Companion Planting

Benefits of Companion Planting

1. Natural Pest Control

Many plants repel pests with their scent or chemical compounds. For example:

  • Garlic, chives, and basil deter aphids and other insects.

  • Marigolds help repel nematodes and onion maggot flies.

  • Nasturtiums act as trap crops, drawing aphids away from valuable vegetables.

2. Attracting Beneficial Insects

Some plants attract predators and pollinators:

  • Alyssum brings in ladybugs and lacewings that eat aphids.

  • Basil and oregano attract bees, boosting pollination and yield.

3. Improved Pollination

Herbs and flowers can increase pollinator activity:

  • More bees = better fruit set for crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

4. Enhanced Plant Growth

Some plant pairings encourage faster or stronger growth:

  • Basil improves the growth and flavor of peppers and tomatoes.

  • Beans improve the size of potato tubers.

  • Onions intercropped with carrots increase carrot yield.

5. Efficient Use of Space

Mixing plants with different growth habits maximizes garden space:

  • Lettuce interplanted with peas makes use of soil and sunlight without competition.

  • Groundcovers like thyme can protect soil beneath taller crops.

6. Weed Suppression

Dense companion plants act as living mulch:

  • They shade the ground and crowd out weeds naturally.

7. Soil Improvement

Some companions enrich the soil:

  • Beans and other legumes fix nitrogen, improving soil fertility for nearby crops.

8. Disease Prevention

Diverse planting reduces the risk of disease spread:

  • Garlic and onions have antifungal properties.

  • Airflow and diversity discourage fungal and bacterial buildup.

9. Flavor Enhancement

Certain herbs enhance the flavor of neighboring vegetables:

  • Basil and tomatoes are a classic pair not just in the kitchen but in the garden too.

BEANS

  • Nasturtium

  • Rosemary

  • Squash

  • Pole beans

  • Sunflowers

BEETS

  • Bush beans

  • Garlic

  • Germanium

  • Lettuce

  • Onion family

  • Lettuce intercropped with beets helps beets perform better.

BROCCOLI

  • Alyssum

  • Chamomile

  • Dill

  • Marigold

  • Nasturtium

  • Oregano

  • Sage

  • Thyme

CABBAGE

  • Alyssum

  • Chamomile

  • Dill

  • Garlic

  • Nasturtium

  • Onion

  • Rosemary

  • Sage

  • Thyme

CARROTS

  • Chives

  • Leeks

  • Nasturtium

  • Onions

  • Peas

  • Radishes

  • Rosemary

  • Sage

CORN

  • Beans (pole)

  • Cucumbers

  • Dill

  • Geranium

  • Peas

  • Potatoes

  • Squash

  • Sunflower

CUCUMBERS

  • Pole Beans

  • Corn

  • Dill

  • Nasturtiums

  • Oregano

  • Chili Pepper

  • Radish

  • Sunflowers

LETTUCE

  • Alyssum

  • Chives

  • Garlic

  • Onion

  • Oregano

  • Peas

  • Radish

  • Thyme

ONIONS

  • Beets

  • Cabbage

  • Carrot

  • Chard

  • Lettuce

  • Strawberry

  • Tomatoes

PEAS

  • Alyssum

  • Chives

  • Corn

  • Lettuce

  • Mint

  • Radish

  • Spinach

PEPPERS

  • Basil

  • Cilantro

  • Dill

  • Leeks

  • Onions

  • Oregano

  • Rosemary

POTATOES

  • Basil

  • Beans

  • Cilantro

  • Dill

  • Horseradish

  • Onion

  • Peas

WINTER SQUASH (including Pumpkins)

  • Beans

  • Borage

  • Calendula

  • Corn

  • Lovage

  • Marigold

  • Nasturtium

  • Oregano

RADISHES

  • Chervil

  • Nasturtium

  • Peas

SPINACH

  • Beans

  • Celery

  • Cilantro

  • Peas

  • Radish

TOMATOES

  • Asparagus

  • Basil

  • Beans

  • Borage

  • Celery

  • Marigold

  • Parsley

  • Radish

  • Rosemary

  • Sweet potato

  • Thyme

SUMMER SQUASH (including Zucchini)

  • Marigold

  • Nasturtium

  • Oregano

  • Zinnia

Nasturtiums can be used as a trap crop to lure aphids away from beans.

Alyssum attracts beneficial predator insects, such as ladybugs and lacewings, into broccoli fields, helping to control pests naturally.

Garlic helps repel insects with its strong odor when planted alongside cabbage, offering natural pest protection.

Onions intercropped with carrots have been shown to increase the root yield of carrots.

Beans and cucumbers can mutually benefit when intercropped, leading to improved growth and reduced pest incidence.

Alyssum intercropped with lettuce helps control aphids naturally.

Onions planted around lettuce have been shown to reduce cutworm damage.

Chives, onions, and garlic can deter aphids and other pests by masking the scent of nearby plants.

Onions benefit from being planted near marigolds, as the scent of marigolds reduces egg-laying by the onion maggot fly.

Lettuce interplants well with peas and can improve land-use efficiency without reducing pea yield.

Basil improves the growth and flavor of peppers and also offers protective, insecticidal benefits—just like oregano.

Rosemary planted within 20 inches of peppers helps deter aphids.

Beans can improve the size of potato tubers when grown together.

Basil repels whiteflies, mosquitoes, spider mites, and aphids, while also attracting bees, which improves pollination, tomato health, and flavor.