Best Companion Plants for Dahlias
Dahlias are a beautiful and prolific flower. Companion planting protects their delicate leaves and blossoms.
Companion planting is a great way to improve your garden's health and productivity by working with nature and your local biodiversity. Companion planting is also a great way to deter pests, and when it comes to dahlias there are a few that love to munch on the gorgeous blooms. At Wilde Valley, we've been experimenting with companion planting and this year we’ll be testing out dill, evening primrose, marigolds, and basil as natural pest deterrents for our dahlias.
Dill is an excellent plant to have in your dahlia bed. Not only does it attract beneficial insects like the tachnid fly but it makes for a lovely and fragrant bouquet addition! The tachnid fly lays its eggs on the bodies of earwigs, which eventually kill them. We love seeing these flies buzzing around our garden, knowing they are helping us control pest populations naturally.
Evening primrose is another great companion plant to have in your dahlia bed. It's a relatively low growing, showy plant that produces beautiful yellow, white and even pink flowers that bloom at night. But it's not just a pretty plant; it also helps deter Japanese beetles, which are the bane of my existence. Japanese beetles love to munch on dahlia petals, but they don't like the scent of evening primrose. Planting these two together can help keep your dahlias safe and looking beautiful.
Evening primrose is a perennial in our 6a climate and it deters japanese beetles.
Marigolds are one of the most popular companion plants, and for good reason. They're easy to grow, and they deter a wide range of pests, including grasshoppers, which can be a real problem for dahlias. Marigolds produce a strong scent that repels many pests, including deer and rabbits, so planting them around your dahlia bed can help keep your flowers safe and healthy.
Dill and basil are edible plants that deter earwigs and thrips. They also make pretty and fragrant bouquet additions.
Basil is another great companion plant to have in your dahlia bed. It's a fragrant herb that can be used in cooking, and it also deters thrips, which can damage dahlia foliage. Thrips are small insects that feed on the sap of plants, and they can cause stunted growth and distorted leaves. Planting basil around your dahlias can help keep thrips at bay, and also provide you with fresh herbs and even a lovely foliage to add to bouquets.
Incorporating these companion plants into your dahlia bed can be a great way to naturally control pest populations and improve the health of your plants. At Wilde Valley, we love experimenting with different companion planting techniques and seeing the positive effects they have on our garden. We’ll be documenting our trials with these plants and sharing it with you. Try planting some of these pest-deterrent plants around your dahlias this season and let us know how they work for you!
