| Good Companions | Bad Companions | |
| Apples | Chives, Horsetail (Equisetum), Foxgloves, Wallflowers Nasturtiums, Garlic, Onions | Grass, Potatoes |
| Apricots | Basil, Tansy, Southernwood | Tomatoes, Sage |
| Asparagus | Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil | |
| Basil | Tomatoes, Asparagus, Parsley, Apricots | |
| Beans | Carrots, Cucumbers, Cabbages, Lettuce, Peas, Parsley Cauliflower, Spinach, Summer Savory | Onions, Garlic, Fennel, Gladioli, Sunflowers, Kohlrabi |
| Beans, Broad | Potatoes, Sweetcorn, Dill | |
| Beans, Dwarf | Beetroot, Brassicas, Carrots, Cucumbers, Dill, Lettuce, Potatoes, Radish, Spinach, Sweetcorn, Strawberry, Summer Savory | Onions, Garlic, Fennel, Gladioli, Sunflowers, Kohlrabi |
| Beetroot | Onions, Silverbeet, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Cabbage Dwarf Beans | Tall beans |
| Borage | Strawberries | |
| Brussels Sprouts | Beans (Dwarf), Beetroot, Celery, Cucumber, Onions, Rhubarb, Chamomile, Dill, Oregano, Sage, Marigold, Nasturtium | Strawberries |
| Broccoli | Beans (Dwarf), Beetroot, Celery, Cucumber, Onions, Rhubarb, Chamomile, Dill, Oregano, Sage, Marigold, Nasturtium | Strawberries |
| Cabbages | Beans, Beetroot. Celery, Mint, Thyme, Sage, Onions Rosemary, Dill, Potatoes, Chamomile, Oregano Hyssop, Southernwood, Nasturtiums, Tansy, Coriander | Rue, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Garlic |
| Capsicum (Sweet Peppers) | Amaranth, Basil, Beans (Dwarf), Carrots, Lovage, Marjoram, Okra, Parsley, Geraniums | Fennel, Kohlrabi, Tomatoes |
| Carrots | Peas, Radishes. Lettuce, Chives, Sage, Onions, Leeks | |
| Carnations | Hyacinths | |
| Cauliflower | Celery. Beans, Tansy, Nasturtiums | Strawberries |
| Celery | Tomatoes, Dill. Beans, Leeks, Cabbage, Cauliflowers | |
| Chamomile | Mint, Cabbages, Onions | |
| Chervil | Dill, Coriander, Radish | |
| Chilli (Hot Peppers) | Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary | |
| Chives | Parsley, Apples, Carrots, Tomatoes | |
| Citrus | Guava | |
| Coriander | Dill, Chervil, Anise, Cabbages, Carrots | Fennel |
| Cucumbers | Potatoes (early crop only), Beans, Celery, Lettuce Sweet Corn, Savoy Cabbages, Sunflowers, Nasturtiums | |
| Dill* | Carrots, Tomatoes, Cabbage, Fennel, Coriander | |
| Fennel | Dill | Beans, Tomatoes, Kohlrabi, Coriander, Wormwood |
| Foxgloves | Apples, Potatoes, Tomatoes | |
| Fuchsias | Basil, Gooseberries, Tomatoes | |
| Garlic | Roses, Apples, Peaches | Peas, Beans, Cabbages, Strawberries |
| Geraniums | Grapevines | |
| Gladioli | Strawberries, Beans, Peas | |
| Grapevines | Geraniums, Mulberries, Hyssop, Basil, Tansy | |
| Guava | Citrus | |
| Horseradish | Fruit trees, Potatoes | |
| Hyacinth | Carnations | |
| Hyssop | Grapevines, Cabbages | Radishes |
| Kohlrabi | Beetroot, Onions | Tomatoes, Beans, Fennel |
| Leeks | Carrots, Celery | |
| Lettuce | Carrots, Onions, Strawberries, Beetroot, Cabbages Radishes, Marigolds | Parsley, Celery |
| Marigolds | Lettuce, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Roses, Beans | |
| Melons | Sweet Corn | |
| Mint | Cabbages, Chamomile | Parsley |
| Nasturtiums | Apples, Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Broccoli Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi, Turnips, Radishes Cucumbers, Zucchini | |
| Onions | Carrots, Beetroot, Silverbeet, Lettuce, Chamomile Kohlrabi, Summer Savory | Peas, Beans |
| Oregano | Cabbages | |
| Parsley | Tomatoes, Asparagus, Roses, Chives | Potatoes |
| Parsnips | Peas, Potatoes, Peppers, Beans, Radishes, Garlic | Carrots, Celery, Caraway |
| Peaches | Tansy, Garlic, Basil, Southernwood | |
| Pears | Grass | |
| Peas | Potatoes, Radishes, Carrots, Turnips | Onions, Shallots, Garlic, Gladioli |
| Potatoes | Peas, Beans, Cabbage, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans Green Beans, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Foxgloves Horse Radish, Egg Plant | Apples, Cherries, Cucumbers (with any but early crops) Pumpkins, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Raspberries, Rosemary |
