We’ve all seen and fallen in love with those pictures of old-fashioned kitchen gardens: vegetables and flowers and herbs all mixed together in a glorious mix of color and textures. It turns out that those early gardeners were on to something! Not only are these combinations of different plants a delight to look at, but they make the best use of nature’s power to repel pests and increase the yield of your harvest.
Flowers and Vegetables in a Garden
There are certain plants that will help boost yield, improve the soil and share their strengths with their neighboring plants. For example vegetables in the cabbage family (like broccoli and kale) love to grow next to beets and leafy greens. Mint will actually improve the flavor of cabbage!
However, some plants don’t make for good neighbors, and should not be planted near each other. They may attract the same pests, or even make the soil toxic for the other.
For the best combinations to give you a bountiful harvest, here’s a list that gives the best companions for vegetables (and the ones to avoid). To see a list that’s organized by flower/herb type for companion planting check out this blog post.
Click on any vegetable that’s underlined, to see more information on each kind.
Asparagus – Companions: Tomatoes, Basil, Marigold, and Parsley. Avoid: None
Beans (bush or pole) – Companions: Cabbage, Chard, Celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Radish, Corn, Strawberries. Avoid: Garlic, Shallots, and Onions.
Beets – Companions: Cabbage family, Lettuce, Onion, and Garlic. Avoid: Pole Beans
Detroit Dark Red Beets
Cabbage family (Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Kohlrabi)- Companions: Beets, Catnip, Celery, Chamomile, Cucumber, Dill, Garlic, Hyssop, Swiss chard, Lettuce, Mint, Nasturtium, Rosemary, Sage, Spinach, Thyme, Onions, Potatoes. Avoid: Pole beans, Tomato
Carrots – Companions: Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Peas, Peppers, Radish, and Tomatoes. Avoid: Dill
Celery – Companions: Beans, Tomatoes, Cabbage. Avoid: none
Chard – Companions: Beans, Cabbage, Onion. Avoid: none
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Corn – Companions: Cucumber, Melons, Parsley, Peas, Potatoes, Squash, Beans, Pumpkin. Avoid: Tomatoes
Cucumber – Companions: Peas, Corn, Beans, Cabbage, Radish, Tomato. Avoid: Sage
Eggplant – Companions: Beans, Marigold, and Peppers. Avoid: none
Lettuce – Companions: Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Onion, Radish, Strawberry, Chives, Garlic. Avoid: none
Melons – Companions: Corn, Pumpkin, Radish, Squash, Marigold, Nasturtium, Oregano. Avoid: none
Hearts of Gold Melon
Onions – Companions: Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Swiss chard, Lettuce, Peppers, Strawberry, Tomato, Chamomile, Summer Savory. Avoid: all Beans and Peas
Peas – Companions: Beans, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Radish, Turnip, Chives, and Mint. Avoid: Garlic and Onions
Peppers – Companions: Carrot, Eggplant, Onion, Tomato. Avoid: none
Potatoes – Companions: Beans, Cabbage, Corn, Eggplant, Horseradish, Marigold, Peas. Avoid: Tomatoes
Pumpkin – Companions: Corn, Melon, and Squash, Marigold, Nasturtium, Oregano. Avoid: none
Radishes – Companions: Beans, Carrots, Cucumber, Lettuce, Melon, Peas, Chervil, Nasturtium. Avoid: Hyssop
Easter Egg Radish
Spinach – Companions: Cabbage and Strawberries. Avoid: none
Squash – Companions: Corn, Melon, Pumpkins, Borage, Marigold, Nasturtium, Oregano. Avoid: none
Strawberry – Companions: Beans, Cabbage, Lettuce, Onions, Spinach, Thyme. Avoid: none
Tomatoes – Companions: Asparagus, Carrots, Celery, Cucumbers, Onion, Parsley, Peppers, Basil, Bee Balm, Chives, Mint, Borage, Marigold. Avoid: Corn, Potatoes, Kohlrabi.
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