What Plants Repel Aphids? Helpful Tips

Did you know that you can repel aphids simply by adding some plants to your garden? Let’s look at what plants repel aphids below.

Tiny insects making their nests under your plants is probably the last thing you need to see when you check on your garden.

But what if we tell you there are some plants that can keep your garden safe from a nasty aphid infestation? In this article, let us look at some aphid-repelling plants that are natural enemies to these pests.

What Plants Keep Aphids Away?

Basil

Basil is a fragrant herb often used for its sweet smell. The strong scent of basil is known to disturb the olfactory sense of aphids.

It deters them from infesting nearby plants. It can be an excellent companion plant for tomatoes, beans, and asparagus.

Garlic

Aphids have an aversion to all kinds of strong scents. Plants like garlic, when planted near vegetable plants (common host plants for aphids), can act as a good deterrent.

Planting a few garlic shrubs or using a spray bottle with garlic oil and soap water to freshen up your plants could be an effective way to keep aphids away for quite some time.

Onion

Onions protect leafy veggies like cabbage, broccoli, kale, or cauliflower from aphids.

As the onion plants grow, the scent becomes stronger and keeps aphids away from the surroundings. These plants also work as insect repellants that can damage different plants.

Peppermint

Mint can attract several beneficial insects that usually feed on aphids. These can be grown as tiny bushes around your main plants to keep them safe.

The only thing to take care of is controlling the growth of mint bushes since they grow very fast and can cover up a garden.

Thyme

Using fragrant herbs can be one of the easiest ways to eliminate or at least keep aphids away from other plants.

Planting thymes or using a thyme oil to spray over plants can help keep aphids away from flowering and vegetable plants.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an effective fragrant herb that can mask the smell of host plants. Various beneficial insects gather around rosemary plants, and many of these feed on aphids as a supplementary food source.

The scent of rosemary itself can keep away aphids from surrounding plants.

Catnip

Growing catnip around plants is known for attracting pollinating insects that are natural enemies of aphids.

Catnip might be popular with your four-legged friends, but this can also help with the aphid problem at home.

However, keeping a check on the growth of catnip is important around the year.

Parsley

Parsley is a favorite for a lot of wasps that feed on aphids. Many parasitic wasps feed on aphids which will help to prevent any major infestation.

So, planting parsley around your garden could mean protecting your plants by keeping the beneficial insects around.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium is one of the most natural insect repellents. The plant in your garden releases a chemical that affects various insects, including aphids.

Keeping these plants as companions can help to keep different types of unwanted pests away.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are often regarded as trap plants and can help prevent major aphid infestations in a garden. These plants are large in size and have strong stems.

Most of them can easily take on an aphid infestation without damage. Planting them in close quarters with other plants can help prevent aphids from populating your garden.

Hot Pepper (Capsaicin)

Hot peppers can be an effective aphid repellant as companion plants and a spray. These plants have a chemical known as capsaicin (which gives them their distinct chili flavor).

It also gives out a strong scent that can help keep aphids, other insects, and even certain birds away. Spraying plants with water and hot pepper mixture can also keep the plants safe from an infestation.

Mums

Mums, more popularly known as chrysanthemums, are one of the plants that aphids particularly hate. These plants release a chemical called pyrethrum, which is a natural insecticide.

Mums also release a pheromone which works like an alert chemical for aphids. It mimics a predator for the aphids and keeps them away from plants.

Lavender

Lavender oil is one of the most effective aphid repellants. The plant has a strong fragrance that usually keeps aphids away.

Planting a few lavender plants around your garden would mean the fragrance can overpower the surroundings and keep aphids away.

Rye

Rye is one of the most important and valuable plants among crops. But these are prone to aphid infestations, particularly on the underside of leaves.

It is not exactly a companion plant, but it can prevent the growth of aphids among other rye plants and prevent an aphid infestation.

Spear Thistles

Spear thistles are a small flowering plant that has proven effective in controlling aphid populations among rye plants.

If you are growing rye crops, you can plant these tiny plants among the plants to prevent aphids from attacking frequently.

Savory

Savory is a type of herb known to prevent black bean aphid infestation. Aphids can be fatal to crops growing in summer and spring.

Planting savory flowers can attract pollinating insects, some of which are aphid predators, protecting them.

Marigolds

Marigolds are popular as insect repellants and can be an excellent choice to prevent aphid attacks. These bright-colored flowers have a special scent that keeps insects away from the surrounding.

Planting marigolds around your other plants can better fight an aphid population, especially if you are planting new and young shrubs. So if you are wondering, “Do Marigolds Repel Aphids?” the answer is yes.

Other Natural Remedies For Aphids

Most people would not be keen on using too many chemicals to avoid an aphid infestation, but adding new plants to a garden takes space and time for tending and card, which is difficult.

Apart from companion plants, there are essential oils and beneficial insects which you can also use as aphid remedies.

To avoid aphids, you can spray essential oils like neem, garlic, and rosemary oil on plants. The insects will be unable to stand the strong scent, so regular spraying can help keep aphids away for longer.

Beneficial insects like ladybugs, parasitic wasps, Japanese beetles, and lacewing larvae are natural predators of aphids.

Introducing these insects around your plants will allow them to feed on the aphids and control the recent as well as future infestations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What To Plant With Roses To Deter Aphids?

Aphids have an aversion to strong smells. Planting certain fragrant herbs with rose bushes can help keep aphids away.

Rue, parsley, scented geraniums, and thyme are some of the best choices as companion plants with roses. The smell of these herbs keeps away most pests, including aphids.

What flowers do aphids hate?

Flowers with a strong odor can deter most species of aphids. Among them, one flower that aphids particularly hate is marigolds.

Marigold scent is considered a pest repellant, so aphids will try to avoid these plants since they cannot tolerate the smell for a long time.

What plants attract aphids the most?

There are aphid species of many kinds, almost one of every type of plant available.

Nightshade plants like tomatoes or fruit-bearing apples, plums, and cherries often attract them. They are also drawn to flowering plants like roses, dahlia, and sunflowers.

Do banana peels keep aphids away?

Yes, banana peels are known to be aphid repellants. If you keep pieces of banana peels around a plant’s soil, the aphids are drawn towards the peel instead of the main plant.

Bury the peels one or two inches deep in the soil to protect your plants from aphids.

Wrap Up

There are a number of companion plant options that can be explored when you are trying to prevent an aphid infestation, including basil, garlic, onions, chives, parsley, sunflower, mums, lavender, and so on.

The only thing that you need to take care of is whether the solution you are using is safe for your plants and will not affect their growth in some way. Thank you for reading!