If you're already growing your own vegetables, you might think every inch of your patch is spoken for. But, according to professional growers, it probably isn't.
There's one simple planting technique that can help you make better use of your space while improving the flavour of your crops and keeping pests at bay naturally: co-planting herbs.
'If you aren't tucking herbs like dill and basil into the margins, understories and row ends, you're missing a massive trick,' Jude Allan, head grower at farm-to-table restaurant Wild, tells us.
'For a market gardener, herbs aren't just a nice little side-hustle to bunch up for the weekend markets – they're the unsung workforce keeping the ecosystem of a hot tunnel firing on all cylinders.'
Paired with the right vegetable, herbs have the power to enhance the flavour of cucumbers, tomatoes and more while naturally warding off pests like aphids – particularly if you're growing your veg under a poly tunnel, where the heat can explode during this time of year.
Instead of spraying chemical pesticides, enlisting the help of 'nature's assassins', Jude calls them, is much more rewarding – and certain herbs act like signposts inviting hoverflies, ladybirds and parasitic wasps.
Herbs to co-plant with vegetables to boost flavour and deter pests
Jude's pro tip: combine all of the herbs below to create a vibrant Middle Eastern cucumber salad. Just add Lebanese cucumbers, tomatoes, tangy dill pickles, and a zesty lemon-garlic dressing – perfect with falafel, shawarma, or grilled meat.
Dill
This summery kitchen staple pairs perfectly with cucumbers and, according to Jude, acts as an 'absolute powerhouse for pest management'.
'It produces these wide, flat, yellow umbel flowers that act like a neon sign for beneficial insects,' she explains.
Parasitic wasps flock to its flowers, which are easily accessible and rich in nectar. This, in turn, 'fuels them up to go hunt down the aphids on your peppers and cucumbers,' she adds. 'We always leave a few dill plants to bolt at the end of the chilli beds for exactly this reason.'
Coriander
Coriander will thrive in the cooler, shadier corner of your vegetable patch, inviting in helpful insects. 'It may bolt fast in the heat, but those delicate white flowers are another magnet for pollinators and beneficials,' says Jude.
Basil
Basil is a great herb to grow alongside tomatoes, as it can enhance their taste.
'With our temperamental UK weather, it can be a right misery – one chilly, damp night and it's gone black and slimy. But tuck it into the understory of your indeterminate tomatoes, and it absolutely thrives,' says Jude. 'They love the exact same conditions: baking heat, plenty of water at the roots, but dry leaves.'
Much more than a flavour booster, basil also acts as a natural pest deterrent. 'The intense, spicy aroma of basil helps mask the scent of your crops, throwing off pests like whitefly and thrips that would otherwise make a beeline for your prize tomatoes,' Jude says. While basil pairs well with red fruits, it makes cucumbers taste bitter, so avoid planting them together.
Summer savory
Summer savory works brilliantly tucked underneath climbing French beans, where it will help ward off beetles. French marigolds also work a treat.
'By interplanting these herbs, you’re essentially creating a multi-tiered jungle,' Jude concludes. 'You're maximising your soil volume, shading the ground to keep moisture from evaporating too fast from your beds, and building a built-in pest defence system. You get healthier main crops, fewer pest headaches, and a highly profitable, aromatic secondary crop to harvest every single week. It's proper common-sense gardening.'
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