Everybody knows that the old traditional way of repelling pests is through pesticides. Well, there is another way of doing pest control in a very unique and natural way: by growing pest-killer plants. Do you want to know what flower works as a natural pest control? We discuss this in detail.
This phenomenon of growing flowers in your garden not only serves as a pest repellent but also enhances the beauty of your garden. You can use a few of them as taste enhancers such as mint, onion, garlic, or basils.
Many flowers make your garden pest-free such as Marigolds, chrysanthemums, sunflower, mint, garlic, onion, Lavender, nasturtiums, and a lot of others that we discussed in this article.
Marigold flowers:
Flowers that fight for you as belligerent, against pests, are marigolds. They have two kinds with different arsenal: French marigold and Mexican marigold
Marigolds are small, round, and beautiful flowers with sharp leaves. Scientific research has affirmed that they repel a lot of pests for example: whiteflies, nematodes, slugs, and snails.
Limonene in these plants works as a deterrent force in the case of whiteflies. In case of having huge infestation, it can play a supportive role along with other plants like Chinese cabbage, nasturtiums, or basil.
Moreover, the roots of marigolds secrete alpha-terthienyl which stops the hatching of nematodes eggs.
The best thing about having this flower in your garden is, that it baits other pests by attracting friendly pests like snails and snugs.
These snails and snugs attack other pests and kill them, adding to the work of marigolds.
Chrysanthemums:
You would be surprised to know that pyrethrins are extracted from chrysanthemums, and pyrethrins mixed with other chemicals work as pests-killers.
This chemical is not just pest-repellent, it attacks the nervous system of the pests and then kills them.
So, having this flower in your garden works as a natural pest fighter. This flower is effective against ants, aphids, moths, and other larvae that can damage your garden.
Sunflower:
One of the best natural flowers that work as pest repellent is sunflowers. With its unique properties, the experts advise you to grow this in your garden.
Another great ability of this flower is attracting the birds.
Now you would wonder what if those birds damage other useful vegetables, well there are 200 species of birds in the US, and only 10 attack the gardens whereas 190 of the species are garden friends but proved lethal for pests.
Moreover, sunflower attracts other insects that pollinate to repel other insects such as bees and wasps.
Lavender:
Another natural repellent for pests is Lavender, one of its characteristics is it can survive indoors. Many grow it in gardens to repel unwanted pests that can harm human health.
Fragrances usually attract everyone. In Lavender linalool is responsible for a certain scent. Although humans like this scent but this is obnoxious to some pests like mosquitoes and moths.
Moreover, it also works neurotoxin for some insects and consequently kills them.
A few pesticide-producing companies extract oil from lavenders and use it in pest-repelling substances.
So, growing this flower not only helps you against some pests but also increases the beauty of your garden.
Nasturtiums:
Nasturtiums are used as scapegoats. They usually attract bugs and insects, like Aphids, that are harmful to your other plants, vegetables, or crops. This works as a distraction from them and your garden remains safe from pests’ attack.
This is also effective against a few insects, harmful to your garden, like Aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, beetles, cucumber beetles, and squash-bugs.
So, if you have known about another natural pesticide, why not grow it?
Mint:
The best thing about mint is that it serves both purposes: it adds to the taste of your meal and also repels dangerous pests from affecting your vegetables.
One of its properties is that it grows in speed and occupies a large area in no time. So, it is advised to grow this in a pot.
Compounds like menthol and peppermint oil are enemies of some insects like mosquitoes and mites. They repel these insects from entering the house or garden and control infestation.
Garlic:
Many pests don’t like the smell of garlic and stay away from places where we grow garlic.
That’s how it is known as another insect repellent. The insects that don’t like garlic have a great list such as Aphids, beetles, mosquitoes, and flies.
And, as we all know garlic is also used in enhancing the taste of the food.
What flowers are suitable for you?
It’s not that every kind of flower would work in your garden. It largely depends upon the following factors;
- Kind of pests that attack
- Condition of soil and availability of plants in your area.
- Particular season that supports the growth of flowers.
Conclusion:
Now you know that what flower works as natural pest control. Natural pesticides like flowers are the best alternative to unnatural pesticides.
These flowers are human-friendly. They are also unharmful for your pets.
Growing these flowers not only enhances the beauty of your garden but also fights for you against pests.
Consult a gardener in your area to know what flower is suitable for your area, keeping the weather in consideration.
