How To Attract Beneficial Ladybugs Into Your Garden

Ladybugs are a gardeners dream! They are often used as organic pest control, keeping things like mites, scale, and aphids in check. Attracting these special creatures into your garden is actually quite simple, and once you learn what they love...you'll be able to keep them in your garden!

Ladybugs eat two things; pests and pollen. You'll easily be able to attract them into your yard if you can provide a constant food source for them. Pictured above are several plants/flowers that ladybugs love! They enjoy the pollen from these plants and will easily re-locate to your garden space if you plant one or more of these. More often than not they tend to enjoy flowers with large, flat petals and sometimes will prefer flowers that are white or yellow over other shades.

POLLEN PRODUCING PLANTS:

	Angelica	"Angelica archangelica, commonly known as garden angelica, Holy Ghost, wild celery, and Norwegian angelica, is a biennial plant from the Apiaceae family, a subspecies of which is cultivated for its sweetly scented edible stems and roots." - source/wiki
	Caraway	Caraway has very aromatice leaves and seeds that are delicious and used in a number of culinary ways. It grows in both cool and warm climates and is an easy to grow herb. Some even think it may contain powers, or so the legend goes...
	Chives	Chives can quickly take over your garden if you allow the plant to go to seed. Chives are also very easily transplanted in case you wanted to dig up the plants and move them to another area.
	Cilantro	Coriander contains antioxidants. It has also been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia. Coriander has also been documented as a traditional treatment for diabetes.
	Dill	If this is your first attempt at growing herbs, dill is a wonderful variety to try. Dill prefers full sun and soil that is well drained. Dill can be grown in average soil, and also can tolerate dry conditions. Water the plant through periods of drought or once or twice a week. If necessary, use a general purpose fertilizer once or twice a season.
	Fennel	Fennel is known as a perennial that ought to be planted sometime after the last frost of the winter. Try sowing seeds directly into your gardens, because transplanting fennel usually doesn't work very well.
	Marigold	Most popular for attracting butterflies, bees, and other beneficial pollinators.
	Yarrow	It is used in the treatment of a very wide range of disorders but is particularly valuable for treating wounds, stopping the flow of blood, treating colds, fevers, kidney diseases, menstrual pain etc.

The second part of feeding your ladybugs is to plant several "decoy crops". These plants are ones that you probably already enjoy in your garden but can attract a good source of aphids, which the ladybugs love to feed on.

"DECOY" PLANTS:

	Cabbage	A smaller cabbage head has better flavor and can stay in the field longer without splitting. To keep them small, plant close together or, when the head is almost full, give the plant a sharp twist to sever the roots.
	Marigold	Choose a location with full sun and average soil. Wash spider mites off with an organic soap spray if you find them. Remove any dead flowers regularly to encourage more blooms.
	Nasturtium	Vining flower that produces red, yellow and orange flowers.
	Radish	Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, magnesium, copper, and calcium. One cup of sliced red radish bulbs provides approximately 20 calories, largely from carbohydrates.

By following these easy tips, attracting and keeping ladybugs in your garden will be a simple task!

Previous Next

🌱 • 🌿 • 🍃• 🪴

Shop our entire
seed collection

ENTER THE SEED SHOP 🔥 SHOP TODAY'S DEALS

Tips for Growing More in a Greenhouse 🪴
Want to try growing in a greenhouse for the first time? Maybe you've already tried greenhouse gardening but want to get a better crop this year. In this blog post,...
Read more
What Seeds Can You Plant in September 🥬
Here is a list of seeds you can plant during the month of September: Beet Broccoli Cabbage Carrot Cauliflower Cilantro Collard Greens Dill Endive Kale Lettuce Radish Spinach Swiss Chard Turnip ...
Read more
How to Make Organic Watermelon Candy 🍉
With summer comes expected flavors and colors, especially those of a watermelon. Some summers though, you may be wondering what you can do with all of those bright green melons...
Read more
The Secret to Producing More Tomatoes 🤫
Maybe it's time to give your tomatoes a little bit extra "care and encouragement", in the form of spanking them. Now, we're not endorsing plant abuse here by any means,...
Read more
How to Grow a Giant Pumpkin from Seed 🎃
If you’re planning on growing a GIANT pumpkin, keep in mind that you may need anywhere from 400 sq. ft. all the way up to 1200 sq. feet for just ONE pumpkin!...
Read more
38 Edible Flowers To Plant In Your Garden 🌸
Nothing will impress your friends and family like sprinkling some colorful flowers into a salad, onto pastries or even as a garnish in their favorite drinks. Edible flowers will add...
Read more
15 Herbs You Can Grow at Home To Make Your Own Tea ☕
These 15 herbs will make a wonderful addition to your collection of "tea making supplies"! Start curing your ailments naturally by growing your own herbal remedies. You can use them individually or mix...
Read more
Your Guide to Gardening Through all 4 Seasons ☀️ ❄️
As the weather becomes consistently cold (in late October and early November, in the upper Midwest), you can work at preparing your garden for winter. There are several aspects to...
Read more
How to Deal with Squash Bugs 🪲
Squash bugs can destroy crops and are quite the nuisance. Check your squash plants daily for signs of squash bugs and their eggs. What to look for: Look for tiny...
Read more
How to Save Tomato Seeds 🍅
There are several ways that you can save your heirloom tomato seeds, but here are two of the most popular techniques. Fermentation Method: Choose a beautiful, healthy fruit that is...
Read more
How To Tell When 🍆 Eggplant Is Ripe
One of the easiest ways to determine if they are ripe is to gently squeeze the eggplant. Once you release, the skins should "bounce back". If indentations remain, the fruit is...
Read more
Prepare NOW for a garden in the fall!
Summer will soon be over but having a thriving vegetable garden doesn't have to end when summer does. With a little bit of planning, and preparation you can grow vegetables well into...
Read more