Companion Planting Guide
Posted on 17 April 2008
“In all things nature there is something of the marvelous.” ~ Aristotle
Many have expressed interest in companion or complimentary planting so I am posting this helpful guide. Companion or complimentary plants are simply plants which are beneficial to each other which share similar qualities which allows for your garden to be more easily maintained.
COMPANION PLANT GUIDE
AMARANTH: Good companion for corn.
ANISE: Companion for brassica and coriander. Repels pests from brassicas and hosts beneficial wasps.
BASIL: Companion for tomatoes. It repels pests. Do not plant near rue.
BEANS: Companion for carrots, celery, chards, corn, eggplant, peas, potatoes, brassicas, radish, strawberry, melons cucumbers, corn and grain. Plant beans with summer savory to deter bean beetles. Do not plant near onions. Beans are an excellent cover crop to enrich soil from nitrogen depletion.
BEE BALM (
BEETS: Companion for lettuce, kohlrabi, onions and brassicas. Beet leaves are composed of 25% magnesium and full of minerals which make them excellent for compost. Do not plant with runner or pole beans, it will stunt their growth.
BORAGE: Companion for tomatoes, squash, strawberries. Deters tomato hornworms and cabbage worms but attracts beneficial insects.
BRASSICA: Companion for chamomile, peppermint, dill, sage, and rosemary. Brassica need rich soil with plenty of lime to flourish.
CABBAGE: Companion for celery, dill, onions. Do not plant near strawberries, tomatoes and pole beans.
CARAWAY: Do not plant near dill and fennel.
CARROTS: Companion for leaf lettuce, radish, onions and tomatoes. Do not plant near dill.
CELERY: Companion for cabbage family, leek, onion, spinach and tomato. Do not plant near corn.
CHAMOMILE, GERMAN: Companion for cabbages, cucumbers and onions. It will attract beneficial insects.
CHARDS: Companion for bean, cabbage and onion.
CHERVIL: Companion for radishes and lettuce. Repels pests.
CHIVES: Companion for carrots and tomatoes
CLOVER: Useful planted around apple trees to attract beneficial insects.
CORIANDER: Companion for anise. Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetle.
CORN: Companion for amaranth, beans, cucumber, white geranium, lamb’s quarters, melons, morning glory, parsley, peanuts, peas, potato, pumpkin, soybeans, squash and sunflower. Do not plant near celery and tomato plants.
CUCUMBERS: Companion for corn, sunflowers, peas, beets, carrots, beans, nasturtium and dill.
DILL: Companion for cabbage, corn cucumbers, onions and lettuce. Do not plant near carrots or caraway.
FLAX: Companion for carrots, and potatoes.
GERANIUM: Companion for grapes, roses, corn, and cabbage. Repels cabbage worms and Japanese beetles.
GRAPES: Companion for beans, peas, hyssop and blackberries, chives. Do not plant near radishes or cabbage. Chives with grapes help repel aphids.
HOREHOUND: Companion for tomatoes and peppers. Attracts beneficial insects.
HYSSOP: Companion for cabbage and grapes. Deters pests. Do not plant near radishes.
LEEKS: Companion for carrots, celery and onions
MARIGOLDS: Companion for melons. Repels pests. Do not plant near cabbage or beans.
MELONS: Companion for Corn, pumpkin, marigolds, oregano, nasturtium and squash.
NASTURTIUMS: Companion for radishes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees. Repels pests.
ONIONS: Companion for chamomile, summer savory, carrot, strawberries, leeks, beets, kohlrabi, strawberries, brassicas, dill, lettuce and tomatoes.
OREGANO: Companion for grapes, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower to repel cabbage butterfly and near cucumbers to repel cucumber beetle.
PARSLEY: Companion for asparagus, carrot, chives, onions, roses and tomato. Attracts beneficial insects. Do not plant near mint.
PEAS: Companion for bush beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Corn Cucumber, Eggplant, Parsley, Early Potato, Radish, Spinach, Strawberry, Sweet pepper and Turnips. Do not plant near onions.
PEPPERMINT: Repels white cabbage moths, aphids and flea beetles. Attracts beneficial insects.
PEPPERS, SWEET Companion for tomatoes, onions, okra parsley, basil, and carrots. Do not plant near apricot trees because a fungus that the pepper is prone to can cause a lot of harm to the apricot tree.
PEPPERS, HOT: Companion for cucumbers, eggplant, escarole, tomato, okra, chard , squash, basil, oregano, parsley and rosemary. Chili peppers have root exudates that prevent root rot and other Fusarium diseases. Plant anywhere you have these problems.
PETUNIAS: Companion for tomatoes. Repels pests.
POTATO: Companion for bush bean, members of the cabbage family, carrot, celery, corn, dead nettle, flax, horseradish, marigold, peas, petunia, onion and Tagetes marigold. Protect them from scab by putting comfrey leaves in with your potato sets at planting time. Do not plant near cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash family, sunflower, turnip. tomatoes and fennel.
PUMPKINS: Companion for corn, melon and squash, marigold, oregano, nasturtium.
RADISH: Companion for beet, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach, squash, corn, chervil and nasturtium. Do not plant near hyssop, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and turnips.
RHUBARB: Companion for brassicas, cabbage, garlic, beans, onion and roses..It helps deter red spider mites from the columbines. A spray made from boiled rhubarb leaves, which contain the poison oxalic acid may be used to prevent blackspot on roses and as an aphicide.
ROSEMARY: Companion for cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies.
RUE: Companion for rue are roses, fruits (in particular figs), raspberries and lavender. To make it even more effective with Japanese beetles: crush a few leaves to release the smell. Deters aphids, fish moths, flea beetle, onion maggot, slugs, snails, flies and Japanese beetles in roses and raspberries. Do not plant near cucumbers, cabbage, basil or sage. Rue may cause skin irritation in some individuals.
SAGE: Companion for broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, black flea beetles and carrot flies. Do not plant near cucumbers, onions or rue. Allowing sage to flower will also attract many beneficial insects.
SQUASH: Companion for corn, cucumbers, radishes, melon and pumpkin, borage, marigold, nasturtium.
STRAWBERRY: Companion for beans, borage, lettuce, onions, spinach and thyme. Do not plant near cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kohlrabi.
SUMMER SAVORY: Companion for beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Deters cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles and black aphids. Attracts beneficial insects.
SUNFLOWERS: Companion for corn.
TOMATOES: Companion for asparagus, basil, bean, carrots, celery, chive, cucumber, garlic, head lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, pepper, marigold, pot marigold, bee balm, chives, mint, borage. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Do not plant near corn, kohlrabi, potatoes, cabbage and cauliflower or walnut trees.