| Pumpkins | Sweetcorn | Potatoes |
| Radishes | Lettuces, Peas, Chervil, Nasturtiums | Hyssop |
| Raspberries | Tansy | Blackberries, Potatoes |
| Roses | Garlic, Parsley, Onions, Mignonette, Marigolds | |
| Rue | Sage, Basil | |
| Sage | Carrots, Cabbages, Strawberries | Basil, Rue, Wormwood |
| Savory | Beans, Onions | |
| Silverbeet | Beetroot, Parsnip Tomato, Lavender, Brassicas (Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, etc.), Onion family (Chives, Garlic, Leeks, Onions, etc.), Lavender | Potatoes, Sweetcorn, Cucurbit family (Cucumbers, Gourds Melons Squash, etc.), most herbs |
| Spinach | Broad Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Eggplant, Onion, Peas, Strawberries, Santolina (Cotton Lavender) | |
| Squash | Sunflowers, Sweetcorn | |
| Strawberries | Borage, Lettuce, Spinach, Sage, Pyrethrum | Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts Gladioli, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Garlic |
| Sunflowers | Squash, Cucumber | Potatoes |
| Sweetcorn | Broad Beans, Potatoes, Melons, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Squash, Tansy | |
| Tansy | Cabbage, Roses, Raspberries, Grapes, Peaches | |
| Thyme | Cabbage family | |
| Tomatoes | Asparagus, Celery, Parsley, Basil, Carrots, Chives Marigolds, Foxgloves, Garlic, Sweetcorn | Rosemary, Potatoes, Kohlrabi, Fennel Apricots, Strawberries, Dill* |
| Turnips | Nasturtiums, Peas, Beans, Carrots, Chicory, Chives, Spinach | Potatoes, Tomatoes |
| Wallflowers | Apples | |
| Wormwood | All other plants | |
| Zucchini | Nasturtiums |
Source: Companion Planting in Australia – Brenda Little
For more information see the article – What is Companion Planting and How Does it Work?
Woohoo, this is very useful! thank you so much!
Hi. lovely site. How close does one plant the actual Chervil and Radish seeds in companion planting ?
Thanks, glad you like my site! What is the plant spacing according to the label on the seed packet or punnet of seedlings? That’s the optimum spacing you should give them. Use the ‘spacing between rows’ figure, not the ‘distance between plants’ to space the rows alongside each other. Use the larger of the two figures to accommodate both of their needs. Too far apart wastes garden space and reduces productivity, too close together and plants compete for space, light, water and nutrients, reducing their potential growth. 🙂
Depends on your final goal. If you wish to keep chervil as a herb to harvest plant it within the row. When the radish are harvested the chervil grows on.
Wonderful reference. Companion planting makes organic growing so much easier!
Thanks for this .. I am reading through all your posts…again. Thank you for all the effort you have put in.
Brilliantly useful table. Thank you so much for sharing….
Extremely useful, even though I’m round the other side of the world – and your garden is an inspiration. Thank you!
Very useful as I begin redesigning my gardens. Thank you
Love your site. Very informative. I’m setting up a small garden right now. Planned on using companion plants, and your references to good matches really helps so much. I’ve got two ultra-dwarf apples, (Fuji and Golden Delicious), two ultra dwarf bing cherries, and an ultra dwarf apricot. I wouldn’t have thought to plant onions, chives, or garlic beneath them. Now, I will, as that will free up space in my 4 ft by 4 ft planter for carrots, lettuces, spinach , some strawberries, and sage , separate from other herbs that might not go so well with sage. I’m also going to plant strawberries as grpound cover underneath my grape vines. I would never have thought to do that until I found your site. And I’m also going to acquire some Desiree’ and Russet potatoes , as well, and grow peas and beans above them. What a great use of space and companion plants. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
You’re welcome John, sounds like you have a great small garden with a really good variety! Regards
Hi John,
Where did you get those dwarf type fruit and berry trees/bushes?
