Gardener shares old-school hack to keep pests off your plants: 'This is awesome'

If you've ever battled aphids in your garden, you know how frustrating it can be to watch them take over your tomatoes, peppers, or mint overnight. 

However, one TikTok creator has revived an old-school gardening trick that keeps pesky bugs distracted, using nothing more than sunflowers.

The scoop

Shared on TikTok by April Calder (@april_calder), this simple hack takes advantage of something nature already does, as aphids are far more attracted to yellow flowers than to leafy greens. 

@april_calder I will plant these EVERY YEAR! #sunflower #trapcrop #companionplanting #aphids #stinkbugs #gardening #gardening101 ♬ Dream Away - Ramol

By planting sunflowers (or other bright-blooming plants) away from your fruiting vegetables or at the back of gardens, you can lure the pests to a "trap crop," which protects your garden beds from damage.

"I wanted to show you all why I planted sunflowers this year," Calder said. "Not only are they pretty, but the aphids and the stink bugs absolutely love them."

Studies back up what Calder demonstrated in her backyard. Research published in the journal Insects has shown that companion plants can work in several ways: by drawing pests away from target crops, disrupting how pests recognize their host plants, or even attracting natural predators that keep pest populations down.

In Calder's garden, the strategy is simple: Just line your garden or yard perimeter with sunflowers and watch as the pests leave your veggies alone.

"There are no bugs over here, none, absolutely zero," Calder said. "You can see that they are eating my sunflowers, but they are not touching my tomatoes."

How it's helping

This hack helps gardeners save money by reducing the need for sprays, oils, or costly synthetic pesticides. It also makes homegrown food tastier and healthier since your produce is chemical-free. Additionally, the act of gardening itself has been linked to mental health benefits such as reduced stress and improved physical well-being. 

Environmentally, swapping pesticides for sunflowers means fewer chemicals in the soil and waterways, plus less pollution from the production and transportation of insecticides.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

It's a win-win for gardeners and the planet. Controlling pests without chemicals can sustainably support you and your garden.

What everyone's saying

General reactions to the sunflower-backed hack show that users loved its simplicity and the bonus of enjoying beautiful flowers while keeping their precious fruits and veggies safe.

Safe to say, users were very excited:

"This is awesome!!" one user wrote.

"Love this," another added. "I'm definitely going to have to do this."

"Aphids used to go wild on my pepper plants," a third added. 

Others simply admired Calder's blooms: "Omg the chocolate sunflower," another wrote.

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