When I first started gardening, I did not do much research and just put plants where I thought they’d do well together. As a result of that, one of my container pots had basil that was thriving and peppers that were struggling to get any of the water that I gave them.
After that year, I made sure to take notes and put plants that belonged were mutually beneficial together. This is called companion planting and for those of you who are unsure of where to go, here are some tips.
Asparagus
+ Grows well with
- Basil. I was a bit surprised by this but I learned that asparagus does not like to be wet so having well-drained soil is important. Basil is very fond of water and will suck up all they can get so these two work well together.
- Marojam.
- Parsley. Parsley is another favorite spice of mine but I have never grown it. When we move into our new house, I might have to make this part of the garden with the asparagus.
- Tomatoes. Again, part of the reason I think that tomatoes would do so well with asparagus is because of the water difference. Another reason is that asparagus is normally picked in late winter or early spring while both basil and tomatoes are summer through fall plants.
– Does not grow well with
The good news about asparagus is you can put anything beside it and the asparagus will not lose its longevity.
Cabbage
+ Grows well with
- Cucumbers. Both of these vegetables used to be one that I would not plant in my garden because I didn’t like the taste of either. As I have gotten older and my taste buds have changed, I enjoy both of them now, especially in vinegar. This, as well as parsley, will be a great addition to next years garden!
- Dill. Cucumber and dill go well together on the table, cabbage and dill go well together in the garden.
- Potatoes.
- Garlic. Just be careful not to let the garlic take over your garden!
- Onions. Sweet Vadia onions are my personal favorite but any onion will do. I think the reason cabbage does so well with onions and potatoes is that the latter two are root plants while the cabbage grows very large above ground.
– Does not grow well with
Tomatoes, Beans (of any kind), or Peppers.
Carrots
+ Grows well with
- Various Spices. It seems that carrots do best with spices. Some of these spices include dill, rosemary, and sage.
- Lettuce. My personal favorite for lettuce is romaine, but any lettuce you prefer will work well.
- Leeks. Leeks are not something I have had in my diet until more recently. It is very popular in France and the white part is eaten, not the green stalks.
– Does not grow well with
Like asparagus, they do well with just about any plant, so feel free to make your garden look pretty how ever you choose!
Corn
+ Grows well with
- Beans. I love pole beans and think it would be fun to have them growing up alongside the corn.
- Cucumbers.
- Peas. Although the taste is a bit different, for aesthetic reasons, I think peas would be just as pretty as beans growing alongside the corn.
- Squash. Squash and corn are both summer staples. Not a wonder they go so well together! Side note: Melons do well with corn and were put with squash since they are in the same family.
- Sunflowers. This is one of the first companion plantings that I learned about and was quite surprised when I learned this because they are both very large plants. Part of this is because it repels insects that kill both cucumbers and corn. They also bring beneficial bugs with them!
– Does not grow well with
Cabbage, Tomatoes, Celery.
Eggplant
+ Grows well with
- Marigolds. Such beautiful flowers!
- Mint. Be careful with mint, it will take over your garden!
- Peas.
– Does not grow well with
Eggplants are easy going, plant with anything!
Lettuce
+ Grows well with
- Carrots. Again, I think this is a matter of root plant versus non-root plant and they do well together.
- Strawberries. A strawberry salad with lettuce is amazing. This will probably be what I plant side by side.
- Cucumbers.
- Beans.
– Does not grow well with
Celery or Parsley.
Melons
+ Grows well with
- Corn. I wrote this one in because one of you may be looking for melons and not corn. Trying to make it easier for you!
- Peas.
- Radishes. Not my favorite food but the crunch is nice in a salad sometimes.
- Sunflowers. Still, one of my favorites as they are beautiful and you can make sunflower seeds to eat after they have done their time making you smile.
- Tomatoes. Definitely one of my favorite foods and it is so versatile. You can make tomato sauce, pizza sauce, ketchup and much more with these babies.
– Does not grow well with
Cucumbers or Potatoes. The potatoes are due to the bugs I am sure.
Onions
+ Grows well with
- Beets. Beets are not one of my favorite foods but I am going to plant them next year and do some experimenting with them in the kitchen. I have seen some great recipes for this vegetable.
- Broccoli. Both onions and broccoli are favorites not just of mine but of my whole family. This will be one I definitely will be doing as it benefits multiple people. I recommend doing that for your family too. Find out what it is that your family likes (or friends, or CSA customers) and plant them together if possible.
- Cabbage.
- Carrots. I do not like carrots by themselves but can enjoy them with baked recipes.
- Lettuce.
- Peppers. Peppers and onions are another big one in my house as we love to eat fajitas and stir fry. That means I can have a garden area specifically for some of our favorite meals!
