Why Companion Planting Matters
Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants together for mutual benefit. Some plants repel pests, improve soil, provide shade, or attract pollinators that help neighboring plants. Others compete for resources or attract pests that harm each other.
Use the interactive matrix below to plan your garden beds. Click any cell to see details about why plants are good or bad companions.
How to Read the Chart
Companion Planting Matrix
Scroll horizontally to see all plants. Click any colored cell for details.
| Tomato | Pepper | Potato | Green Beans | Peas | Broccoli | Cauliflower | Kale | Radish | Cucumber | Squash | Zucchini | Pumpkin | Watermelon | Cantaloupe | Onion | Garlic | Green Onions | Carrot | Beet | Sweet Potato | Lettuce | Spinach | Basil | Cilantro | Parsley | Dill | Oregano | Corn | French Marigold | Nasturtium | Borage | Calendula | Zinnia | Cosmos | Sunflower | Sweet Alyssum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | • | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||
| Pepper | ✓ | • | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||
| Potato | ✗ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Green Beans | ✗ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||
| Peas | ✗ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Broccoli | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cauliflower | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kale | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radish | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cucumber | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Squash | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | • | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Zucchini | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | • | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Pumpkin | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Watermelon | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cantaloupe | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Onion | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Garlic | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Green Onions | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carrot | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||
| Beet | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweet Potato | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | • | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lettuce | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||
| Spinach | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Basil | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cilantro | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parsley | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dill | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregano | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corn | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Marigold | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nasturtium | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Borage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calendula | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zinnia | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cosmos | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunflower | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweet Alyssum | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | • |
Click a cell to see companion details
Select any colored cell in the matrix above to learn why plants are good or bad companions.
Plant Families for Crop Rotation
Plants in the same family often share pests and diseases. Rotate plant families each year to prevent buildup of soil problems.
Nightshades
- Tomato
- Pepper
- Potato
Legumes
- Green Beans
- Peas
Brassicas
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Radish
Cucurbits
- Cucumber
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- Watermelon
- Cantaloupe
Alliums
- Onion
- Garlic
- Green Onions
Roots
- Carrot
- Beet
- Sweet Potato
Leafy Greens
- Lettuce
- Spinach
Herbs
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Dill
- Oregano
Grains
- Corn
Flowers
- French Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Borage
- Calendula
- Zinnia
- Cosmos
- Sunflower
- Sweet Alyssum
Companion Planting Tips
The Three Sisters
Corn, beans, and squash are the classic companion trio. Corn provides structure for beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen for corn and squash, and squash leaves shade the soil.
Herbs as Pest Control
Strong-scented herbs like basil, oregano, and dill repel many common pests. Interplant them among vegetables for natural pest management.
Alliums for Protection
Onions, garlic, and chives deter many pests with their strong scent. Plant them near carrots to repel carrot fly, or near roses to deter aphids.
Space Utilization
Pair fast-growing crops (radishes, lettuce) with slow-growing ones (carrots, peppers). The quick crops mature before the slow ones need the space.
Plan Your Garden
Use these companion planting tips in your garden planner.