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March has been a busy month! We’re deep into seed starting—onions, foxgloves, hot peppers, and geranium cuttings are well underway. We’ve also been sprucing up our houseplants while planning the summer garden.
When starting seeds, it’s essential to think ahead—where will everything go? Seedlings may be small now, but they grow fast! Planning ahead maximizes your harvest, and one great way to do that is through companion planting.
Companion planting involves strategically placing crops and flowers that benefit each other. It helps optimize nutrients, prevent overcrowding, and even control pests. Some plants naturally deter pests from their neighbors, while others support each other’s growth. But knowing which plants pair well can be tricky!
In today’s blog, we introduce you to companion planting and provide a handy vegetable companion chart to help you plan. Ready to dive in? Let’s get started!
What is companion planting?
Companion planting is the art of planting crops together which complement each other’s growth habits. The idea is that planting certain crops together can enhance the growth, health, and flavour of others, or help with pest control. When it comes to effective vegetable garden planning, companion planting is all about creating a more natural and balanced ecosystem in the garden!
What did the concept of companion planting come from?
Companion planting has been around for centuries across various cultures. Its roots date far back to the origins of indigenous agricultural practices and early traditional farming practices. Here, people observed, through trial and error, how different plants interacted with each other in the wild. They then applied this knowledge to their own agricultural practices.
In today’s modern era, companion planting is still practiced. It is especially popular in organic farming, permaculture, and small-scale home gardening. It is often practiced to reduce chemical use, improve biodiversity, and promote healthier ecosystems in the garden.
There is not usually an exact science behind this practice. It largely comes through trial and error and observation. What works as a companion plant for some, may not be considered as effective for others. But, by seeing your garden as a working ecosystem, it can help you to make better plant selections and aid in garden planning.
Today, companion planting is seen as a method of sustainable farming practices. It is often taught in schools, community garden groups, and farm-to-table movements. Through knowledge transfer from such grassroots initiatives, many small-scale gardeners have begun to adopt such practices to create a healthy garden ecosystem.
What are the advantages of companion planting?
When it comes to vegetable gardening, there are several advantages of companion planting:
- Pest control: When it comes to planting an effective vegetable garden, pest control should be at the front of mind. Nothing is worse than planting a fresh summer garden than to see it completely ravaged by pests. Companion planting is an effective strategy to combat these problems. For instance, planting marigolds next to tomatoes can often help to repel nematodes and other harmful intruders.
- Better pollination: Most gardeners learn over time that it is difficult to have a healthy and productive vegetable garden without pollinators. Attracting pollinators to your garden is one way to maximize your harvest. Companion planting can help you here as well. By interplanting different flowers and herbs within your vegetable garden, you can help to bring in helpful pollinators to increase your harvest. While visiting the herbs and flowers, these pollinators will also visit the flowers on your favourite tomatoes or peppers. By doing so, they will help to spread the pollen around and increase the production of your vegetable plants.
- Improved growth: Certain plants can benefit each other by providing shade, improving soil, or fixing nitrogen. For example, plants like beans can fix nitrogen in the soil which benefits plants like corn which require nitrogen for its growth and development. Planting these crops together is a great way to create a healthy symbiotic relationship that is mutually beneficial to both crops.
- Flavour enhancement: It is often thought that planting certain crops next to each other can also enhance flavour. For instance, basil is often planted near tomatoes. Basil not only helps to improve the flavour of tomatoes, but it is also an effective pest management strategy as well.
Vegetable companion planting quick reference guide
- Tomatoes and basil: Basil can help repel common pests and may improve flavour when planted next to tomatoes.
- Carrots and onions: Onions repel carrot flies and the growth of carrots may be improved from the shade that onions provide.
- Corn, pole beans, & squash: Known as the ‘Three Sisters’, corn provides structure for the beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen in the soil, and squash provides ground cover to reduce weeds.
