Companion Planting Guide With Charts
Companion Planting Guide With Charts
Companion Planting Guide With Charts
PLANTING
GUIDE
7 POPULAR
FOODS TO GROW
With detailed information on
their best companion plants.
PLANTING CHARTS
TOGETHER!
#organicbuildslife
CONTENT
3
Companion Planting
5
Tomato Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
11
Carrot Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
16
Zucchini Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
21
Potato Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
25
Onion Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
30
Herb Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
35
19
Strawberry Companion Plants
Chart, detailed description on plant
benefits, and planting resources.
www.kellogggarden.com 2/44
Organic Gardening:
Companion Planting
Give your plants the best possible environment to grow by
implementing companion planting in your vegetable garden. Companion
planting is an excellent way to improve the health and fruitfulness of your
plants. Planting compatible plants near each other is mutually beneficial for
your crops, as they can reap the rewards from each other’s attributes.
Discerning what works well together and learning about the ways that
individual plants can bolster others can significantly improve the productivity in
your organic garden.
www.kellogggarden.com 3/44
Organic Gardening:
Overall Garden Care
There are endless benefits to companion planting. It is important to note that
companion planting does not replace the need for proper garden preparation
and maintenance. Any successful garden thrives best with regular watering,
regular feeding, essential light requirements, and nutrient-rich soil.
Remember that healthy soil means healthy roots for your plants, so it’s best to
put the time in to amend the soil in your garden before planting your
companion garden to give it the best beginning. Raised bed mixes are available
at your local garden center, which can be used to quickly fill your raised beds
with the essential organic soil formula.
You can utilize your knowledge of companion planting in any garden method.
Container gardening, backyard gardens, and raised beds are all ideal locations to
implement this practice. The more you learn about what works well together,
the more fun that you will have working to get the very best out of your overall
garden.
www.kellogggarden.com 4/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
Onion 100 - 120 4 - 6 in. 3/4 in. 50° F. DS After last frost
Borage Annual, Biennial Seed, Cuttings 12 in. 60° F. DS After last frost
RESOURCES
Plant several plants of basil around the base of your tomato plants. Not only
does this delicious and fragrant herb naturally repel destructive pests like
aphids, hornworms, and spider mites, but basil will actually enhance the flavor
of your juicy tomato crop.
Beans
Beans make a great companion plant for tomatoes because they can climb up
the tomato plant stalk. Beans also release nitrogen back into the soil as they
grow. This is ideal because tomato plants are heavy feeders of nitrogen, and the
bean plants act as a natural fertilizer in the garden.
Carrots
Carrots grow deep into the soil, and as they grow, they can break up the soil,
allowing essential nutrients, water, and oxygen to permeate the roots of the
tomato plants.
www.kellogggarden.com 6/44
Organic Gardening:
Best Tomato Companion Plants
Onions
Peppers
Tomatoes and peppers are really like sister plants in the garden. Intermixing
these two high yielding producers in your vegetable garden eases your
gardening work because they have very similar requirements for light, water,
fertilization, and pest control.
Celery
The loose root system of celery plants encourages earthworms and other
beneficial insects to permeate the garden soil around the roots of your tomato
plants. Consequently, the worms release nutrients back into the soil as they
thrive in the garden, which improves the overall health of the soil in your
tomato garden.
www.kellogggarden.com 7/44
Organic Gardening:
Best Tomato Companion Plants
Leaf Lettuce
Plant lettuce varieties in the vacant spots in your garden bed. The shade-loving
plants will enjoy the cover that tall tomato plant provide and the low growing
lettuce will act as a living mulch, protecting the soil from erosion, nutrient
depletion, and regulate soil moisture.
Root Vegetables
A wide variety of root vegetables make ideal tomato companion plants because
they rely heavily on phosphorous to develop strong root systems. With tomato
plants feeding heavily on nitrogen from the garden soil, the root vegetables can
focus more on root development than on greenery. Root vegetables coexist
well in the garden together because they do not compete with each other for
soil nutrients.
Parsley
www.kellogggarden.com 8/44
Organic Gardening:
Best Tomato Companion Plants
Borage
Plant some borage as a tomato companion plant in your garden to bolster the
overall health of your garden which, like basil, can add superior flavor quality to
your ripened tomatoes. As an added bonus, borage is an organic repellant of
hornworms and cabbage worms.
