This blog post on companion planting is more of a guide for future planting than a “good read”. It is intended as a tool for you to used when planting next spring. Below we cover companion plants, plants that do well together, and incompatibles, plants that do not like each other and do not do well together.
Companion Planting
Companion planting is the placing of plants in close proximity to one another so that one plant can offer a benefit to the other. This could be as basic as attracting beneficial insects that predate on pests to the other plant or as complex as a plant that releases exudates from the roots and attract beneficial bacteria for the other plant. There are also plants that we call dynamic accumulators because they mine deep down in the soil with a long tap root and bring nutrients and minerals up to the surface for plants that can’t get those nutrients themselves.
There are also plants that do not grow well together. Those are listed below as incompatible. Some of them produce substances that stunt the growth of the other plant or they may attract insects that will destroy the other plants. It is recommended that you do not plant incompatible plants near one another.
The list below is colored with companion planting as green and incompatible as red to make it easier to read through the list.
The List:
Asparagus (companions): Tomato, Parsley, Basil, aster family, dill, coriander, carrots, comfrey, and marigolds
Asparagus (incompatible): Onions, garlic, potatoes
Basil (companions): tomatoes, peppers, oregano, asparagus, petunias
Basil (incompatible): Rue, sage
Beans (companions): Most vegetables and herbs
Beans (incompatible): Onion, garlic, gladiolus
Beans, Bush (companions): Irish potato, cucumber, corn, strawberry, celery, summer savory)
Beans, Bush (incompatible): Onion
Beans, Pole (companions): Corn, summer savory, radish
Beans, Pole (incompatible): Onion, beets, kohlrabi, sunflower
Beets (companions): Cabbage and onion families, lettuce
Beets (incompatible): pole beans
Borage (companions): tomatoes, squash, strawberries, cabbage, strawberries
Broccoli (companions): Basil, bush beans, cucumber, dill, garlic, hyssop, lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, potato, radish, rosemary, sage, thyme, tomato, celery, beets
Broccoli (incompatible): Grapes, strawberries, mustard, rue
Cabbage Family (companions): Aromatic herbs, celery, beets, onion family, chamomile, spinach, chard
Cabbage Family (incompatible): Dill, strawberries, pole beans, tomato, peppers, eggplants, rue, grapes, lettuce
Caraway (companions): Strawberries
Caraway (incompatible): Dill, fennel
Carrots (companions): English pea, lettuce, rosemary, onion family, sage, tomato
Carrots (incompatible): Dill, parsnips
Celery (companions): Onion and cabbage families, tomato, bush beans, nasturtium, leek, spinach, cosmos, daisies, snapdragons
Celery (incompatible): Corn, Irish potato, aster.
Corn (companions): Irish potato, beans, English pea, pumpkin, cucumber, squash, amaranth, melons, parsley, peanuts, soybean, sunflower
Corn (incompatible): Tomato, celery
Cucumber (companions): Beans, corn, English pea, sunflowers, radish, beets, carrots, dill, nasturtium.
Cucumber (incompatible): Irish potato, Aromatic herbs, sage, rue
Dill (companions): cabbage, lettuce, onions, corn, cucumber
Dill (incompatible): carrots, caraway, lavender, tomatoes
Eggplant (companions): Beans, Marigold, amaranth, peas, spinach, tarragon, thyme, peppers
Fennel (companions): Dill
Fennel (Incompatible): most other garden plants
Garlic (companions): Roses, apple trees, Pear trees, cucumber, peas, lettuce, celery
Grapes (companions): Grapes, basil, beans, geraniums, oregano, cover, peas, blackberries, clover, chives
Grapes (incompatible): radishes, cabbage
Horseradish (companions): potato
Lettuce (companions): Carrot, radish, strawberry, cucumber, beet, broccoli, pole bean, onion, sunflower, dill
Lettuce (incompatible): cabbage
Melons (companion): Corn, pumpkin, radish, squash, marigolds, nasturtium, oregano
Mint (companion): Cabbage, tomatoes
Nasturtiums (companions): Radishes, cabbage, squash, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers, under fruit trees,
Okra (companions): Lettuce, peppers, eggplant, basil, cucumber, melon, black eyed pea
Onion Family (companions): Beets, carrot, lettuce, cabbage family, summer savory, leek, kohlrabi, strawberry, dill, tomato
Onion Family (Incompatible): Beans, English peas, asparagus
Oregano (companions): Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, grapes
Parsley (companions): Tomato, Asparagus, carrot, chives, onions, roses
Parsley (incompatible): mint
Parsnips (companions): bush bean, garlic, marigolds, onion, pea, pepper, potato, radish.
Peach Tree (companions): Grape, garlic, onion, asparagus
Peach Tree (incompatible): Potato, tomato, raspberry
Pea, English (companions): Carrots, radish, turnip, cucumber, corn, beans, celery, chicory, eggplant, parsley, spinach, strawberry, sweet pepper, tomatoes
Pea, English (incompatible): Onion family, gladiolus, Irish potato, chives, grapes
Pepper, Sweet (companions): Tomatoes, parsley, basil, geraniums, marjoram, lovage, petunia, carrots
Pepper, Hot (companions): tomato, okra, cucumbers, eggplant, escarole, Swiss chard, squash, basil oregano, parsley, rosemary
Peppers (incompatible): beans, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, fennel
Potato, Irish (companions): Beans, corn cabbage family, marigolds, horseradish, carrot, celery, flax, petunia, onion
Potato, Irish (incompatible): Pumpkin, squash, tomato, cucumber, sunflower, asparagus, sun flower, turnip, fennel
Pumpkins (companion): Corn, Marigold, melon, squash, nasturtium, oregano, dill
Pumpkins (incompatible): Irish Potato
Radish (companion): English Pea, Nasturtium, Lettuce, cucumber, beet, beans, carrot, chervil, melons, parsnips, spinach
Radish (incompatible): Hyssop, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips
Rosemary: (companions): cabbage, beans, carrots, sage
Sage (companions): broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, carrots
Sage (incompatible): cucumber, onion, rue
Spinach (companion): Strawberry, faba bean, pea, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, onions
Squash (companions): Nasturtium, corn, marigold, beans cucumbers, melon, mint, onions, pumpkins, borage, marigolds, oregano, dill
Squash (incompatible): Irish Potato
Strawberry (companions): beans, borage, lettuce, onions, spinach, thyme
Strawberry (incompatible): Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi
Sunflower (companions): Corn
Sweet Potatoes (companions): Dill, thyme, oregano, summer savory, beets, parsnips, salsify, bush beans, potatoes, alyssum
Thyme (companions): Eggplants, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes
Tomato (companions): Onion family, Nasturtium, Marigold, Asparagus, carrot, parsley, cucumber, basil, bean, celery, chive, garlic, mint, parsley, pea, pepper, bee balm, borage
Tomato (incompatible): Irish potato, fennel, cabbage family, corn, apricot, fennel, cauliflower, dill, walnut trees
Turnip (companions): English pea, cabbage
Turnip (incompatible): Irish potato, radish, turnips, delphinium, larkspur, mustard
Watermelon (companions): corn, nasturtiums, peas, sunflowers, squash, cucumber, pumpkin, radish, oregano
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