Thank you for this chart. You have more information in this chart than some books on the subject. As I read thru it I kept going out to the garden to add stuff. Like basil beneath my tomatoes.
Do you have any hints regarding growing/companion planting for Sweet Potatoes? I’m in Newcastle NSW.
Hi Edwina,
In Jackie French’s book ‘Jackie French’s Guide to Companion Planting in Australia and New Zealand’ – a great book which I highly recommend, she suggests growing corn nearby to atttract parastic wasps, whuch prey on leaf beetles. They don’t normally have much trouble with pests and diseases though.
Plant sweet potatoes about 45cm apart, and beyond that, they’re a fairly vigorous vine that grows pretty well on its owm.
Don’t give them too much nitrogenous fertilizer as you’ll just get lots of green growth (top growth) at the expense of the tuber below.
Regards
How do you know that these companion plants function well together?
Because I’ve tried them, and I know from experience! ( :
Read all about my experience here if you would like to know more, especially the ‘Pests and Diseases’ section, I wrote an article for the Permaculture Research Institute on the findings of my ‘experiment’ – http://permaculture.org.au/2011/04/13/lessons-from-an-urban-back-yard-food-forest-experiment/
Thank you for this easy to read and use table! I wrote a blog post of incorporating companion planting in permaculture and biodynamic gardening and encouraged readers to see your site. happy planting!
Thanks for this table. In the books I have on Organic Fruit Growing, they also list Southernwood as beneficial for Apples. Has this changed? If so, what are the reasons for not using it? It is a natural insecticide, which doesn’t appear to harm the Apple trees i have them planted around.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for raising this question. Southernwood is a great companion plant, it is a fantastic insect repellant, and from my understanding, is beneficial to many fruit trees, definitely recommended!
The issue with companion tables is that some plants are beneficial to so many things, that you’d almost have to list them against everything.
I have two southernwood plants in my garden, one growing near a dwarf peach tree, and also alongside a lemon guava (yellow guava).
Regards
Why are strawberries and garlic bad companions?
My guess it it may have something to do with some substance exuded by the garlic roots that strawberries find disagreeable. Sometimes the interactions between plants are simple to explain scientifically, some, such as this, are more complex. Remember that a lot of companion relationships have been determined through practical experience and have been confirmed and validated by many people over a long period of time, even though the machanisms by which they work may still not be clear.
Thanks to Ted and your response. The question is, do I now need to dig up my strawberries and plant elsewhere, or do I persist with the current planting and know that I won’t have a hug crop on either plant? My strawberries are planted between leeks and brussel sprouts, I’m in Adelaide, South Australia.
Hi Alexandra, leeks are OK with strawberries, it’s just the brassicas that are a problem, so you don’t have to remove the perennial plants -the strawberries, you just need to wait till the annual brassicas die down and the problem is solved.
I have always read that fennel and dill were very bad companions as they cross with each other and ruin the distinctive taste of each of them. Many people advise to keep fennel separate from everything and most of all away from dill…
What would you consider a suitable distance for avoiding bad interactions. I have a mixed vegie garden and I want to plant single garlic bulbs among various vegetables. How far should I keep the garlic away from the beans to avoid a bad interaction? Thanks
That’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ question! Trying to figure how far the antibacterial root exudate of garlic travels in an almost infinite range of possible soil conditions is not something you can put exact figures on.
How far do you keep a dog from a cat?
As far away as possible!
I wonder if the issue with garlic and beans is the same as garlic and peas – maybe its that the garlic and its root exudates interfere with the nitrogen-fixing process of the bacteria that colonise the roots of legumes??
That’s precisely what happens, the antibiotic root exudates of plants from the onion/garlic(Allium) family kill of the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria that live in the root nodules of legumes and capture nitrogen from the air to make nitrogen fertiliser for the plant. That’s why they’re bad companions to all legumes, both beans and peas.
Heyyy,
I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site coz I’ve been looking for a plant companion table quite some. Thank you so much!!! And all the best for you!!!
I don’t see any reference to blueberries at all. Can I plant blueberries with raspberries?
I just came back from a trip in the Appeninnes of Italy – raspberries and wild blueberries are growing happily side by side all over!!!
Please tell us why we should not plant potatoes and tomatoes together.
