Like people, some plants thrive surrounded by others. Companion planting is the practice of growing several types of crops near one another to enhance crop production. In general, plants with known positive relationships should be planted within two or three rows of each other. Plants that have negative or detrimental relationships, should be planted at least two to three rows apart. Infestation of pests or disease can occur more quickly if you plant all the same crop close together. Planting fruits and vegetables with flowers, herbs, or other vegetables can provide several valuable natural resources to your garden.
Utilizing companion planting is not only beneficial for your plants, but also helps maximize your space. Using different types of plants can help deter harmful insects, provide support for crops, offer shade to smaller plants, provide weed suppression, attract beneficial insects, as well as increase your overall soil health.
One of the most popular companion plantings is “The Three Sisters Garden,” which includes corn, beans and squash. Taller plants, such as corn, can provide a natural support trellis and shelter for beans, peas and other climbing crops. In return, beans and peas provide nitrogen to the soil for the corn and squash plants. Squash and pumpkin leaves shade the smaller bean and pea plants that need sun protection and provide weed suppression.
When planning your garden, you need to consider where you plant crops that may be in competition with one another. For instance, onions and beans should not be interplanted since onion plants stunt the growth of beans.
Soil Health Benefits
Companion planting allows you to tap into the benefits of having different root systems throughout your garden. Plants with taproots, such as carrots or radishes, can help alleviate soil compaction issues. Deep rooted crops like asparagus or watermelon can pull nutrients and water from deeper in the soil profile.
Saving Space
Interplanting, the practice of planting different crops between one another, works especially well to maximize space and improve productivity in small gardens. Maturity rate, nutrient requirements and size are important factors to consider when deciding what crops to interplant.
Interplant smaller cool season plants, such as spinach, beets, or lettuce, in between larger, slow-growing vegetables such as tomatoes or peppers. Once the smaller crops mature, the larger plants canopy will offer shade.
Companion planting can also be utilized in large container gardening to maximize space and crop yield. Consider planting a pizza gardenor salad garden,which could includetomato, pepper, lettuce, oregano and/or basil plants all in the same large container.
Insect Management
The scents and bright colors of herbs and flowers repel and confuse harmful pests and can attract beneficial insects and pollinators. Trap cropping is the practice of planting something between the main crop to attract harmful insects to it instead, therefore saving your main crop. This practice, along with adding bright colors, can also be utilized to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Plant Friend or Foe?
| Plant | Companions | Do NOT plant next to |
| Asparagus | Tomato, basil, parsley | |
| Beans | Most vegetables and herbs | Onion, garlic, gladiolus |
| Cabbage family (Cauliflower, kale, broccoli) | Sage, dill, beets, peppermint, rosemary, corn, onion family, chard, spinach, sunflowers, nasturtiums | Dill, fennel, strawberries, pole beans, tomatoes |
| Cantaloupe | Corn, sunflowers | Potatoes |
| Celery | Onion andcabbage families, tomatoes, bush beans, nasturtiums | |
| Corn | Irish potatoes, beans, English peas, pumpkins, cucumber, squash | Tomatoes |
| Cucumber | Beans, corn, English peas, sunflowers, radishes, cabbage family | Irish potatoes, aromatic herbs |
| Eggplant | Beans, marigolds | Potatoes |
| Lettuce | Carrot, radish, strawberries, cucumber, onions | |
| Onion family | Beets, carrot, lettuce, cabbage family, tomatoes, strawberries, Summer Savory tomato, asparagus | Beans, English peas |
| Potato, Irish | Beans, corn, cabbage family, marigolds, horseradish, peas | Pumpkin, squash, tomatoes, cucumber, sunflowers, raspberries |
| Spinach | Strawberries | |
| Squash | Nasturtium, corn, radishes, marigolds | |
| Strawberries | Bush beans, spinach, borage, lettuce (as a boarder) | Cabbage |
| Tomato | Herbs, such as parsley, dill, and basil | Irish potatoes, fennel, cabbage family |
Companion planting is not an exact science, and successful companion plantings can vary in different areas. However, companion planting charts can offer a good starting point. Record observations and the results of your plant combinations from year to year of successful and failed companion plantings. Sharing your results can provide education and assistance to other gardeners! You can also contact your local WVU Extension office for suggestions on other companion crops.
Resources
Hoidal, N. (2021, February 25). Companion planting and trap cropping vegetables. UMN Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-news/companion-planting-and-trap-cropping-vegetables.
Jeavons, J. (n.d.). Companion Planting Chart. https://extension.wvu.edu/files/d/0b887573-5fcf-4d17-a47f-6de7465ad0a8/berkeley-horticulture-companion-planting-chart.pdf.
Authors: Natasha Harris, former WVU Extension Agent, andJesica Streets, former WVU Extension Agent
Last Reviewed: March 2022
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
Companion planting is a gardening practice where different types of crops are grown near each other to enhance crop production. It involves planting plants with known positive relationships within two or three rows of each other, while plants with negative or detrimental relationships should be planted at least two to three rows apart. The practice of companion planting offers several benefits, including pest control, support for crops, shade for smaller plants, weed suppression, attraction of beneficial insects, and improvement of overall soil health.
One popular example of companion planting is "The Three Sisters Garden," which includes corn, beans, and squash. In this planting arrangement, the tall corn plants provide a natural support trellis and shelter for the beans and other climbing crops. In return, the beans and peas provide nitrogen to the soil for the corn and squash plants. The squash and pumpkin leaves shade the smaller bean and pea plants, providing sun protection and weed suppression.
When planning a garden, it is important to consider the competition between different crops. For example, onions and beans should not be interplanted because onion plants can stunt the growth of beans. It is also beneficial to consider the different root systems of plants, as plants with taproots can help alleviate soil compaction issues, while deep-rooted crops can pull nutrients and water from deeper in the soil profile.
Companion planting can be used to save space and maximize productivity in small gardens. Interplanting, which involves planting different crops between one another, is particularly effective for this purpose. It is important to consider factors such as maturity rate, nutrient requirements, and size when deciding what crops to interplant. For example, smaller cool-season plants like spinach, beets, or lettuce can be interplanted with larger, slow-growing vegetables like tomatoes or peppers. Once the smaller crops mature, the larger plants' canopy will offer shade.
Insect management is another benefit of companion planting. The scents and bright colors of herbs and flowers can repel and confuse harmful pests while attracting beneficial insects and pollinators. Trap cropping is a practice where something is planted between the main crop to attract harmful insects away from the main crop, thus protecting it. This practice, along with adding bright colors, can also be used to attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
It is important to note that companion planting is not an exact science and can vary in different areas. However, companion planting charts can provide a good starting point. It is recommended to record observations and the results of plant combinations from year to year to learn from successful and failed companion plantings. Sharing these results can provide education and assistance to other gardeners.
For more information on companion planting, you can refer to the following sources:
- Hoidal, N. (2021, February 25). Companion planting and trap cropping vegetables. UMN Extension.
- Jeavons, J. (n.d.). Companion Planting Chart. Berkeley Horticulture.
Remember, gardening practices can vary depending on the specific region and climate, so it's always a good idea to consult with local experts or your local WVU Extension office for suggestions on companion crops that work well in your area.
