In this video I’m talking about a companion planting experiment I’m running this year: loading my garden up with French marigolds and dill to help manage pests like whiteflies, aphids, and beetles—especially around my brassicas like kale and collards. I’m not “all in” on companion planting, because if it was a 100% fix we’d all already be doing one magic plant and never seeing pests. But I have seen benefits from French marigolds, and this year I’m going bigger—hundreds of plants—to see how much I can reduce pest pressure. I explain the chemistry behind why this can work. French marigolds and dill contain limonene, a volatile oil/essential oil component that can mask the scent of your target crops and create an olfactory “nope” for insects that have learned those oils can damage their waxy coating, smother them, and even act as a neural toxin. I also cover thiophene in French marigolds, which can help manage root-knot nematodes because they feed on the roots and then die off. Finally, I walk through simple seed-starting and planting layout ideas: start them about 6 weeks before transplanting, use dwarf marigolds tight to your target plants, and mix taller dill and taller marigolds between rows to build a dense scent barrier. It’s practical, it’ll look great, and even if it’s not perfect, you’ll still be attracting beneficial insects and pollinators.