Both are Solanaceae (nightshade) family, and both are susceptible to the plant diseases Early Blight (Alternaria solani) and Late Blight or Potato Blight (Phytophthora infestans). Planted together, they can infect each other, and if you plant them in the same place each year, the disease will build up in the soil and progressively get worse, which is why people use crop rotation of annual vegetables, and try not to grow plants of the same family in the same area for three years. Also, potatoes more susceptible to potato blight when planted near tomatoes.
Hi
Thanks a lot for what you did on this site, very inspiring! I live in the desert I am looking after a small garden that has date palms. What would you suggest planting as companions for date palms?
If date palms are native to your area, in other words, if they grow naturally there, have a look what plants grow around them in nature, and plant similar plants – especially the useful ones you can use.
You can also look into oasis agro-ecosystems, it’s a model used in arid environments which is a three-story
inter-cropping system of date palms, fruit trees and annual crops.
I live in a place who’s major export is date palm, the problem with that tho is I’ve never seen it out in the wild just grown commercially on its own.
That said I’ve seen pomegranate trees growing very beautifully under date palm at my grandpas farm
In traditional emirati farming techniques tall date palm provide shade for rotating vegetable crops at the bottom. And are grown along a falaj (an irrigation system)
I know this comment is super old but wanted to mention this stuff since I never see it mentioned online
Thanks Aisha, this site is a perpetual knowledge resource, there are no old comments or articles like on some sites, it’s all here for people to share their knowledge and experience! 🙂
This table explains why some areas of my current garden are behaving the way they do -such as the mint/parsley not working together!
I live in the south USA. I rarely find okra on companion charts & just wanted to say it grow well with crowder & black-eyed peas, & green beans. Or you can plant lettuce under it after it is up good to extend lettuce production as it provides good shade. I have read it does well with sweet bell peppers too, but have never done that planting myself.
Thanks for a great blog with useful info!
Corn seems to be absent from this list
It’s listed as “Sweetcorn”!
Thanks for all this information. Can grapes go well with apricot and pear?
Under dill it says tomatoes are a companion but under tomatoes it is listed as bad?
Dill is both bad and good for tomatoes, so it doesn’t neatly fit into the table!
When dill is young it works well grown with tomatoes, it is said to improve the health of tomato plants and acts as a pests repellent to protect them from tomato hornworm caterpillars, aphids, and spider mites. When the dill plant matures it is said to stunt the growth of tomatoes!
The best way to use dill as a companion for tomatoes is to harvest the leaves while they are young for cooking, they can be used fresh or dried. If you wish to grow dill for the seeds, plant it well away from tomatoes.
hi, why exactly are some plants bad companions with eachother, could some one explain why broccoli is bad together with strawberries?
Some interactions of bad companion plants are simple to explain – such as why the bean and pea family doesn’t grow well next to any plant from the onion family. On the other hand, some interactions might not have simple explanations, but the effects are readily observable and repeatable, so we know what to do or not do. Keep in mind that we can do something that works without having to explain how it works, humans learned how to create and use fire millennia ago but only recently has science been able to explain the process of combustion!
could you then expain the baad interaction between the bean and pea family?
Onion and legume family are bad companions because the legumes (beans, peas, etc) have root nodules which house the Rhizobium bacteria, which is a nitrogen-fixing bacteria – it takes nitrogen from the air and creates nitrogen compounds which the plant can use, basically nitrogen fertiliser. In exchange, the plant photosynthesises and produces sugars from carbon dioxide and water, which it shares with the nitrogen-fixing bacteria. It’s a symbiotic relationship, a mutually beneficial relationship where they exchange nutrients. The onion family all exude antibiotic compounds from their roots, which kill many bacteria, including the nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium bacteria.
I have previously planted thornless blackberry bushes near raspberries with unfruitful results. Why are they bad companions? Is it due to possible diseases? I really want success with the my kids favorite blackberries. Thank you.
Same family Rubus, same root depth, same nutrient requirements means they are competing with each other for nutrients and water.
They’re also subject to the same diseases too, but that wouldn’t make them bad companions, it would just make for a less resilient planting design. There may be other mechanisms at play too…
I’ve planted a boysenberry near some summer bearing raspberries as an experiment and the vigour and productivity of the raspberries has definitely reduced – will need to transplant the raspberries elsewhere.
I have my berries in rows. Our Boysenberry is right next to our raspberries. Last summer the Boysenberry went CRAZY. Covered over the raspberries. I just did not get to it. But the raspberries actually produced a good amount of berries. We have rabbits. So always plenty of rabbit poop. As well as ash from our fireplace. Finally got to cutting everybody back away from each other. And plant to keep them in their own spaces this year so we can better harvest.