Marigolds
Scatter vibrant marigolds in your vegetable garden. Not only do they add color
and cheer, but they can counteract root rot on tomato vines caused by
destructive nematodes, tomato worms, and slugs.
www.kellogggarden.com 9/44
Organic Gardening:
Plants to Avoid in a Tomato Garden
As important as it is to know what plants work cohesively in a vegetable
garden, it is equally important to understand what plants do not make good
tomato companion plants.
Tomatoes just do not work well with all crops, and a poor combination might
diminish your yield and affect the health of your tomatoes.
Avoid this short list of plants that can bestow adverse effects on your hard-
earned tomato crop.
Cabbage and members of the Cabbage family of plants can inhibit the growth
of tomato plants.
Fennel
This tricky plant releases a substance from its root system that impeded the
growth of tomatoes and many other plants. It’s best to plant this plant in a pot
instead of placing them in a companion bed with other crops.
Corn
www.kellogggarden.com 10/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
Onion 100 - 120 4 - 6 in. 3/4 in. 50° F. DS After last frost
RESOURCES
Leeks
Leeks release an odor that helps to repel carrot flies. Carrot flies are a nemesis
of carrot plants. They lay their eggs on carrot leaves, and the eggs hatch into
larvae that feed on carrots.
Flax
Flax plants produce an oil that has been said to protect root vegetables such as
carrots from some harmful garden pests.
Onion
Rosemary is an herb that also has a strong scent. This aromatic plant can mask
the smell of carrots in the garden and make it harder for carrot flies to find
carrot plants to lay their eggs on.
Sage
Sage is another one of those herbs that emits a strong odor and has also been
successful in masking the sweet scent of carrots in the garden, making it more
difficult for carrot flies to find carrot plants.
Chives
Chives are a herb that does double the work of most companion plants. Not
only can growing chives in close proximity to your carrots improve their flavor,
but they also shield carrots from unwanted destructive pests.
www.kellogggarden.com 13/44
Organic Gardening:
More Companion Plants for Carrots
Lettuce and Other Salad Greens
Lettuce and other leafy greens can help to loosen the soil, forging a path for its
companion plant, carrots. Carrots and lettuce can also thrive in similar cool-
weather times of the year, making these garden partners perfect for harvesting
salads.
Tomatoes
There is some debate about whether tomato plants help or hurt the carrot plant
when planted together in the garden bed. While it is true that tomatoes may
release high amounts of nitrogen into the soil and can potentially stunt the
growth of carrots, it can also be said that they also can make friendly
neighbors. Tomato plants are tall growing plants that can protect lower
growing, cool growing, carrots from the intense heat of the summer sun.
Tomato plants have also been known to enhance the flavor of carrots. Lastly,
they release a natural substance called solanine that may target pests that
afflict their carrot neighbors.
Conversely, carrots give back to their neighboring tomato plants by aerating the
garden soil around tomato plant roots. This assists the plant in moisture and
nutrient absorption, leading to more vigorous plants and more productive
yields.
www.kellogggarden.com 14/44
Organic Gardening:
Plants to Avoid in your Carrot Bed
Just as some plants make great companions in the garden, some plants are not
the best of friends in the garden. Luckily for carrots, there are only a few that
don’t make the cut when it comes to companion plants.
Unfortunately, dill and cilantro produce certain compounds that can harm your
carrot plants, so it is best to avoid them in the garden.
Parsnips
When it comes to parsnips, they attract similar pests and diseases that carrots
do. It is best to separate these crops to protect your carrots from an infestation
of these garden pests.
www.kellogggarden.com 15/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
Borage Annual, Biennial Seed, Division 12 in. 60° F. DS After last frost
RESOURCES
Borage is an herb that works double duty as zucchini companion plants in the
garden. Not only does borage repel voracious insects, but it also attracts
beneficial bugs and honeybees to pollinate your zucchini flowers.
Beans
Bush beans work well to repel garden beetles and other pests that bore into
zucchini plants and vines. Beans also release beneficial nitrogen back into the
soil as they grow, which feeds nearby zucchini and boosts their fruit
production.
