An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide – Mother Earth News (2024)

Beans, Bush

Plant near: beets, cabbage, carrots, catnip, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, marigolds, potatoes, savory, strawberries
Keep away from: fennel, garlic, leeks, onions, shallots
Comments: potatoes and marigolds repel Mexican bean beetles. Catnip repels flea beetles.

Beans, Pole

Plant near: corn, marigolds, potatoes, radishes
Keep away from: beets, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, shallots
Comments: same as for bush beans.

Beets

Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, bush beans, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: charlock, field mustard, pole beans
Comments:

Borage

Plant near: squash, strawberries, tomatoes
Keep away from:
Comments: repels tomato worms. Improves flavor and growth of companions.

Broccoliand Brussels Sprouts

Plant near: beets, buckwheat, calendula, carrots, chamomile, dill, hyssop, marigolds, mints, nasturtiums, onions, rosemary, sage, thyme, wormwood.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: marigolds repel cabbage moths. Nasturtiums repel aphids.

Cabbage and Cauliflower

Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, chard, spinach, tomatoes.
Keep away from: strawberries
Comments: tomatoes and celery repel cabbage worms.

Cantaloupe

Plant near: corn
Keep away from:
Comments:

Carrots

Plant near: cabbage, chives, early potatoes, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, rosemary, sage, salsify, wormwood.
Keep away from:
Comments: onions, leeks, and wormwood repel carrot flies

Chives

Plant near: apples, berries, carrots, grapes, peas, roses, tomatoes.
Keep away from:
Comments: Improves flavor and growth of companions. Deters aphids and Japanese beetles.

Corn

Plant near: beans, cucumbers, early potatoes, melons, peas, pumpkins, soybeans, squash.
Keep away from:
Comments: soybeans deter chinch bugs.

Cucumbers

Plant near: beans, cabbage, corn, early potatoes, radishes, sunflowers.
Keep away from: late potatoes
Comments: Radishes deter cucumber beetles. Cucumbers encourage blight in late potatoes.

Dill

Plant near: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, lettuce, onions
Keep away from: carrots
Comments: Improves flavor and growth of cabbage family plants.

Eggplant

Plant near: green beans, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes
Keep away from:
Comments: green beans deter Colorado potato beetles.

Garlic

Plant near: cabbage, cane fruits, fruit trees, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from: peas, beans
Comments: deters Japanese beetles and aphids. A garlic oil spray deters onion flies, aphids, and ermine moths. A garlic tea helps repel late potato blight.

Kale

Plant near: aromatic herbs, buckwheat, cabbage family, marigolds, nasturtiums
Keep away from: pole beans, strawberries
Comments:

Kohlrabi

Plant near: cabbage/cauliflower companions (except tomatoes)
Keep away from: fennel, pole beans, tomatoes
Comments: kohlrabi stunts tomatoes

Lettuce

Plant near: beets, carrotsparsnips, radishes, strawberries
Keep away from: cabbage family
Comments: lettuce tenderizes summer radishes.

Marigolds

Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from:
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth and deters bean beetles, aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, nematodes, and maggots.

Marjoram

Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from:
Comments: stimulates vegetable growth.

Mustard

Plant near: alfalfa cover crops, fruit trees, grapes, legumes
Keep away from:
Comments: stimulates growth of companion plants.

Nasturtiums

Plant near: apples, beans, cabbage family, greenhouse crops, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, squash
Keep away from:
Comments: repels aphids, potato bugs, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, and Mexican bean beetles and destroys white flies in greenhouses.

Onions

Plant near: beets, cabbage family, carrots, chamomile, lettuce, parsnips
Keep away from: beans, peas
Comments: deters most pests, especially maggots.

Oregano

Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from:
Comments: deters many insect pests.

Parsley

Plant near: corn, roses, tomatoes
Keep away from:
Comments:

Parsnips

Plant near: onions, radishes, wormwood
Keep away from:
Comments: onions and wormwood help keep root maggots from parsnips.

Peas

Plant near: beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, early potatoes, radishes, turnips
Keep away from: garlic leeks, onions, shallots
Comments:

Peppers

Plant near: basil, carrots, eggplant, onions, parsley, tomatoes
Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi
Comments:

Potatoes

Plant near: basil, beans, cabbage family, corn, eggplant, flax, hemp, marigolds, peas, squash
Keep away from: apples, birch, cherries, cucumbers, pumpkins, raspberries, sunflowers, tomatoes, walnuts
Comments: hemp deters phytophthora infestans. Basil deters potato beetles. Marigolds (dug into crop soil) deter nematodes.

Radishes

Plant near: chervil, cucumbers, lettuce, melons, peas, nasturtiums, root crops
Keep away from: hyssop
Comments: radishes deter cucumber beetles. Chervil makes radishes hot. Lettuce helps make radishes tender. Nasturtiums improve radishes’ flavor.

Rosemary

Plant near: beans, cabbage, carrots
Keep away from:
Comments: repels bean beetles, cabbage moths, and carrot flies.

Sage

Plant near: cabbage family, carrots, tomatoes
Keep away from: cucumbers
Comments: deters cabbage moths and carrot flies. Invigorates tomato plants.

Soybeans

Plant near: corn, potatoes
Keep away from:
Comments: chokes weeds and enriches soil.

Spinach

Plant near: celery, cauliflower, eggplant, strawberries
Keep away from:
Comments:

Strawberries

Plant near: borage, bush beans, lettuce, pyrethrum, spinach
Keep away from: cabbage family
Comments:

Sunflowers

Plant near: cucumbers
Keep away from: potatoes
Comments: can provide a trellis and shelter for shade-loving cucumbers.

