Since weeds are alternate hosts to some insects, weed around your garden as well as between your plants. And cultivate during the growing season to destroy eggs that are laid in the soil. Crop Rotation Many insects overwinter in the soil near their favorite host plants. If you plant the same crop in the same spot in your garden year after year, you're inviting trouble. By simply rotating your crops every year, you can reduce insect damage.
Crop rotation can also help replenish the nutrients plants remove from the soil during their growth.
Then you could plant a light feeder such as beets, carrots, or another root crop. Because marigolds have a natural resistance to insects, you can interplant them with your vegetable crops to repel pests. This method, called companion planting, takes advantage of the many ways different plants complement or protect one another. The simple reason swiss chard and beans get along well is because bean roots reach deeper in the soil than swiss chard roots, so they aren't competing for the same water and nutrients. They both grow stronger and are therefore less desirable to insects.