This is verfy helpfull but my husband is wondering if you can plant strawberry plants around apple trees….
Well, if they’re not bad companions, which they’re clearly not, then strawberries can definitely be planted under your apple tree, as long as the strawberries requirements are met in terms of the right amount of sunlight and sufficient water. The strawberries will form a natural groundcover layer, just be mindful of where the strawberries are situated in relation to hot afternoon west sun in summer, you don’t want them getting burnt.
Very helpful, thanks for the help
Hello, does anyone know if raspberries and clinging roses will do well next to each other? thank you!
Roses are from the genus Rosa and raspberries from the genus Rubus, but both are from the same plant family Rosaceae. Being related, and not being too different from one another (as a rose grower I have no trouble admitting roses are really just glorified brambles) they may compete with each other in the same way that other brambleberries compete with each other and I would guess that they were best kept apart.
There’s also the matter of location, don’t forget that raspberries like a bit less sun than roses, hot afternoon sun is to be avoided with raspberries.
Hi! Two questions: is there something particularly good to plant near the base of a fig tree (I’m planning lavendar, rosemary and some lemons)?
And:
I’m planning to train my figs along wires at about 2.5 metre centres. The wall at the base is only about 30cms high. Should I put brackets there? Will the star posts sunk 60cms be strong enough? What gauge wire should I use?
Regards,
AM.
Planting Mediterranean herbs near a fig tree would be sensible as they are also drought tolerant plants that can cope with heat and native to the same areas.
A lemon near a fig? The lemon is a tree which requires its own space, it’s not a companion to another tree! Citrus trees are very shallow rooted and would be outcompeted severely by the fig tree which grows larger and has a stronger root system.
The wire supports don’t need to hold much weight, they just need to keep the fig tree branches straight and provide a guide to tie them to. See my article on building an Espalier Support/Trellis http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/espalier-supporttrellis/ for details and the comments below the article. Star pickets sunk into the ground 60cm deep might hold depending on your soil, they might not! If you put tensioned wires across them the posts will move inwards unless they’re anchored to something solid.
I have planted lovage as a companion to my fig tree as an experiment this spring, and it seems to be working very well. Because I live in a colder climate, I have made a hedge of blackberries behind it on the North side (Northern hemisphere). Although the figs are only about 2 cm yet, there are many of them. The fig plant is about 2 m high and 1 m wide and has grown more than 80 cm since I planted it 3 months ago.
Also, I have a asparagus bed nearby, but either because of the bed’s age or because of the lovage or fig, it is not producing tasty spears anymore.
Hope this helps! And thanks for the inspiration for planting rosemary. I will add this and maybe thyme as well.
Sorry, Angelo, I was speaking shorthand again. The lemons are dwarfs, each in a half-barrel, not in the ground with the figs. Thanks for your response.
AM.
Thanks for the clarification. As aesthetic elements, the dwarf lemons in pots will add visual appeal located near the fig tree, but as far as companion plant benefits go, there aren’t any obvious ones!
hi there
I know you mentioned lemon trees need their own space if they are in the ground and make for poor companion plants. However, is there anything that can be planted at their base or near them that would be a companion-like-plant to help reduce pests and bugs that lemon trees a susceptible to? I have a lemon myer and its not doing to well with bugs this year and I want to avoid using chemicals as much as possible as I have small kids that practically live outside.
Underplant your citrus with low growing, shallow rooted plants. Chives are great as mass plantings under citrus to repel aphids. You could also try planting nectary plants that provide a nectar source as an alternative food source beneficial predator insects that eat your pests, plants from the daisy family with single flowers works well, examples include roman chamomile, feverfew as well as plants with lots of little flowers such as alyssum. Yarrow also works well too.
I’m not quite sure where this lives as a companion planting, but we discovered by accident that overwintering (hardneck) garlic serves as an effective root barrier for raspberries that throw out rhizomes in the springtime. We spaced the cloves 6″ apart, and only where 2 consecutive cloves failed to take did the raspberries escape past the line – they went in every direction except past the garlic. We have since tested this out in a second location and it’s holding.
Have you or anyone you know ever paired asparagus with cranberry?
