Everyone knows that life is better with friends, and plants feel the same way! Companion planting, aka putting plants together that grow well together, can help beautify your garden and boost your yield!
No matter what your starting point, companion planting is an idea for every gardener. So, keep reading to learn about the most common companion plants.
1. Tomatoes and Marigolds
Tomatoes are an easy vegetable to grow for beginner gardeners, but it can be a huge challenge to keep the pests away. Marigolds are here to help, as they give off a scent that many of the bugs that bother tomatoes hate. So, protect your tomatoes with a new marigold friend!
Tomatoes can also be planted with basil, which will help increase the yield of your tomato plants.
2. Carrots and Leeks
Not only do carrots and leeks make an amazing savory soup to eat during the winter months, but leeks also help protect carrots from carrot flies as they grow. This relationship goes both ways, though, as carrots help protect leeks from flies and moths as well.
For best results, plant these two plants in a patchwork pattern so they can get the maximum protection as they grow up together.
3. Peppers and Basil
According to Farmer’s Almanac, nothing helps bell pepper grow more than basil plants, as the strong scent of basil repels aphids, spider mites, mosquitoes, and more—all pests which will bother your growing bell peppers.
If you already planted your basil with your tomatoes, onions can be another good companion. Or you can plant your tomatoes, bell peppers, and basil all together for a triangle of protection.
4. Annual Flowers with any Fruit or Vegetable
Planting flowers that will bloom around the same time as your fruits and vegetables is a master move. These flowers will draw bees and wasps to your garden—the presence of which will dissuade many of the smaller pests who like to feast on fruits and vegetables.
We recommend planting the flowers as a border for your garden boxes to ensure they keep the pests away but allow plenty of room for your food plants to grow.
5. Cucumber and Lettuce
Keep your cucumbers safe from pests by planting them alongside lettuce and marigolds. Marigolds will keep the pests away, and lettuce will allow the cucumber to flourish—plus, they’ll be ready to be thrown in a salad together someday!
Just make sure you keep your cucumbers far away from your herbs, like sage a rosemary, as these can stunt your cucumber’s growth. Also, avoid cruciferous veggies, as these will rob the cucumber’s soil of the nutrients it needs to flourish.
6. Onions and Carrots
If you don’t have any leeks in your garden this season, and need a pair for your carrots, look no further than onions. Like leeks, onions chase the pests away from your carrots, and these two grow well in the soil together.
If you already paired your carrots and leeks together, then you can also place your onions near your beets, cabbages, or lettuce to help them flourish as well.
7. Zucchini and Radishes
Both zucchini and radishes are some of the easiest vegetables to grow for beginners, and they both help each other grow. While there aren’t any pest-chasing specifics, both need similar watering and sunlight, making them fast friends in the garden bed.
Just keep your zucchinis far from your potatoes, as one blight can take them both out. Your cucumbers and pumpkins should also be far away as these plants can also spread diseases between them.
8. Corn and Green Beans
Corn and green beans are excellent companion plants as one takes from the soil what the other replenishes (nitrogen). Plus, as the corn stalks grow, the green bean plants are all to happy to wrap around them. These plants can be placed close together during planting, just be prepared to thin them out a bit later on.
Other vine plants can also be planted with corn, like peas, pumpkins, and melons. However, these ones just won’t fix the soil, so ensure you start with something nitrogen-rich. Also, keep your corn far from your tomatoes, else face the wrath of the corn earworms.
9. Potatoes and Cabbage
Potatoes and cabbage planted near each other will help balance the soil so the other can grow. While there aren’t specific pest-deterrents in this combination, marigolds can help keep the pests away from both of these veggies.
Potatoes can also be planted near horseradish if that is on your docket for the year. Just remember, keep the potatoes away from your tomatoes, as both suffer from blight.
10. Spinach and Kale
If you are growing spinach, then you should absolutely also plant some kale. These plants help support the other during their growth and make awesome salads after harvest. Just keep your potatoes, corn, and peppers far away as these leech the nitrogen from the soil that your spinach and kale need to grow.
Plant Companions That Aren’t Listed
Of course, we didn’t list every plant in this list, and you may be tempted to pair some other plants in your garden together. We recommend, before planting, that you do careful research as there are so many plants that interfere with the growth of another that garden beds must be planted carefully!
No matter what you decide to plant, we recommend ensuring there are marigolds and other flowers around your vegetable garden, as these help keep a large portion of the pests at bay. Also, keep in mind that certain plants attract different types of pests, so it is a good idea to have a variety of plants in your garden so you don’t lose your crops all to a single pest you didn’t know you were attracting!
Before planting, ensure you check out some of our other gardening articles to help get you on the right track:
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