Growing companion plants can be very beneficial. It can not only enhance the growth but also lure helpful insects with a lesser number of pests. Since peppers are a member of the nightshade family and having companion plants grown along with them will benefit both.
Companion plants help in providing shade to the other plants. Moreover, it also covers the soil, which will keep weeds away. We will be discussing some of the best companion plants to grow with peppers.
Along with that, we will be listing the companion plants that you should avoid.
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Five Best Companion Plants To Grow With Peppers
There are many companion plants for peppers that serve different purposes. Some attract beneficial insects and boost growth, while others deter pests and improve the pepper plants’ flavor. Herbs, vegetables, and other plants can be grown along with them.
Read further to know the best five plants suitable for companion planting with peppers.
1. Basil
Basil is a well-known herb that is mainly grown during the summer. However, it can be grown with nightshade plants, including pepper plants. Basil is said to boost the pepper plants’ growth and flavor and is considered an excellent companion plant.
Other than that, this pepper companion helps in keeping spider mites, aphids, and other garden pests away from pepper. Basil can either be planted next to or around pepper plants.
2. Carrots
Companion planting is seen as an essential and beneficial way of helping the plant grow. Carrots help the pepper plant in many ways. Firstly, the space in the garden can be maximized to a large extent with this pepper companion.
Carrots are considered great plants, keeping a relatively favorable condition for the pepper plants’ growth. It also provides an excellent shade if it is planted near peppers. Moreover, carrots keep weed away from the plant in the garden as well.
3. Chives
Chives is considered one of the best herb kitchens. It also has a very tasteful flavor which helps in improving the same. In other words, it boosts the growth and flavor of the other plant. Moreover, Chives help deters aphids. Chives are also very well known for boosting the plants’ yield and flavor grown next to them.
Chives are mostly regarded as the top companion plants for peppers, mainly because of their perennial nature. Once they are planted, it grows almost every year, and it is also very easy to grow.
4. Spinach, Lettuce, and Chard
Spinach and lettuce are also great plants since they do not take a lot of garden space. These plants together will be very beneficial to pepper. Since spinach does not require the same nutrients as the pepper plant, there is no soil shortage.
This plant brings more humidity to the pepper plant, and in return, they get enough shade that they require for their growth. Similarly, lettuce also helps in keeping away pests such as aphids.
Swiss chard can be grown in the same garden as peppers, and it also provides shade and protection from the same. All these plants crowd out the weeds, and there is no possibility of the pepper plant getting entangled in the same.
5. Leeks and onions
Leeks belong to the same family as garlic and onion. Almost every other vegetable belonging to the same family can be included in companion planting along with pepper plants. One of the top reasons for leeks to be considered good companion plants for peppers is that they take very little garden space.
Even if they are planted in close proximity in the common garden, there is a lot of space left in between. Leeks also help in avoiding flies, especially carrot flies.
Leeks can easily be grown in small empty spots. Onions can easily be grown with peppers in the same garden, and they can also be cooked together.
Five Plants To Avoid Planting Near Peppers
Apart from the great companion plants for peppers, there are several plants that we should avoid. However, some plants can be planted near peppers, but doing so in the same garden bed might not be favorable.
One such example would be tomato plants. Although tomatoes are regarded as good plants for peppers, they should not be grown in the same bed simultaneously. Hence, it is essential to keep all the factors into consideration before choosing a companion plant.
1.Potatoes
Growing potatoes in the same bed as peppers might not be favorable. Unlike onions and tomatoes, potatoes are not regarded as a great companion for peppers. You should also make sure that companion planting potatoes might potentially harm the peppers.
Although in a vegetable garden, along with tomatoes and other plants, potatoes could be grown. Hence, there should be a gap of at least two years in terms of peppers and potatoes. The growing season needs to be taken into consideration while planting them.
2.Beans
It is said that beans and peppers grow well separately. It is essential to growing beans away from hot peppers. Since nitrogen in the soil is needed by beans, too much of the same can be harmful to the peppers.
Peas and beans should be grown in separate areas, and most importantly, growing bell peppers close to the same is also not very favorable. Pole beans should also not be grown together. They can be planted in the same garden but at a distance.
3. Fennel
Fennel isn’t ideal for companion planting with any plant. It does deter pests, spider mites, and a lot more. However, growing them close to other plants is not recommended. Fennel does have the advantage of keeping away pests, but it should be planted far away in the garden.
4. Brassicas
Brassicas include brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbages. They require a lot of nutrients, while peppers require more pH balance and plants that fix nitrogen. The soil for the peppers should also be neutral.
Moreover, they attract a lot of cabbage worms which can harm the peppers in the garden.
5. Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is also not recommended for companion planting, especially with peppers. This also comes under the cabbage family and the like, which does not help shade the soil. Hence, even though you plan on growing Kohlrabi, it should be grown away.
Along with these plants, there are many other plants, including kale, apricots that have a negative effect on pepper in different ways. They might require the same nutrients as pepper which will stunt the growth.
They could also attract different kinds of pests which might not be harmful to them but to peppers which isn’t very favorable.
Companion Plants To Control Pests
The biggest purpose of companion planting is to improve the flavor of the other plant and attract pollinators. Moreover, there are some plants that deter aphids, insect pests, and more. Here is a list of plants that serve the same purpose for peppers.
1. Parsley
Parsley is one of the best herbs to grow in the garden, with many plants keep beetles, predatory wasps, and the like at bay. It also helps attract pollinators, and considering parsley for companion planting with pepper is an ideal choice.
2. French Marigolds
Companion planting marigolds along with bell peppers or the normal pepper plant throughout the garden keeps away squash bugs. Marigolds nasturtiums also help in repelling soil nematodes and aphids.
It attracts pollinators and repels aphids beetles which can harm the plant to a large extent. Due to these reasons, peppers can reap a lot of benefits if marigolds are grown in the same soil.
3. Nasturtium
Similar to marigolds, this plant also helps immensely in repelling squash bugs and beetles. Asparagus beetles can also be kept at bay with the help of this plant. Moreover, if you grow this along with bell peppers or normal peppers, you can use it in a salad as well.
4. Geraniums
This is considered a trap crop, especially for Japanese beetles. Geranium does not harm the peppers even if it is planted in the same soil. Japanese beetles will immediately die if they eat the leaves of geraniums.
5. Garlic and Dill
Instead of onions or tomatoes, garlic will help deter beetles, squash, and other insect pests. Companion planting garlic with peppers controls the infestation of pests to a large extent.
Dill also keeps beetles away from your bell peppers or pepper in general. Dill does not let any insect destroy the peppers and is recommended to be grown in the garden for other plants.
Endnotes
As mentioned above, companion planting can be very beneficial. However, before you take your stance on which plant will be suitable for peppers, it is essential to know which ones are the best. The list above might have now given you a proper idea of what should be grown with peppers and what shouldn’t.
Since plants also provide other benefits to the companion plant, it is imperative to know which plants serve what purpose. Excellent companion plants help in improving the flavor and boosting the growth of the peppers.
James Fields is the founder of Gardener to Farmer. His passion for gardening goes back to his childhood days when he would visit his grandfather during the holidays and help him with the plants in the backyard. This has now translated to creating a dependable resource for gardening.