Professional and amateur gardeners alike know the frustration of bugs and other pests destroying their plants and crops. But a gardener recently took to TikTok to demonstrate a technique called companion planting that helps solve this irritating problem without the use of damaging chemicals.
The scoop
Savannah Joy (@savannahjoy215) explains that marigolds are a great companion plant to keep bugs off your crops. But she reminds viewers to engage in a process called "deadheading."
@savannahjoy215 Maximize your blooms with this simple hack! #garden #gardening #gardener #flowers #hack #hacks #kitchengarden #companionplanting #foryou #fypage ♬ Sunshine Daydream - Grateful Dead
She demonstrates by simply removing the dead blossoms from the marigolds to make way for new blossoms. She captions the video, "Maximize your blooms with this simple hack!"
How it's helping
As the Old Farmer's Almanac explains, companion planting is the practice of growing plants in tandem to help and support each other: "Fruits, vegetables, and herbs are noticeably more resilient and productive when each member supports the next."
Companion planting is a natural way to provide your garden with a ton of benefits. The technique minimizes pest damage while boosting soil fertility. It also reduces weeds and increases plant yields.
Marigolds are a particularly popular plant for use in companion planting. This is because marigolds are known to be very effective when grown in tandem with many fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
And while marigolds are excellent companion plants, there are many other combinations to try. For instance, many gardeners plant cilantro next to potatoes because potato beetles do not like cilantro. And gardeners have also used other natural methods to deter pests. Citrus peels and coffee grounds have been found to be effective deterrents.
Hacks like these are so important to home gardens because they make the process of growing your own crops a little easier. And gardening provides a wide variety of benefits. First and foremost, gardeners save money by not having to buy expensive produce. And most growers will enthusiastically tell you that homegrown produce simply tastes better and fresher. Perhaps even more importantly, horticulturists have improved mental and physical health.
Home gardens are also excellent for the environment. They not only help beautify our natural world, but they also help clean the air and soil. And hacks like companion planting that help gardeners avoid the use of toxic chemicals only increase those benefits.
What everyone's saying
Commenters on the original post were appreciative of the helpful hack.
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Several hours a week 🧑🌾 One said, "Excellent tip!"
Another reminded people that removing the blossoms comes with some other benefits: "Those dead heads are full of seeds!"
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