Find out which vegetables should and shouldn’t be planted together with our companion planting chart. Our chart covers 10 of the most popular vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and more!
How Does Companion Planting Work?
Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants alongside each other in order to reap the benefits of their complementary characteristics, such as their nutrient requirements, growth habits, or pest-repelling abilities.
A classic example of companion planting is the Three Sisters trio—maize, climbing beans, and winter squash—which were commonly planted together by various Native American communities due to the plants’ complementary natures: the corn grows tall, supporting the climbing beans; the squash stays low, shading the area with its big, prickly leaves to discourage weeds and pests; and the fast-growing beans provide a supply of nitrogen.
Growth habit isn’t the only characteristic to consider when companion planting—it’s also important to be aware of the nutrient needs of plants. Growing plants that require the same primary nutrients together means that they will be competing for resources, which can slow down growth for all. For this reason, it’s usually best to grow plants with complementary nutrient needs together.
Finally, companion plants help each other out when it comes to preventing damage from pests. The strong scents of plants like lavender, rosemary, and mint, for example, can discourage grazing animals from snacking on nearby vegetables, and nasturtiums, which are a favorite of aphids, can be used as bait plants to keep the pests off of your main crops.
Read our full article about companion planting to understand all the benefits!
Companion Planting Chart
Consult the chart below to see which vegetables make the best companions—and which don’t! We’d suggest separating foes and friends on opposite sides of the garden, or at least 4 feet away.
| CROP NAME | FRIENDS | FOES |
|---|---|---|
| BEANS | Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celery Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Peas Potatoes Radishes Squash Strawberries Summer savory Tomatoes |
Garlic Onions Peppers Sunflowers |
| CABBAGE |
Beans |
Broccoli Cauliflower Strawberries Tomatoes |
| CARROTS | Beans Lettuce Onions Peas Radishes Rosemary Sage Tomatoes |
Anise Dill Parsley |
| CORN | Beans Cucumbers Lettuce Melons Peas Potatoes Squash Sunflowers |
Tomatoes |
| CUCUMBERS | Beans Cabbage Cauliflower Corn Lettuce Peas Radishes Sunflowers |
Aromatic herbs Melons Potatoes |
| LETTUCE | Asparagus Beets Brussels sprouts Cabbage Carrots Corn Cucumbers Eggplant Onions Peas Potatoes Radishes Spinach Strawberries Sunflowers Tomatoes |
Broccoli |
| ONIONS | Beets Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Lettuce Peppers Potatoes Spinach Tomatoes |
Beans Peas Sage |
| PEPPERS | Basil Coriander Onions Spinach Tomatoes |
Beans Kohlrabi |
| RADISHES | Basil Coriander Onions Spinach Tomatoes |
Kohlrabi |
| TOMATOES | Asparagus Basil Beans Borage Carrots Celery Dill Lettuce Melons Mint Onions Parsley Peppers Radishes Spinach Thyme |
Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Corn Kale Potatoes |
Learn More
Watch our video on Companion Planting: Why Vegetables Need Friends!
Just getting started with gardening or need a refresher course? Check out our Vegetable Gardening for Beginners how-to page.
Need plant-specific growing advice? Read through our many Growing Guides for vegetables, fruit, flowers, and herbs.
Have you tried companion planting? What’s your go-to pairing? Tell us in the comments below!