- Potatoes.
- Spinach. Spinach and onions go well together too. I like to put them in the pan together.
- Tomatoes. Tomatoes, onions with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Om. Nom. Nom.
– Does not grow well with
Beans, Peas, and Sage.
Peas
+ Grows well with
- Beans. Beans and Peas would be fun to put on an overhang trellis together. Very beautiful and yummy after a while… You just might need a ladder to get to your harvest!
- Carrots.
- Corn. Corn is not one of my favorite foods anymore. I think I have had too much of it. But I do like to make my own cornmeal and turn it into many different things.
- Cucumbers.
- Eggplant. Eggplant is good to make pizzas- just grill the eggplant, add tomato sauce and cheese (anything else you’d like too) and put it in the oven long enough to get the sauce warm and the cheese melted. Wa-la!
- Lettuce.
- Melons.
- Parsnip. Parsnips are similar to carrots and root vegetables. Definitely worth trying!
- Potatoes.
- Radishes.
- Spinach. Have you ever tried Malabar spinach? It is beautiful in color and one that prefers heat. This way you can have cold weather spinach and warm weather spinach!
- Turnips.
– Does not grow well with
Garlic and Onions.
Peppers
+ Grows well with
- Onions. Again, one of my favorite combinations as I can go out, pick what I need and prep a great dinner my whole family can eat!
- Spinach.
- Tomatoes. I would add tomatoes to my fajita mixture as well, so combining a garden with tomatoes on one side, peppers in the middle, and onions on the other would make me very happy. They work well together because one fights off bugs for the other.
– Does not grow well with
Beans.
Potatoes
+ Grows well with
Potatoes do well with many things, especially non-root vegetables. Many of these produce items are probably ones that do not need too much water or needs just enough.
- Beans.
- Broccoli.
- Cabbage.
- Corn.
- Eggplant.
- Kale. Kale chips are very popular right now and are great with salads as well.
- Lettuce.
- Peas.
- Radishes.
- Onions.
- Garlic. I learned that roses also companion plant well with garlic. So you add roses, then garlic, then potatoes.
– Does not grow well with
Cucumbers, Melons, Squash, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Turnips.
Spinach
+ Grows well with
- Asparagus. Asparagus is now one of my family’s favorite things to eat. We add cheese to it and bake it. Anytime I can get my whole family to eat a vegetable, I consider this a win.
- Another thing- if this is your first year growing asparagus, don’t expect to eat any for a while. Like growing fruit trees good things take time.
- Brussel sprouts. My family is divided on Brussel sprouts. The oldest and I love them while the younger one and their daddy prefer not to eat them. My favorite is mixed with pecans and cranberries.
- Cabbage.
- Celery.
- Dill.
- Eggplant. Eggplant Parmesan was one of my girls’ favorite recipes when they were little. They would help me pick them, prepare them, and bake them. Getting the kids involved will help them see where your love of food (and what happens to them) comes from. And when they are in first grade they will be able to pick out the difference between an eggplant and a tomato.
- Lettuce.
- Onions.
- Peas.
- Peppers.
- Radishes.
- Strawberries. Have I talked about strawberries yet? This is the one food that for my entire life I could not eat unless it was strawberry season. It seems weird to have a “fresh” strawberry in the middle of winter. You better believe that when March came around I was seriously craving these sweet treats!
- Tomatoes.
– Does not grow well with
Spinach is one of my favorite foods and I am happy to say that it does good with everything but best with the foods mentioned above.
Tomatoes
+ Grows well with
- Asparagus.
- Basil. It makes me happy that tomatoes and basil go well together because they do well together in the kitchen as well. A tomato, cheese, basil and olive oil salad is my idea of a perfect salad on a hot summer day. Last year I also learned to make (and enjoy) pesto for the first time!
- Beans. Many people make green beans with onions and bacon. I like to soak mine in a pot with bouillon cubes. So delicious!
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Dill.
- Lettuce.
- Melons.
- Onions.
- Parsley.
- Peppers.
- Radishes.
- Spinach.
- Thyme.
– Does not grow well with
Broccoli. Brussel Sprouts. Cabbage. Cauliflower. Corn. Kale. Potatoes.
When You Think About It…
When you think about it, it makes sense that some plants do well with others. Bugs are attracted to some plants and not attracted to others. The question becomes, which one does the bug want more?
Or maybe one is a water guzzler and the other plant likes just enough to get by.
Either way, it works. I have one word of advice though if you plant something you do not personally like (say, garlic) with something you do like (such as peppers) be prepared for the flavors to blend a little, especially if they are in a container together.
If you like the taste of two things that pair well with one another, then go for it.
But go out – get your hands dirty. Learn by doing!
See you soon.
