🌿 Companion
Planting Guide
Which plants help each other grow — and which ones compete or spread disease. Plant the right neighbours and reduce the need for pesticides naturally.
What is companion planting?
Companion planting — also called mixed cultivation or intercropping — is the deliberate placement of plants that benefit each other as neighbours. Some repel pests, others attract pollinators, and some fix nitrogen in the soil for their neighbours. A well-planned combination can significantly reduce the need for chemical treatments and increase yields.
Realistic expectation: Companion planting works, but it is not a magic solution. It is one part of a balanced approach to garden care — alongside crop rotation, soil health, and proper watering.
✅ Compatible combinations — plants that grow well together
| Plant A | Plant B | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomato | 🌿 Basil | Basil repels aphids and is said to improve fruit flavour |
| 🍅 Tomato | 🌿 Parsley | Parsley deters Colorado potato beetles |
| 🥕 Carrot | 🧅 Onion | Each repels the other's main pest — carrot fly and onion fly |
| 🥒 Cucumber | 🌿 Dill | Dill attracts beneficial insects that prey on cucumber pests |
| 🫘 Beans | 🌽 Sweet corn | Beans fix nitrogen; sweet corn provides a natural climbing support |
| 🥬 Lettuce | 🌱 Radishes | Radishes draw flea beetles away from lettuce leaves |
| 🫛 Peas | 🥕 Carrots | Peas enrich the soil with nitrogen for carrots |
| 🌿 Basil | 🫑 Peppers | Basil deters thrips that commonly attack peppers |
| 🥬 Spinach | 🍓 Strawberries | Spinach keeps the soil moist around strawberry roots |
| 🧅 Onion | 🥕 Carrots | Classic pairing — each repels the other's pest; both benefit |
❌ Incompatible combinations — plants that harm each other
| Plant A | Plant B | Why they conflict |
|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomato | 🌿 Fennel | Fennel inhibits tomato growth; keep them apart |
| 🧅 Onion | 🫛 Peas | Onions suppress pea growth through root chemicals |
| 🥒 Cucumber | 🥔 Potatoes | Share diseases including blight; risk of cross-infection |
| 🫘 Beans | 🧄 Garlic | Garlic inhibits bean growth; keep separate |
| 🧅 Onion | 🫘 Beans | Onions and beans inhibit each other's growth |
| 🥬 Lettuce | 🌿 Parsley | Parsley slows lettuce germination nearby |
🔄 Special combinations worth knowing
🥔 Potatoes + Horseradish
Horseradish planted at the edges of a potato bed deters Colorado potato beetles. One of the most effective natural pest controls in Central European gardens.
🌹 Roses + Garlic
Garlic planted under rose bushes helps protect against aphids and fungal diseases. Plant 2–3 garlic cloves around the base of each rose.
🍅 Tomatoes + Marigolds
French marigolds (Tagetes) planted between tomato rows deter whitefly and nematodes. One of the most scientifically supported companion planting combinations.
🫘 The Three Sisters
Traditional Native American combination: beans, sweet corn and squash together. Corn provides height, beans fix nitrogen, squash covers the ground reducing weeds and retaining moisture.
💡 How to plan your companion planting
Avoid planting the same plant family together. Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi) share diseases and pests — spread them around the garden rather than grouping them.
Rotate beds each year. Even with good companion planting, returning the same crop to the same spot year after year improves the environment for specific pests and diseases.
Isolate fennel. Fennel is a bad neighbour for almost every vegetable — grow it in a separate container or isolated bed away from the main vegetable patch.
Companion planting is a tool, not a cure. It works best as part of comprehensive garden care alongside proper watering, soil improvement and timely pest monitoring.
Plan your bed combinations with our calendar
Use the seasonal planting calendar to make sure you have ideal plant neighbours throughout the year.
Open planting calendar →