A gardening expert has shared the one plant he believes belongs in every garden due to its natural pest control abilities. Gardeners at all skill levels understand the struggle of dealing with stubborn pests like slugs, snails, and other insects. The good news is that you do not have to resort to harmful chemicals to keep them at bay if you add a few key plants to your usual lineup.
Expert Recommendation
To help people address this problem, gardener Joe, known online as 'JoesGarden', has offered his top recommendation for keeping these unwanted guests away. This involves adding a specific plant to your garden and vegetable patch. "This here is one simple plant that I recommend in every garden," he stated at the beginning of his TikTok video. "Every part of my garden has to have nasturtiums."
Benefits of Nasturtiums
He went on to highlight the advantages of this plant, noting: "What's really cool is the whole plant, including the flowers, the seed pods, and even the leaves are 100 per cent edible." But more importantly, they are fantastic when planted in your vegetable patch because absolutely everything loves to eat them. Joe explained that the appeal of nasturtiums to pests is actually advantageous, as it draws them away from other plants.
"Slugs and snails can't get enough of nasturtium foliage, and cabbage butterflies love laying their caterpillar eggs underneath the leaves," he said. In this way, nasturtiums function as a natural pest repellent, shielding your precious crops from harm.
Planting Tips
Joe suggested that April is the perfect month to introduce nasturtiums to your garden, whether you decide to pick up an inexpensive plant from a shop or grow them from seed yourself. He explained: "And now is the perfect time to pick up a few cheap nasturtium plants from the shops, or even better, sow some seeds to plant all around the garden, where each year, they'll grow, bloom, and self-seed to return every spring, giving you an almost endless supply all from a few cheap plants."
Viewer Experiences
In the comments, viewers shared their own experiences of growing nasturtiums, with many applauding the plant for its adaptability. One user wrote: "I till my garden once a year; I planted these guys once, 10 years ago. I've never had to reseed. They are currently growing now. Once they drop seeds, they live there now." Another commented: "I make a pesto using the nasturtium leaves and flowers! Good way to bulk up a basil pesto, and it's delicious peppery flavour!" While a third viewer added: "I've got a bunch in purple and a white/yellow colour as they are so good to hide dodgy fencing too."
