A–Z Advice for Companion Planting in Your Vegetable Garden

Companion planting is all about diversifying what's grown in a vegetable garden to boost plant health and reduce potential problems with pests and diseases. When flower, herb and veggie "companions" are grown alongside vegetables in healthy soil, the vegetable crops often grow better with fewer issues and less need for insecticides or chemical fertilizers. Learn about specific companion plants and companion planting techniques known to benefit your favorite crops, including tomatoes, peppers, squash, onions and more.

Beets have relatively few problems with pests and diseases, but you may still benefit from rotating them into your garden after a crop of radishes or mustard.

Broccoli is susceptible to the many pests and diseases that all cabbage-family crops are, which makes companion planting all the more important. Grow with a variety of other herbs and vegetables to discourage specific pests, attract pest predators and camouflage your crop.

Carrots can be grown with a variety of herbs including thyme and basil, flowers like marigolds, and other vegetables such as onions to ward off pests and ensure a good carrot crop.