The asparagus I grow would quickly shade out and overwhelm asparagus. They also have different water requirements, cranberries grow in bogs and constantly wet soils. Another difference is their soil pH requirements, asparagus prefer soil with a pH of about 6.5 to 7, some say a soil pH of 6-8, whereas cranberries prefer a low pH soils, pH 4.5 – 5.5.
The other thing to keep in mind is that perennial vegetables such as rhubarb and asparagus are usually given their own patch in the garden, and area of around 1m x 1m (30″ x 30″) without any other plants. If companion planting anything with them, the plants go in the bed beside them.
Hi All – Can anyone tell me how/where Sweet Potatoes fit into the Companion Planting Table, please ??? Are they grouped together with Potatoes ??? Thanks for your assistance.
Cheers – Rob (in Mooloolah Valley, QLD)
Hi Rob, they’re completely different plants, all they share in common is their common names. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are from the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family, while Sweet Potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are from the Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory) family.
In the book “Companion Planting” by Jackie French, she mentions that “corn planted with sweet potatoes may increase the number of parasitic wasps preying on leaf beetles” and she suggests growing sweet potatoes, which are tolerant of part-shade conditions, under trees in cooler climates for protection, presumably from cold and frost, to keep them growing longer.
Just how far do beets need to be kept from pole beans as well as onions?
Plant your beetroot far enough from the onion roots so none of the compounds leaching out from onion roots reaches the beets, and far enough from the climbing beans so they don’t shade out and take over the area where the beets are growing. You can always try growing some carrots between your onions and beets and that way they’ll all be happy (assuming they’re all within the right sowing season where you are).
The pole beans seem to be causing me problems in crop rotation. In companion gardening it seems many things need to stay away from them. Kohlrabi, beets, onions , cabbage family If I have these crops starting three feet in front of pole beans would that be adequate space away? the others are all compatible with each other. So far in that plot I will have a 15 ft row trellised beans, row of carrots, row of chard. I am trying this companion thing after 40 years of gardening and not knowing it existed. The trellis is permanent . I rotate cukes, sweet peas, and beans between it and 2 fence lines. Rotation is tough because of a huge butternut tree close by which is relative to black walnut.
Yes, that’s more than adequate space if the climbing beans aren’t shading out the light.
If you set up your trellis running north-south (see design article on Relative Location – https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/permaculture/permaculture-design-principles/1-relative-location/) they will not shade out your garden.
If there are no plants behind the bean trellis, the other option is to put the beans on their trellis furthest from the sun (south in the southern hemisphere, north in the northern hemisphere), with the next shorter plants closer to the sun, and shortest plants the closest to the position of the midday sun.
Yes that is how it is. I was not worried about light, just if there was some kind of chemical thing . Thanks. In all the companion stuff they always say to keep away from but not how far. This is an experiment to see if anything really grows better, I have an incredible garden, that was way too fertile when I first started 40 years ago and I still have not ever had to do anything. I get soil tested every three years and they have always come back do not add anything. However I did notice my PH was up this time. Anyway thanks for all the input.
I planted one basil plant next to each of my tomatoes ( about 18 inches away from the tomato plants) as suggested by my friend who is working with ‘In the backyard’ ( http://inthebackyard.ca/ ) before last year and it really worked well. Growing basil with your tomatoes will not only make the tomatoes taste better but also repel insects. Actually, there is no scientific evidence on this idea. However, we do know now that basil and tomatoes plants grow very well together !
It’s also a very convenient planting when collecting ingredients for recipes that use both tomato and basil!
Can I put a tomatoe plant in a container that a palm tree died in ?
It kind of depends what it may have died from, and whether it is just the container or the old potting medium/potting mix as well.
Typically in horticulture we sterilize empty pots by first washing them and scrubbing them clean, then soaking them or washing them with a dilute bleach solution to kill any pathogens, use a 1:9 dilution ratio of bleach to water, in other words, one cup of bleach to nine cups of water, leave it on for at least ten minutes, then wash off and allow to dry. Works on plastic and terracotta pots.
can I have the reason why there are good companion and bad companion?
There are many, many reasons, some of which we can explain the science, some interactions are from experience of gardeners over time, it’s a big topic that I teach a 4 hour workshop on the subject, I couldn’t do it justice in a short answer, perhaps that should be what I write an eBook about!
I’m wondering if I can plant sunflowers between my pepper plants?
According to the companion planting table the good companions for sunflowers are Squash, Cucumber and the bad companions for sunflowers are Potatoes.
