by Catherine Haug
Sally Janover introduced us to this topic during her January presentation on Container Gardening. Michelle Lomando-Patterson (St Patrick’s Community Garden project) shared with me some information on companion planting which I have transcribed below (sorry, I don’t know her sources).
See also:
- Tinker’s Gardens: Vegetable Companion Planting Chart
- Cass County Extension: Companion Planting
From a printed source at the Whitefish Community Garden:
“If you have a patio, you might try mint to repel ants, and basil to keep the flies and mosquitos away. Both herbs have pretty flowers and are fragrant too. Besides, they’re nice to harvest and use in the kitchen.
Sometimes plants are one sided. Carrots are said to help beans, but beans don’t reciprocate. Though beans will help nearby cucumbers.
Other plants have bad companions and you’ll be doing them a favor to keep them apart. Beans and onions are natural enemies, so keep them at opposite sides of the garden.”
Asparagus: Companion with tomato.
Beans: They like celery and cucumbers but dislike onions and fennel
Bush green beans: They like potato, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage; they dislike onions, garlic and glads.
Beets: Like bush beans, lettuce, onions, kohlrabi and most members of the cabbage family (keep pole beans and mustard away from beets).
Broccoli: Like potatoes, beets, onions; dislike tomatoes, strawberries.
Cabbage: Celery, dill, onions and potatoes are good companion plants. They dislike strawberries, tomatoes and pole beans.
Carrots: Leaf lettuce, peas, radish, onions, tomatoes and sage are their friends; plant dill at the opposite end of the garden.
Corn: Pumpkins, squash, peas, beans, cucumbers and potatoes are nice companions; keep the tomatoes away from them.
Cucumbers: They like corn, peas, radishes, beans and sunflowers. The dislike aromatic herbs and potatoes, so keep them away.
Lettuce: Grows especially well with onions. Strawberries, carrots, radishes and cucumbers are also good companions.
Onions: Plant near lettuce, beets, strawberries, lettuce and tomatoes, but keep away from peas and beans.
Peas: Carrots, cucumbers, corn, turnips, radishes, beans, potatoes and aromatic herbs are their friends. Keep peas away from onions, garlic, leek and shallots.
Potato: Likes beans, corn, cabbage; dislike pumpkins.
Radishes: One veggie that has a lot of friends! Excellent companion with beets, carrots, spinach and parsnips. Also cucumbers and beans. It’s said that summer planting near leaf lettce makes the radishes more tender. Avoid planting near cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi or turnips.
Squash: Icicle radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sunflowers, corn and raspberries are among their friends.
Tomatoes: Carrots, onion, nasturtiums and parsley are good companion plants. Keep cabbage and cauliflower away.
Turnips: Likes peas and onions; dislikes potatoes, mustard and radish.