Radishes
Radishes make a great companion to zucchini because they deter squash vine
borers and beetles from making their way into the zucchini patch. These
destructive pests will quickly cause demise in your crop if not kept at bay.
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Organic Gardening:
Best Zucchini Companion Plants
Garlic
Garlic dissuades damaging aphids from the garden area, which have been
known to wreak havoc on zucchini and their leaves.
Parsley
Parsley is a fragrant herb that works to deter pests that tend to plague the
zucchini garden.
Spinach
Spinach and zucchini are mutually beneficial to each other. Zucchini provides
protection and shade from the heat of summer, and zucchini reaps the benefits
of the nutrients that spinach releases back into the soil.
www.kellogggarden.com 18/44
Organic Gardening:
Best Zucchini Companion Plants
Peas
Peas, much like bean plants, release beneficial nitrogen back into the soil, which
helps zucchini grow because they are heavy feeders. This exchange helps to
counteract soil depletion.
Corn
Mint
Mint can drive away tiny aphids that feed on zucchini and other veggies.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are a colorful and vibrant addition to any garden, and they attract
beneficial pollinators to the garden. The nasturtium plant is adored by the
highly destructive pest, the aphid. Through smart companion planting, you can
purposefully use the nasturtium plant as a host and sacrifice them to help
protect nearby plants that are bothered by aphids..
www.kellogggarden.com 19/44
Organic Gardening:
Poor Zucchini Companion Plants
Pumpkins
Pumpkins and squash are from the same family and can cross-pollinate with
each other, resulting in poorly formed fruit.
Potatoes
It is not a good idea to plant potatoes with zucchini plants because both plants
are prone to the same garden pests, and interplanting them makes them more
susceptible to infestation. In addition, potatoes are heavy feeders that can
deplete large amounts of nutrients from the soil..
www.kellogggarden.com 20/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
RESOURCES
BEST AND EASIEST WAYS TO PLANT HOW AND WHEN TO TEST YOUR SOIL
CORN PH
Potatoes are deep-rooting plants, thus many gardeners prefer to pair them with
plants that will not interfere with their root system. Excellent choices in that
vein would include:
Spinach Basil
Lettuce Parsley
Other plants to include on this list are those that are believed to enhance the
flavor profile of the potatoes such as:
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Organic Gardening:
Best Potato Companion Plants
And still, other plants are considered good neighbors because they help to
increase the nitrogen level of the soil, aiding in the success of the potato crop.
Plants that fit this description include:
Beans Legumes
While potatoes do not generally like to compete with other root crops,
horseradish is actually considered an excellent companion plant for potatoes.
Because it is a natural pest and disease repellent, horseradish aids in
maintaining a healthy potato crop as well as lending a helping hand with soil
pH.
www.kellogggarden.com 23/44
Organic Gardening:
Best Herb & Flower Potato
Companion Plants
While basil and parsley already made the list previously, several other flowers
and herbs make the cut when it comes to companion planting for potatoes.
Often, a variety of nearby herbs and flowers attract helpful bugs and repel
harmful ones (isn’t Mother Nature brilliant in that way!). The best flower and
herb options near potatoes are:
Chamomile Thyme
Marigold Petunias
Coriander Nasturtium
Catnip
Not only will these companion flowers and herbs aid in a healthy and bountiful
potato crop, they will add visual appeal and several savory herb options to your
garden.
www.kellogggarden.com 24/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
RESOURCES
BEST WAYS TO PLANT ONION BULBS USING FABRIC GROW BAGS FOR
AND SETS CONTAINER GARDENING
Kale Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts Cabbage
Each of these options, or all of them, are perfect companions for onions. Similar
to onions, these vegetables prefer being rotated each year. Plants in the
cabbage family do their best work in similar soil conditions as onions. Most
cruciferous plants prefer sunny garden spots with well-drained soil, just like
onions. They also benefit from a quality organic nitrogen rich fertilizer.
www.kellogggarden.com 26/44
Organic Gardening:
Companion Plants to Deter Pests
If you begin to notice these visible above ground pests, consider spraying your
plants with a natural and organic pest repellent. These can be found at almost
any garden supply store, but they are also easy to make in your own kitchen.