You have to keep in mind other factors such as shading and competition for nutrients – Sunflowers are very tall, fast growing, hungry plants which will outcompete many other plants. This is confirmed in the Jackie French in her book “Companion Planting in Australia and New Zealand” where she states “Sunflowers reduce the yield of many crops grown with them”. I would plant the tall sunflowers in the background, furthest from the midday sun so they don’t shade anything out, and plant your peppers well away from them.
If marigolds are good at repelling various pest insects, does that mean they also repel the insects we want in the garden, eg ladybugs, bees, butterflies??
French Marigolds (Tagetes patula) are used to repel soil nematodes that attack plant roots.
Marigolds (Tageres species) which have highly scented leaves and also have the ability to repel specific pests such cabbage moths and whitefly, while still attracting beneficial insects by providing a nectar source for them as an alternative food supply once they’ve eaten the pest insects.
Pot marigolds or Calendulas (Calendula officinalis) attract beneficial insects by providing a nectar source.
Hi Angelo, what are your thoughts on comfrey? I was thinking of moving mine to under one of my fruite trees (a little pear tree, that hasn’t produced yet) but wonder if the comfrey would rob it of nutrients. What do you think? Would it be better to give the comfrey it’s own spot?
I would put comfrey near a citrus tree instead, because comfrey us a ‘nutrient mining’ plant which pulls up nutrients from deep in the soil, over a metre deep, and brings them to the surface, releasing them to the soil surface when the leaves die down in autumn. Citrus is a heavy feeder and can use the nutrients because it’s evergreen, whereas a pear is dormant.
I would plant the comfrey outside of the dripline of a tree’s canopy, and I would choose a distance that reflects a mature trees canopy width, otherwise the comfrey will get shaded out by a mature tree, or unnecessarily crowd a very young tree.
For coriander it says fennel is a foe but then when fennel it listed it says that coriander is a friend?
Thanks Nancy, appreciate you pointing this out, I’ve corrected it!
If coriander grows near fennel, the coriander will wilt, and it will also prevent the fennel from producing seed, definitely keep these two apart! Fennel and dill are good companions for each other though, so you can grow these two close to each other.
You forgot companions to peppers!
I’ve added them in, thanks!
Any ideas for companion plants for pineapple?
The way to work what plants or trees are good companion plants for pineapples is to look at what grows around them in their native environment, or put another way, what plants or trees pineapples naturally grow near. They’re bromeliads from South America that like a tropical climate and well draining slightly acidic soil, so whatever is planted around them should also be suited to these conditions.
I have an asparagus patch in my very small urban garden, including 6 Early Season “Jersey Giant,” 3 MID Season “Mary Washington” (N Hemisphere varieties). My clay soil need amending, so I double-dug in chicken manure and peat moss and an organic granular fertilizer mix. That was in Fall of 2014. I had a few asparagus spears, but did as the directions stated, and let them sprout, to feed the root system, The following year, I harvested a few spears, but not much, and as my garden is small, decided to let some arugula and violas stay where they had self-sown in the bed. These are planted in the only part of my south facing (full sun) garden where the house casts a shadow by noon over the bed, so morning sun/afternoon shade. Because I saw a truly lovely hellebore on sale at the hardware store in 2016, and it needy a shady spot, I decided to let in share the same spot as the asparagus. I carefully dug with my fingers, moving the succulent asparagus roots out of the way until I had a 8 inch space to plant the hellebore. The hellebore is doing fine, and so are the asparagus, even better now in 2017 than ever before. Feeling brave now, I have seeded or planted many things in the asparagus patch, including calendula, autumn sage, lobelia, nasturtium, lilies, dahlias, and nearby an artemisia ‘powis castle.’ My asparagus spears that have gone to seed, forming fronds that are now 6 feet tall, creating a nice airy canopy, wherein the calendula and now coreopsis are held.
I really like your approach to gardening, and found you on YouTube when you gave a garden tour, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX9mQNswJrw.
The other plant that I had learned was a companion to asparagus is scented rose pelargoniums, which I also planted next to the asparagus patch, but because it grows like a weed here, (Northern California- USDA Zone 10b) I had to take it out, otherwise the patch would be buried by it.
Hi Sue, I would like to keep in contact with a goal to be updated on the successes and failures with companionsin your adventurous adventures in your asparagus patch please.
My e is satya@bodywhiz.com.au .
Blessings
Satya
There is a lot in the literature about growing marigolds with vegs BUT What grows well in a marigold patch?
