, as although they will kill the pests, it will also destroy the good guys and can be toxic for pets and humans as well. In the hunt for natural solutions to repel bugs, you will come across many solutions using everything from oils to dish soap. An even more effective and functional solution for repelling insects is by using plants.
Many plants will deter bugs from making a home in your garden, while also adding beauty and color.
Table of Contents
Marigolds
Marigolds are the most popular bug-repelling plant, as they are both pleasant on the eye, and they keep the bugs away. It’s common to plant marigolds within your vegetable garden to keep out plant lice, mosquitos, and gnats, which often infest areas with sweet fruits and vegetables. You can also find some other tips from Organic Lesson about how to keep away gnats. Marigolds will even deter rabbits, which can wreak havoc on your home garden.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are the kings of the bug-repelling plant family. You will even notice that many natural bug repellants you can purchase in the store will contain chrysanthemum. By planting them in your garden, you can repel ants, roaches, ticks, Japanese beetles, spider mites, silverfish, ticks, lice, and harlequin bugs — so just about any insect, you can name. Chrysanthemum also makes a good tea, with many health benefits.
Citronella grass
When people hear citronella, they often think of the candles you burn outside in the summer to deter mosquitoes. Citronella comes from a type of grass that, when planted, will keep away a variety of flying insects, including all the main forms of biting insects. On top of that, citronella grass is very easy to grow in most weather conditions (except the winter), and it will come back each year.
Garlic
For the bugs that target your garden plants from underneath, garlic is one of the best ways to deter them. Garlic is universally beneficial, both for your garden and your health. Planting garlic throughout your garden will keep away root maggots, Japanese beetles, carrot root flies, aphids, and codling moths. One of the best parts about using garlic as a bug repellent is that you also get to eat it!
Petunias
Petunias are beautiful flowers that come in all sorts of colors, including pink, purple, blue, white, red, and more. They will make an attractive addition to your garden, while also protecting your other plants for harmful pests. Petunias will keep away leafhoppers, aphids, tomato worms, and asparagus beetles, so plant them by your vegetables to ensure they don’t get eaten.
Mint
Peppermint oil is commonly used in DIY bug repellents to keep pests out of the house. People often put it around doors and windows or any other potential access points. It can also be used in your garden to keep bugs away from your plants. Mint spreads very quickly, so be strategic in your placement and trim often. Mint will repel ants, spiders, and mosquitos, and you can also use it in cooking or to make tea.
Are you invaded by mosquitos? Here are 12 Natural Mosquito Repellent Plants.