Spraying your plants with a homemade mixture of emulsified garlic, onion and
water can drastically reduce the invasion of many garden pests. Others are
faithful to a simple combination of two tablespoons of hot pepper flakes
steeped in one cup of water in a spray bottle.
Whatever method of pest repellent you subscribe to, always approach your
applications with the mantra “less is more” as you can easily burn (similar to a
chemical burn) your plants, especially the more delicate leaf plants.
www.kellogggarden.com 27/44
Organic Gardening:
Herb Companion Plants
Another consideration for excellent onion partnerships are herbs. Adding herbs
to any garden elevates neighboring plants. When it comes to onions, the list of
herbs that play nicely next door is certainly more extensive than those that
don’t.
Chives are also not advised near onions. Chives are close relatives of the
onion/garlic family and for the same reasons other members of the family aren’t
good neighbors, chives fall into that category as well.
That said, there are many popular and easy to grow herbs that thrive with
onions.
Dill Parsley
Savory Chamomile
(yes, those delicate, sweet chamomile flowers love living with onions!) are all
excellent choices for your onion beds.)
www.kellogggarden.com 28/44
Organic Gardening:
Plants that will not Thrive with
Onions
As a natural pest deterrent, onions have a fairly long list of good companion
plants. In fact, it may be better to first consider those plants that will not thrive
near onions, or in the reverse, will impact an onion’s success.
Overall, onions are very good neighbors, however other onion plants such
as leeks, garlic and shallots can attract onion maggots.
Onion maggots travel easily from plant to plant, so planting these like species in
near proximity can give these pesky pests a multi-lane highway throughout
your onion patch.
Additionally, most varieties of peas and beans can be harmful when planted in
close proximity to onions.
Lastly, it is wise to avoid sage and asparagus for the same reasons.
www.kellogggarden.com 29/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
POTTED HERB COMPANION PLANTS
Chives Annual, Perennial Seed, Division 18 in. 60° F. DS or TP After last frost
RESOURCES
Before you have trails of thyme taking over your kitchen and choking out the
delicate dill it is potted with, consider some of these points and tips as you plan
your potted herbs.
For the majority, a layer of rock or other drainage material in the bottom of
your pot before topping it with a quality organic potting soil is essential to
maintain optimal moisture levels. Those that love moisture won’t like being
planted with dry loving herbs.
Herbs, especially the culinary ones we are most likely to plant, are sun lovers. If
you plan to place your pots on a shady back deck, your outcome won’t be as
successful as full sun exposure. Likewise, if you are planting your potted herbs
indoors, look for your most sun-drenched window areas.
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Organic Gardening:
Potted Herb Companion Plants
Herbs that tend to prefer moist soil over arid are:
Basil Chives
Parsley Cilantro
Catnip Lemon Balm
Chervil Mint
Thyme Caraway
Sage Rosemary
Savory Marjoram
Hyssop Oregano
Curry
Taking into consideration the size of your containers, planting two to five
varieties in the same container can not only lead to wonderful, fresh, ready to
use herbs for cooking, but can also add a beautiful aesthetic to your home or
planter garden.
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Organic Gardening:
Potted Herb Companion Plants
When thinking about herb pairings, you will want to plant herbs together that
not only have the same soil requirements, but that also tend to vary in height.
In other words, plant herbs that grow taller with those that tend to bush out a
bit and/or trailing herbs.
Really, the pairings largely depend on what you want to grow and the soil
content. The sky is the limit once you know what you want and will use.
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Organic Gardening:
Potted Herb Companion Plants
Most Mint varieties have a tendency to take over a pot, and therefor may do
best potted alone.
Harvesting your potted herbs only as you need them will help your herbs
continue to grow. Think of it like pruning. As you cut what you need, new
growth ensues. If you begin to notice one herb choking out its neighbors, cut
the overzealous herb back by at least half in order to prevent a takeover.
