Radish Companion Planting: 13 Plants to Grow With Radishes

Companion planting is a time-tested gardening method that enriches and protects vulnerable crops. Farmers and gardeners plant specific crops near each other to deter pests, attract beneficial insects, and stimulate growth.

Companion plants will either help a specific crop grow or grow better beside a specific crop, and can do many support jobs in the garden:

• Repel insect pests. Cabbage worms, cucumber beetles, Mexican bean beetles, carrot flies, cabbage moths can plague vegetable gardens. Many companion plants (like marigold flowers, catnip, and rue) repel specific pests and should be planted near certain crops to keep them pest-free.
• Attract beneficial insects. Pollinators like bees and ladybugs can use a little encouragement to visit vegetable gardens and pollinate the crops. Gardeners often plant attractive plants like borage flowers to encourage pollinators to visit.
• Improve soil nutrients. When crops grow, they take up valuable nutrients from the soil—leaving the gardener to do a lot of work at the end of the season to renew the soil’s nutrients. However, there are many companion plants (like bush beans and pole beans) that add nutrients like nitrogen back into the soil, helping keep other plants healthy and well-fed.
• Encourage faster growth or better taste. Many companion plants (like marjoram, chamomile, and summer savory) release specific chemicals that encourage faster growth or better taste in the plants around them, leading to quicker and better harvests for home gardeners.
• Provide ground cover. Plants that spread low across the ground (like oregano) serve as a blanket over the soil, protecting it from the sun and keeping it cooler for plants that need it.
• Provide necessary shade. Plants that grow tall and leafy (like zucchini and asparagus) can provide welcome shade for sun-sensitive plants beneath them.
• Serve as markers. When growing slow-growing plants, it can be difficult to tell where the rows will be while you’re waiting for the seeds to sprout. Gardeners often use fast-growing plants (like radishes) interspersed with the slow growers in their rows to delineate where the slow growers will be.

Here are some examples of companion plants to grow with radishes:

1. 1. Chervil. Chervil, also known as French parsley, is one of the best plants for radish companion planting. This aromatic herb improves the taste and texture of radishes and repels pests, like aphids.
2. 2. Marigold. Marigolds are one of the most popular companion plants for vegetable gardens. Not only are they low-maintenance pollinator attractors, but their strong scent can also deter insects.
3. 3. Brassicas. Plants like broccoli, spinach, and kale provide nutrients to the soil, which will help your radish plants thrive.
4. 4. Dill. Dill is an aromatic herb that attracts beneficial insects like pollinators and parasitic wasps, which will help pollinate radishes and keep other pest levels down. Learn how to grow dill in your home garden here.
5. 5. Parsnip. Parsnip attracts ladybugs and spiders, which repel pests like squash vine borers and root maggots.
6. 6. Pole beans. One of the “Three Sisters,” pole beans are a great plant to grow with radishes because they provide much-needed nitrogen in the soil.
7. 7. Mint. The aroma from mint plants like hyssop and sage can repel grazing animals like deer.
8. 8. Peas. Peas make a great companion plant for radishes because they add nitrogen to the soil, which will help your radish plants thrive.
9. 9. Oregano. The powerful aroma of oregano helps repel pests like cabbage moths.
10. 10. Borage. Borage is a flower that not only attracts beneficial insects, but can deter pest worms from invading your radishes.
11. 11. Nasturtiums. Nasturtiums are pretty flowers that attract aphids. While this may seem counterintuitive, many gardeners plant nasturtiums a short distance away from their vegetable garden to attract aphids away from their crops.
12. 12. Rosemary. The rosemary’s potent aroma can help repel pests like carrot flies and bean beetles away from your radishes.
13. 13. Eggplant. Large eggplants provide shade for radishes as they grow. Conversely, radishes help eggplants by repelling pests. Learn how to grow eggplant in your home garden here.

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