Swiss Chard

Plant near: bush beans, kohlrabi, onions
Keep away from: pole beans
Comments:

Tarragon

Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from:
Comments: improves vegetables’ flavor and growth.

Thyme

Plant near: all garden crops
Keep away from:
Comments: deters cabbage moths.

Tomatoes

Plant near: asparagus, basil, cabbage family, carrots, gooseberries, mustard, parsley, onions, rosemary, sage, stinging nettles
Keep away from: fennel, kohlrabi, potatoes, walnuts
Comments:

Turnips and Rutabagas

Plant near: peas
Keep away from: knotweed, mustard
Comments: mustard and knotweed inhibit the growth of turnips and rutabagas.

For more information on how-to set up your own garden:

• How to Build Raised Beds for Next to Nothing
• How to Start a Vegetable Garden
• Growing Herbs: A Little Goes a Long Way
• Grow Your Best Fall Garden Vegetable: What, When and How

Check out these recipes:

• Mixed Bean Recipe with Lemon Dill Butter
• Young Carrots with French Tarragon Recipe
• Onion and Kale Pizza Recipe

EDITOR’S NOTE: Companion planting is not an exact science. Use your own experience, this chart, and the advice of other local gardeners to help you achieve successful partnerships in your garden.

Originally published as “An In Depth Plant Companionship Chart” in the May/June 1981 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide – Mother Earth News (2024)

FAQs

What herbs should not be planted near each other? ›

Examples of herbs that do not grow well together include chamomile and dill, dill and fennel, and basil and rue. It's best to research the specific herbs if you plan to grow and their compatibilities before planting them together.

Discover More ›

Can carrots be planted next to tomatoes? ›

Carrots grow deep into the soil, and as they grow, they can break up the soil, allowing essential nutrients, water, and oxygen to permeate the roots of the tomato plants. These pungent vegetables make great tomato companion plants.

What are the best companion plants? ›

Companion Planting Chart

Type of Vegetable	Friends
Cabbage	Beets, celery, chard, lettuce, spinach, onions
Carrots	Beans, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, tomatoes
Corn	Climbing beans, cucumber, marjoram, peas, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, zucchini
Onions	Cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes

12 more rows

What is the best layout for a vegetable garden? ›

As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.

Get More Info ›

What should not be planted with basil? ›

Basil and rue dislike each other. Perhaps this is because Basil is sweet and rue is very bitter. Fennel is one of the few plants that has mostly bad companions. Most plants dislike Fennel, and it should be planted well away from the vegetable garden.

Discover More ›

What Cannot be planted near carrots? ›

You should NOT plant carrots with DILL, CELERY or other root vegetables like POTATOES and PARSNIPS . Root crops all require high levels of phosphorus in order to thrive and planting root vegetables too closely together will lead to competition and a weaker yield when it comes to harvesting.

Keep Reading ›

What not to plant with cucumbers? ›

Aromatic Herbs: Herbs like sage and rosemary, while useful in cooking, can inhibit the growth of cucumbers. They contain natural oils that can slow down the growth of cucumber plants. Brassicas: Plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can compete with cucumbers for the same nutrients in the soil.

Show Me More ›

What not to plant with peppers? ›

Brassicas: Almanacs and home gardeners recommend avoiding planting brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, cauliflower) near peppers because they require different soil acidity levels and can deter pepper plant growth.

Learn More Now ›

What 3 plants grow well together? ›

The intercropping method of planting corn, beans, and squash together, commonly called The Three Sisters has been studied and described by scholars in anthropology, history, agriculture, and food studies for many years.

Read The Full Story ›

What plants Cannot grow next to each other? ›

Examples of Plants That Should Not Be Grown Together

Asparagus	Fennel, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes
Kohlrabi	Tomatoes, Peppers, Pole Beans
Larkspur	Beets
Onions	Asparagus, Beans, Dill, Peas, Sage
Peas	Chives, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Pumpkin

21 more rows

See Details ›

What plants like to be touched? ›

Some good examples of plants that don't mind gentle touches are jade plants, Aloe, and Peace Lilies.

Know More ›

In what order should I plant my vegetable garden? ›

You can grow a successful vegetable garden whichever way you run the rows, as long as you pay attention to where you plant taller and shorter growing vegetables. Always plant the tallest vegetables to the northern side of the garden and the shorter growing vegetables to the southern side of the garden.

Read On ›

What veggies grow well together? ›

Vegetables That Grow Well Together

Basil and tomatoes.
Radishes and lettuce.
Peas and carrots.
Pumpkins or squash and corn.
Beets and onions.
Potatoes and eggplants.

Apr 8, 2022

Know More ›

What herbs can't be next to each other? ›

Examples of Plants That Should Not Be Grown Together

Asparagus	Fennel, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes
Chives	Beans, Peas
Chrysanthemum	Lettuce
Cilantro	Fennel
Cucumber	Basil, Rosemary, Sage, Fennel, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Potatoes

21 more rows

Read On ›

Are there any herbs that should not be mixed together? ›

There are several combinations you should definitely avoid: Valerian and Kava: Taking these supplements together can cause dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, respiratory depression, impaired judgment, and motor control, and difficulty in concentrating. 2. , "Drug Interactions between Kava and Valerian Root", Drugs.com.

Learn More Now ›

Can you plant different herbs close together? ›

You can group herbs in combination to suit a repertoire such as Italian cuisine wherein you plant basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme together. You may want to group aromatic herbs such as chamomile, hyssop, lavender, lemon verbena, and pineapple sage.

Explore More ›

What herbs need to be planted separately? ›

For example, tansy, catnip, comfrey, horseradish, lemon balm, hops, artemisia, and mint should not be planted together with other herbs because they spread aggressively unless you control them. To keep these herbs from spreading in your garden, it's best to grow them individually in their own containers.