Potted herbs can last through more than one season if properly cared for. In
warmer climates, many potted herbs will last outdoors year round, as several
are somewhat frost tolerant. If grown indoors, many varieties can last for two
years or more, depending on care.
www.kellogggarden.com 34/44
COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
Onion 100 - 120 4 - 6 in. 3/4 in. 50° F. DS After last frost
Borage Annual, Biennial Seed, Division 12 in. 60° F. DS After last frost
Chives Annual, Perennial Seed, Division 18 in. 60° F. DS or TP After last frost
RESOURCES
Strawberries can also help other plants through companion planting. The low-
lying spread of strawberry plants makes them an optimal as a ground cover to
control weeds around plants like rhubarb, asparagus, and horseradish.
www.kellogggarden.com 36/44
Organic Gardening:
Strawberry Companion Plants
Here is a robust list of plants that will offer some pest protection for your
strawberry plants and help you grow a hardy bumper crop of strawberries.
Plant these garden friends alongside strawberry plants and enjoy the
extraordinary benefits of companion planting.
Asparagus
Bush Beans
Bush beans work well to repel garden beetles and other pests that feed on
strawberry plants. Beans also release beneficial nitrogen back into the soil as
they grow, which feeds nearby strawberries and boosts their fruit production.
www.kellogggarden.com 37/44
Organic Gardening:
Strawberry Companion Plants
Borage
Borage is an herb that works double duty for strawberries in the garden bed.
Not only does borage repel damaging insects, but it also attracts beneficial
insects and pollinators to the strawberry patch.
Caraway
Caraway attracts insects that feed on pests that can cause significant damage
to strawberries. Such insects included parasitic flies and wasps that will protect
strawberries from fruit seeking pests like aphids and mites.
Catnip
Catnip deters damaging insects such as aphids and mites from destroying the
leaves of strawberry plants. Strawberry plants are particularly prone to
attracting both of these garden pests.
Chives
Chives are an herb that does double the work of most companion plants. Not
only can growing chives close to your strawberries improve their flavor, but
they also shield your plump red berries from unwanted destructive pests.
www.kellogggarden.com 38/44
Organic Gardening:
Strawberry Companion Plants
Yarrow
Yarrow attracts beneficial pollinators to your garden, which can boost the yield
of your strawberries.
Onions
Sage
Sage is another one of those herbs that emit a strong odor and has also been
successful in masking the sweet scent of your strawberries in the garden,
making it more difficult for destructive pests to find your berry plant.
Spinach
Thyme
Thyme is a scented herb that repels certain varieties of parasitic worms that
seek to destroy strawberry plants.
www.kellogggarden.com 39/44
Organic Gardening:
Plants to Avoid in the Strawberry Patch
Unfortunately, some plants are not meant to be interplanted and can cause the
demise of your strawberries if they are used as companions. In this case,
strawberry plants are prone to a disease called verticillium.
Plants like tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, melons, peppers, roses, mint, and
okra may actually contribute to this deadly disease in strawberry plants.
It is essential to note that strawberries should not even be planted in beds that
have recently housed those plants on this list.
Strawberries are also not the best companions for plants that are in the
cabbage family. Not only are they not good neighbors, but they are destructive
neighbors, as they hamper the growth of cabbage family members.
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COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
LETTUCE SPINACH
BEANS PEAS
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COMPANION PLANTING GUIDE
BROCCOLI CAULIFLOWER
CUCUMBER CORN
SQUASH MELON
Avoid: Broccoli,
Cauliflower
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YADSRUHT /YADSENDEW YADNUS
YADSEUT / YADNOM YADRUTAS
YADIRF
SOD-OT YLKEEW
Kellogg Garden Organics
Kellogg Garden Products, family-owned and operated since its establishment in 1925
by our founder, H. Clay Kellogg, now spans four generations. The company continues
its success as a steadfast business, guided by Mr. Kellogg’s original core values:
innovation, loyalty, experience, commitment, and generosity.
These values have led our company to seek the highest level of organic rigor in all its
branded products.
In 2012, Kellogg Garden Products committed to strictly follow the USDA’s National
Organic Program (NOP) guidelines for manufacturing all Kellogg Garden Organics
and G&B Organics branded soils and fertilizers.
Every ingredient and every process used to produce our branded products has been
verified 100% compliant as organic, all the way back to the source, meeting all
federal guidelines.
All our branded products are approved by
the California Department of Food and
Agriculture’s stringent Organic Input
Materials (OIM) program, as well as the
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI)
— the leading independent review agency
accredited by the USDA NOP.