Companion Planting Guide

Plant

Companion Plantings

Function of the Companion Plantings

Foes

Apple

Nasturtium

Climbs tree and repels codling moth.

Asparagus

Tomatoes, Parsley, Basil

Balm

Tomatoes

Improves growth and flavor - attracts bees

Basil

Tomatoes

Helps repel flies and mosquitoes

Rue

Beans

Potatoes Carrots, Cucumber, cauliflower, summer savory, most other vegetables and herbs.

Onions Garlic Gladiolus

Beetroot

Onions, Lettuce, Cabbage, Silver beet, Kohlrabi

Birch

Dead leaves encourage compost fermentation.

Borage

Tomatoes, squash and strawberries

Deters tomato worm, improves growth and flavor and in the strawberry patch will increase the yield.

Brassica’s Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli

Aromatic plants, sage, dill, camomile, beets, peppermint, rosemary, Beans, Celery, Onions, Potatoes, dwarf zinnias.

Dill attracts a wasp to control cabbage moth. Zinnias attract lady bugs to protect plants.

Strawberries, Tomatoes

Broad beans

Potatoes, Peas, Beans

Caraway

Helps breakdown heavy soils.

Carrots

Lettuce, Peas, Leeks, Chives, Onions, Cucumbers, Beans, tomatoes, wormwood, sage, rosemary

Dill in flower and being stored with apples

Catnip

Repels fleas, ants and rodents.

Cauliflower

Celery

Celery & Celeriac

Chives, Leeks, Tomatoes, Dwarf Beans, Brassica’s

Celery & Celeriac

Chives, Leeks, Tomatoes, Dwarf Beans

Chamomile

Cabbages and onions

Deters flies and mosquitoes and gives strength to any plant growing nearby.

Chives

Carrots

Grown beneath apple trees will help to prevent apple scab; beneath roses will keep away aphids and blackspot. Deters aphids on lettuce and peas. Spray will deter downy and powdery mildew on gooseberries and cucumbers.

Peas, beans

Citrus

Bracken Fern grape vines

Repels stink beetles

Comfrey

Avocados and most fruit trees

Garden edging, compost activator, medicinal, foliage spray, nutrient miner, essential to all gardens.

Cucumbers

Beans, corn, peas, radish, sunflowers

Potatoes, aromatic herbs

Dill

Brassica’s

Dill attracts predator wasp for cabbage moth.

Elderberry

A general insecticide can be made from the leaves and used against aphids. When placed in a compost, the decomposition of the elderberry encourages compost fermentation, the flowers and berries make lovely wine!

Fennel

(not F. vulgare or F.officionale) Repels flies, fleas and ants

Most plants dislike it

French Marigold

Tomatoes

Root secretions kill nematodes in the soil. Will repel white fly amongst tomatoes.

Fruit trees

Nettles, garlic, chives, tansy, southernwood and horseradish

Garlic.

Roses, raspberry

Helps keep aphids away from roses and raspberries, repels cabbage butterfly

Peas and beans

Geranium

Strong aroma - deters insects and encourages bees

Grapes

Hyssop, tansy and sage

Hyssop

Cabbage, grapes

Attracts cabbage white moth keeping Brassica’s free from infestation.

Radishes

Leek

Onion, celery, carrot

Lettuce

tall flowers, carrots, radish, onion family

Flowers offer light shade for lettuce

Marigolds

Tomatoes, most vegetables

Kills couch, nematodes and eel worm

Melon

Radish

Mint

Cabbage, tomatoes

Deters white cabbage moth, deters ants and fleas (especially spearmint), will deter clothes moths.

Nasturtium

Radishes, cabbages, zucchini cucurbits, fruit trees

Secrete a mustard oil, which many insects find attractive and will seek out, particularly the cabbage white moth. The flowers repel aphids and the cucumber beetle. The climbing variety grown up apple trees will repel codling moth.

Nettle

Beneficial anywhere, increases aroma and pungency of other herbs

Onion and garlic

Beets, summer savoury, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, camomile

Parsley

Tomato, asparagus, roses

Deters rose beetle, improves tomato and asparagus.

Peas

Carrots, turnips, corn, beans, radishes, cucumbers, most vegetables and herbs

Onions, garlic gladiolas, potatoes

Potato

Beans, cabbage, marigold, horseradish (plant at corners of patch) eggplant, sweet alyssum.

Alyssum attracts beneficial wasps and acts as a living ground cover

Pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sunflower, tomato, raspberry

Pumpkin

Corn

Potato

Pyrethrum

Will repel bugs if grown around the vegetable garden.

Radish

Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers, spinach

Radish attracts leaf minor away from spinach

Raspberry

Most vegetables

Blackberries, tomatoes, potato

Rosemary

Cabbage, beans, carrots, sage

Deters cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot fly

Roses

Garlic, chives, parsley, mignonette lettuce.

Rue (Rutus, not Peganum)

Keeps cats and dogs off garden beds if planted round the borders.

Sage

Rosemary, cabbage and carrots

Deters cabbage moth and carrot fly

Cucumbers

Spinach

Strawberries

Squash

Nasturtium Corn

Strawberries

Bush bean, spinach, borage, lettuce

Cabbage

Sunflower

Cucumbers

Potato

Sweet Corn

Potatoes, Peas, Beans, cucumbers, pumpkin, squash

Corn acts as a trellis for beans and beans attract predators of corn pests.

Tansy

Fruit trees, roses and raspberries

Repels moths, flies and ants. Plant beneath peach trees to repel harmful flying insects. Tansy leaves assist compost fermentation.

Thyme

Here and there in the garden

Protects cabbages, improves growth and flavor of vegetables, general insect repellent.

Tomatoes

Asparagus, Parsley, Chives, onion, Broccoli, Sweet Basil, marigold, carrots, parsley.

Kohlrabi, potato, fennel, cabbage

Turnip

Peas, nasturtium, lettuce, cucumbers

Yarrow

Near aromatic herbs and vegetables

Plant along borders and paths. Enhances essential oil production and flavor