Companion Planting Guide: The Best & Worst Pairings for Your Crops
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Companion planting is one of those timeless gardening techniques that sounds simple—but has big rewards when done right. Whether you’re growing veggies, herbs, or flowers, the plants you grow next to each other matter. Some combinations help each other thrive, while others can hinder growth or attract pests.
In this guide, we’ll explore what companion planting is, why it works, and give you a solid list of great pairings—and ones to avoid—so you can plan your garden for maximum health, productivity, and flavour.
🌿 What Is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is the practice of growing different crops together that benefit one another—either by repelling pests, attracting beneficial insects, improving soil health, or enhancing growth and flavour.
It’s based on the idea that plants, like people, have friends and foes. Some provide nutrients, shade, or structural support, while others may compete for resources or invite destructive bugs to the party.
Think of it as natural teamwork in your garden.
🌼 Why Use Companion Planting?
✅ Natural pest control
✅ Better use of space
✅ Improved crop yield and health
✅ Enhanced flavour and aroma
✅ Reduced need for synthetic fertilizers or sprays
Companion planting is a core principle in permaculture and organic gardening, making it ideal for food-foresters, homesteaders, and anyone looking to work with nature instead of against it.
🌱 The Best Companion Plant Pairings
Here’s a list of tried-and-tested beneficial combinations you can use in your garden:
🥕 Carrots & Onions
These two are a classic combo. The smell of onions repels carrot flies, while carrots don’t compete much with onions underground.
🍅 Tomatoes & Basil
Not only do they taste amazing together, but basil can repel aphids, whiteflies, and hornworms—protecting your precious tomatoes. (Want more on this pair? Check out our [YouTube video] for a deeper look!)
🌽 Corn, Beans & Squash (Three Sisters Method)
Beans fix nitrogen into the soil, corn provides a natural trellis, and squash shades the ground to prevent weeds. A brilliant mutually beneficial trio.
🥬 Cabbage & Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums act as a trap crop—attracting aphids, cabbage worms, and other pests away from your brassicas.
🥔 Potatoes & Horseradish
Horseradish planted at the corners of your potato bed can repel pests like the Colorado potato beetle.
🚫 Companion Plant Pairings to Avoid
Some plants just don’t get along. Whether it’s chemical warfare (allelopathy) or competition for nutrients, water, or sunlight—avoid these bad neighbours:
🌽 Corn & Tomatoes
Both are heavy feeders and attract similar pests (like corn earworms and tomato fruit worms). Too much competition, too many problems.
🧅 Onions & Beans/Peas
Onions (and other alliums) can stunt the growth of beans and peas by affecting their nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
🍓 Strawberries & Cabbage Family
Brassicas and strawberries can compete for root space and increase pest risk.
🌻 Sunflowers & Potatoes
Sunflowers exude chemicals that can inhibit the growth of potatoes. (But paired with cucumbers? That’s a story we explore in our latest — give it a watch!)
📝 Final Tips for Successful Companion Planting
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Observe your space – Sunlight, wind, and soil matter.
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Don’t overcrowd – Good air flow is still important.
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Rotate crops annually to prevent pest build-up.
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Keep a garden journal – Note what combinations worked (or didn’t) year after year.
🌻 Companion planting is part science, part art, and part garden intuition. When you take time to understand what your plants like (and don’t), you create a system that’s more resilient, beautiful, and productive.
Got a favourite pairing that’s worked wonders for you? Drop it in the comments!
Happy planting! 🌿