Top 4 companion plants & bug repellant planting

It's been four years that we've had our own allotment plot and its been very much trowel & error... more so error at the very beginning but over time I've collected snippets of information of tips & tricks and you get more of a feel for it over time too, you just seem to know whether its too cold to plant out etc etc.

Any how, I wanted to talk a little about companion planting. I really like to bulk out our plot & make the most of every square inch so companion planting has become our yearly 'go to' plus it can bring in some much needed pollinators as well as keeping certain pests at bay!

It can get a bit tricky finding out and just remembering which to plant with which other plant so here are our top 4 which grow well, are easily grown & work wonders:

Marigolds - they work wonders next to tomatoes & squash

Strawberries - at the base of beans or peas. I find they help keep the weeds down too.

Chives - Plant them next to broccoli or carrots. They can help prevent carrot rust & keep aphids down.

Oregano - plant next to cabbages as it repels the cabbage moths which have eaten our many a time.

For a full list of our companion comrades see our other post Companion Planting with all of the information on so its easy to follow & there is no confusion.

Overall, companion planting can help boost growth, repel pests and can even help improve flavour. It boosts good wildlife & pollinators & allows you to harvest more in a small space.

Here's a handy list too (below) of all the plants that have general 'bug at bay' properties to hopefully help you stand a chance of going your own crops before something eats them first!