Sasha CampbellMany gardeners often use companion planting. This technique involves planting different crops together for mutual benefit.
This method helps keep pests away from your garden. It also maximizes space, attracts helpful insects, boosts plant growth, offers shade, and more.
This guide outlines good companion plants for vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. We’ll also highlight those that you should avoid planting near each other.
The Benefits of Companion Planting
The best part about this gardening technique is the numerous advantages it provides. The soil, beneficial insects, and plants in your garden will all benefit.
When plants, beneficial insects, and soil organisms work together, the garden often becomes healthier and more productive. The benefits are as follows:
- Improved soil quality and plant health.
- Companion plants can attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, lacewings, parasitic wasps, and pollinators.
- A better chance of pollination for crops that require it.
- Repels pests.
- It helps prevent soil erosion.
- Maximizes garden space.
- Some gardeners also believe companion planting can improve crop flavor. However, scientific evidence for this benefit is limited.
Continue reading to learn more about companion planting combinations. This practice will help you plan and begin a thriving garden.
Examples of Companion Plants
Companion planting is a common gardening technique used in some farming systems. However, it requires understanding how different crops interact.
Here is a list of plants that grow well together.
Tomatoes
To keep tomato plants healthy, consider companion vegetables that grow well with them. These tomato companion plants include onions, sage, borage, lettuce, parsley, and carrots.
Other planting companions include mint, asparagus, rosemary, and basil. Marigold also works wonders [1].
However, avoid planting tomatoes too close to potatoes. They can share several diseases and pests, including blight and other soil-borne infections, which can harm both crops.
Spinach
Spinach can be grown near squash and onions.
You can also plant it beneath taller vegetables, such as beans and celery. Doing so will help protect it from the harsh rays of direct sunlight.
Raspberries
Raspberries are susceptible to various pests and fungal diseases [2].
To help prevent this, choose good raspberry companion plants for your garden.
Plant marigolds, garlic, and nasturtiums among your raspberry bushes. However, keep them away from eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, blackberries, and potatoes.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a delight in any garden.
Beans, onions, and sage are great companion plants for strawberries. Horseradish, rhubarb, spinach, chives, lettuce, and marigolds are also suitable.
Moreover, growing thyme near strawberries may help deter certain insect pests.
Corn
Fresh corn from the garden is a favorite at picnics and barbecues. Luckily, it pairs well with many other garden vegetables.
Crops such as peas, beans, lettuce, and squash are commonly grown with corn. Melons and cucumbers can also be planted nearby in larger spaces.
Cucumbers
Try planting marigolds, sunflowers, and nasturtiums with cucumbers to repel pests.
However, bad cucumber companion plants include fennel and potatoes. Cucumbers and melons can share some pests and diseases, so monitor both crops carefully.
Carrots
Many crops can be planted together with carrots. The most popular pairs are lettuce and radishes.
Planting leeks nearby will also keep away flies. However, avoid planting carrots too close to dill, which may affect carrot growth. Carrots and parsnips can also share some pests and diseases.
Broccoli
Consider planting broccoli alongside other crops, such as sage and celery. Basil, garlic, dill, and onions are good, too.
Other companion vegetables include cucumbers, potatoes, beans, lettuce, radishes, and beets. However, some gardeners avoid planting broccoli near tomatoes and other heavy-feeding crops, as they may compete for nutrients.
Peppers
Pepper is another vegetable that thrives well with a variety of other plants.
Good companion plants for peppers are radishes, spinach, lettuce, garlic, leeks, and onions. Also, geraniums, petunias, marigolds, basil, and chives will repel some pests.
Avoid planting peppers near fennel. Potatoes may also increase the risk of shared diseases.
Zucchini and Squash
Consider companion planting zucchini with beans, corn, radishes, parsley, spinach, nasturtiums, and marigolds.
Squash neighbors, such as radishes, beets, beans, peas, and carrots, do well together. Additionally, corn provides support and protection.
Moreover, nasturtiums draw pests away from squash leaves. Marigolds also help reduce insect issues.
However, potatoes and pumpkins compete strongly for nutrients and space. Fennel should also be kept far away.
Beets
Beets grow well with lettuce, onions, and cabbage because they occupy different soil levels.
Garlic helps deter pests while leafy greens make efficient use of surrounding space. But avoid pole beans, as they can stunt each other’s growth.
Melons
Melons benefit from sunflowers, which attract pollinators, and corn, which can provide light shade in hot climates. Radishes also help deter beetles early in the growing season.
However, potatoes compete heavily for nutrients and can increase pest problems. Cucumbers and melons can share some pests and diseases, so monitor both crops carefully.
Eggplant
Eggplant pairs well with beans for improved soil fertility.
Marigolds help deter insects and nematodes, while spinach or lettuce shades the soil, reducing weeds.
But fennel inhibits eggplant growth. Corn may also compete with eggplants for nutrients.
Lettuce
Lettuce thrives near tomatoes and peppers because they provide partial shade during hot weather.
Carrots and radishes grow at different soil depths, making efficient use of garden space. Strawberries also share many of the same growing needs as lettuce.
Broccoli and other large brassicas may also crowd lettuce.
Beans
Beans improve soil fertility and grow well with corn, cucumbers, and squash, all of which benefit from nitrogen-rich soil.
Radishes also help deter pests that attack bean plants.
Keep beans away from onions, garlic, and other alliums, as they may stunt bean growth. Fennel should also be avoided because it inhibits many garden plants.
Cabbage
Cabbage benefits from dill, which attracts beneficial insects that eat cabbage worms. Celery’s scent confuses pests, while onions and garlic provide additional insect protection.
Chamomile can improve overall plant health.
However, strawberries should be avoided because they compete for nutrients and can slow cabbage growth. Tomatoes may also interfere with cabbage development.
Potatoes
Peas and many cruciferous vegetables are commonly grown near potatoes. Marigolds and sweet alyssum can also attract beneficial insects to the garden.
However, avoid combining potatoes with pumpkins and tomatoes.
Flowers and Herbs That Can Be Planted Together
Herbs and flowers, like sunflowers, marigolds, and sage, are great companions. So are zinnias, parsley, nasturtiums, dill, borage, sedum, lavender, and cosmos.
Many of these plants attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Some, such as marigolds and certain herbs, may also help deter specific pests.
Some also provide shelter, ground cover, and protection for more delicate plants.
Disclaimer
While many companion planting combinations are based on generations of gardening experience, scientific support varies. Results can differ depending on climate, soil conditions, pest pressure, and the crops being grown.
Takeaway
Planting certain veggies, herbs, or flowers together is one of the many pest-control methods in gardening.
People have practiced companion planting for centuries in different parts of the world and continue to do so today.
Check this category to discover additional companion planting combinations for your vegetable garden.
Feel free to use the information from this list to create your own companion planting chart.
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