Vegetable companion planting chart
| Vegetable crop | Common companion plants | What vegetables don’t like to be next to each other? Crops to avoid planting next to each other |
| Tomatoes | Basil, marigolds, garlic, onions, carrots, nasturtiums, borage, spinach, lettuce, peppers, chives, cilantro, etc. | Broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and fennel. |
| Peppers | Thyme, oregano, basil, onions, garlic, carrots, marigolds, nasturtiums, cilantro, tomatoes, spinach, etc. | Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, and strawberries. |
| Cucumbers | Beans, radishes, dill, sunflowers, peas, borage, celery, lettuce, etc. | Potatoes, melons, strong aromatic herbs like sage and mint. |
| Potatoes | Beans, corn, horseradish, cabbage, garlic, basil, spinach, lettuce, peas, squash, etc. | Tomatoes, carrots, eggplants. |
| Carrots | Onions, garlic, leeks, chives, marigolds, radishes, beans, thyme, spinach, lettuce, dill, etc. | Parsley, potatoes, celery. |
| Beans | Corn, squash, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, oregano, marigolds, cabbage, nasturtiums, etc. | Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beets, shallow-rooted plants. |
| Peas | Carrots, radishes, cabbage, spinach, lettuce, beets, thyme, etc. | Onions, beans, garlic. |
| Onions | Beets, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, strawberries, chamomile, caraway, marigolds, etc. | Beans, peas, asparagus. |
| Beets | Onions, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, beans, radishes, thyme, garlic, onions, etc. | Potatoes, swiss chard, corn, mustard |
| Squash | Corn, beans, nasturtiums, marigolds, radishes, oregano, thyme, borage, etc. | Potatoes, melons, sweet potatoes, fennel. |
| Corn | Beans, squash, cucumbers, melons, nasturtiums, beansprouts, cilantro, thyme, etc. | Tomatoes, potatoes, & wheat. |
Flowers as companion plants
Flowers in the garden not only serve to add colour and vibrancy. They also make great companion plants when interplanted in vegetable gardens. In vegetable gardens, flowers serve two vital purposes:
- Magnet for pollinators: Pollinators are a vital part of vegetable gardening. They help to pollinate vegetables and increase your harvest. By interplanting attractive flowers into your garden, you can help to bring in these beneficial insects by creating a safe habitat.
- Warding off pesky garden pests: Nothing is worse than battling garden pests all on your own as you attempt to save your summer vegetable garden. Planting certain flowers around your vegetable garden creates a safe barrier that can help to ward off harmful pests set to destroy all your hard work. For example, planting marigolds next to cabbage can help to repel cabbage worms which can easily destroy your crop.
How and when to plant companion flowers
When planning which flowers to add to your vegetable garden as companion plants, look for ones that will bloom at the same time as your vegetables. Also, be sure to consult your seed packets before choosing which flowers to plant. Look for bloom time, as well as the general care tips. This will help you to choose those flowers that have similar growth habits and needs as the vegetables you have selected to plant in your garden.
Look for attractive and colourful flowers that will help to bring in pollinators. Even planning a pollinator path next to your vegetable garden is a good strategy to help make sure the pollinators can find your vegetable garden. Get creative here, the possibilities are truly endless!
Frequently asked questions about companion planting
Does it matter which plants you pair as companions?
Yes, it does matter which plants you pair as companions. Some plants, when planted next to each other, help to support growth and development, repel pests, and improve flavour. On the flipside, when certain plants are next to each, they may compete for nutrients and stunt each other’s growth.
What vegetables should not be planted next to each other?
One of the common vegetables in the home garden are tomatoes. Tomatoes should not be planted next to members of the brassica family like cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower. These crops are all heavy feeders and will fiercely compete with each other for nutrients. For a list of other crops to avoid planting next to each other, see the chart above.
What is the best companion plant for carrots?
Onions, leeks, chives, or shallots make a great companion plant for carrots. They help to repel carrot flies and aphids which can wreak havoc with your crop.
What do beets like to be planted with?
You should avoid planting beets with crops like field mustard or pole beans. Beets will thrive when planted next to crops like onions, beans, lettuce, cabbage, radishes, or catnip.
Final thoughts on vegetable companion planting
As we move closer to the spring planting season, paying attention to how crops will be planted out into the garden is the key to success. Companion planting offers so many benefits to the summer vegetable garden. It not only helps to repel pests, but it also acts as a way of creating a living ecosystem right in your own yard! It just takes a little careful planning and trial and error to find the perfect balance!
If you haven’t done so already, be sure to follow us on our socials @bluenoseblooms. Come join our thriving and supportive community of gardeners on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We are so proud of the community we’ve built together and always happy to have new members join us on the journey. But we can’t grow without your help. If you know someone who is just getting into gardening, invite them to join our community or share our posts with your family and friends. Every little bit helps to spread the word about the benefits of learning to grow your own food.
Online store
While you are over on our socials, why not head on over to our online store and stock up on some of your favourite products from Bluenose Blooms? We’ve recently restocked our store with some of your most requested items like our practical and stylish classic slouch hats or our must have crochet daisy book covers . All items are handmade by us right here in Nova Scotia, Canada. We have fast and easy shipping options throughout Canada with the quality you know you can trust from 100% handmade products.
Until next time gardening friends, how are you incorporating companion planting into your summer vegetable garden? Drop a comment below and help us learn from one another. We always love to hear about what you are all up to in the garden.