I found this to be very helpful. I usually draw up a chart. This year I will laminate it. The last one got watered. I was hoping to make a new one ever year. Then compare the charts. I keep notes on the garden. And mostly remember where I put everything and how it did anyway. These listings are far better than what I had looked at before. I have decided its spring. So potatoes and some seeds are going in the ground this week. Some are going to be planted indoors. The only thing listed a lot that I do not plant in the garden is Nasturtiums. We love them so much but they always get aphids so bad. So we usually plant them near things aphids do not usually get on. They have done much better. I use soap sprays and things. But we have a large very lushly planted yard. So many plants to care for. So we just watch where we put them. Thanks for all the info.
Last year I grew runner beans and sunflowers together, very successfully. The beans climbed happily up the sunflower stalks!
Keep in mind that sunflowers do inhibit plant growth, they’re allelopathic.
“The allelopathic potential of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) can be used for controlling weeds in sunflower and other crops. Terpenes and phenolic compounds comprise the important allelochemicals in sunflower. Residues from sunflower plants possess a strong allelopathic activity and can be used to suppress the weeds under various agricultural settings by either scattering it in the form of a layer over the soil surface or mixing it in the soil.”
Source – Jabran K. (2017) Sunflower Allelopathy for Weed Control. In: Manipulation of Allelopathic Crops for Weed Control. SpringerBriefs in Plant Science. Springer, Cham
Thank you for this wonderfull table. We are melbourneites about to establish a food Forrest on a small Island in Indonesia. Do you know of s similar guide for tropical plants?
I’m unfamiliar with any tropical plant companion planting tables, but considering the large number of useful native plants there, you can observe which plants and trees grow well amongst others an replicate what works in the natural environment there.
Can you add okra to the list please.
Would you ever grow nasturtiums up an apple tree – also would nasturtiums be compatible with pear or plums?
Cheers
I would grow the nasturtiums under an apple tree, but keep the trunk clear. They work fine under pears and plums too, as they draw aphids away from the trees, but I tend to use tansy under those, just for a bit of variety, and because tansy is a pest repellent and also a nectar source for bees and beneficial insects.
I’m in a very dry and hot area and have planted a batch of young fruit trees (citrus, peach, plum, apple, pear, cherry, apricot). To shade the soil around the trunk of those trees, what ground covers would be best that don’t compete with the young tree itself? Could I use plants like comfrey near the roots of the young tree in order to also help with the bringing of nutrients at this stage of the life of the trees?
Cheers
In hot, dry areas, shallow-rooted, heat-tolerant plants such as Mediterranean herbs would do well, ones like thyme, oregano, and marjoram. I would plant comfrey further away from the trees, you want it between trees or on the outside of their canopy drip-line, so when the leaves die down in winter, they deposit the nutrients near the roots of the tree.
Thanks Angelo!
Hi! Thanks for this chart. I’m just wondering, in one section you write that potatoes and strawberry go well together, but in another chart that they do not? Thanks!
Thanks for your comment, I tried finding the discrepancy you mention but I can’t seem to locate it in the companion planting table.
Potatoes
Good companions: Peas, Beans, Cabbage, Sweetcorn, Broad Beans, Green Beans, Nasturtiums, Marigolds, Foxgloves, Horse Radish, Egg Plant
Bad companions: Apples, Cherries, Cucumbers (with any but early crops), Pumpkins, Sunflowers, Tomatoes, Raspberries, Rosemary
There is no mention of strawberries in this listing.
Strawberries
Good companions: Borage, Lettuce, Spinach, Sage, Pyrethrum
Bad companions: Cabbages, Cauliflowers, Brussels Sprouts, Gladioli, Tomatoes, Broccoli, Garlic
There is no mention of potatoes in this listing.
It looks like I don’t mention anywhere whether potatoes and strawberry go well together. To answer that question, you wouldn’t plant potatoes near strawberries because potatoes are root crops, and when it’s time to harvest them, they have to be dug out from the ground each year, which would cause massive root disturbance fro the shallow rooted strawberries which remain productive for 2-3 years before they lose their vigour and need to be replaced.
Hope this helps! 🙂
What is a companion plant for a pistachio tree?
Since pistachio nut trees require very hot summers (more than 600 hours above 30 degrees Celsius or 86 degrees Fahrenheit) you would be best to underplant them with drought-tolerant Mediterranean culinary herbs which can cope with the hot, dry conditions. Companion plants such as tansy might also work if they’re planted on the east side of the trees so they’re not subjected to hot afternoon sun.