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Garlic Companion Plants: Full List of Pairings
Garlic, like other allium family members, makes an excellent companion plant for many garden favorites. Its strong scent discourages many common pests, and the bulb’s sulfur content can inhibit some disease-spreading fungi in the soil. In some cases, the companion can help garlic in return.
Because garlic is typically planted in the fall, most of these options should be planted alongside them the following spring. Here is a full list of garlic companion plants to try in your garden this year!
Full List of Garlic Companion Plants
The best garlic companion plants include fruit trees, brassicas, roses, dill, and rue, along with many others listed below.
Unless otherwise noted, the following plants should be planted near or in-between rows of garlic. You can also try mixing them all in one growing area through interplanting.
Fruits and Vegetables to Plant with Garlic
• Beets, Carrots, and Parsnips – Garlic can reduce many pests and diseases common to these root vegetables. Carrots may repel some garlic pests in return, and garlic is thought to improve the flavor of nearby beets.
• Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, Kohlrabi, and Other Brassicas – Garlic deters many brassicas family pests, like cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, and Japanese beetles.
• Cucumbers – Garlic can improve the soil quality for cucumbers.
• Eggplants, Peppers, Potatoes, and Tomatoes – Garlic repels many common pests and diseases that frequent these nightshade family members. It may also improve the flavor of tomatoes.
• Lettuce and Spinach – These leafy greens offer ground cover and weed protection for your garlic.
• Various Fruit Trees – Garlic can deter many common fruit tree pests and diseases, including those that frequent apple trees. Plant them around the base for the best results. And smaller, less shady trees may be better – after all, garlic loves sunshine!
Flowers to Plant Next to Garlic
• Geraniums – Garlic may help prevent geranium pests.
• Marigolds – While marigolds are often thought of as a strong pest-repellant themselves, garlic can prevent the few bugs that can harm them.
• Nasturtiums – Nasturtiums make excellent ground cover for garlic, while garlic may help prevent aphids on the nasturtiums.
• Roses – Planting garlic near your rose bushes can help prevent aphids and many other pests.
Herbs to Plant Near Garlic
• Chamomile – Chamomile may improve garlic flavor.
• Dill – Garlic repels aphids that can bother dill, while dill in turn can improve the garlic’s flavor.
• Rue – This herb can help deter onion flies, a common garlic pest.
• Summer Savory – Summer savory can help garlic grow more quickly.
• Tarragon – This herb may help garlic grow faster.
• Yarrow – Yarrow may speed up garlic growth.
What NOT to Plant Next to Garlic
Some plants are the opposite of companion plants for garlic, and should be planted far away. Most will stunt either the garlic or the companion’s growth.
Plants to Avoid with Garlic
• Asparagus – Garlic can stunt asparagus growth, and asparagus may give the garlic a poor flavor.
• Beans and Peas – Garlic can stunt legume growth. However, garlic benefits from added nitrogen, so consider planting your garlic crop in an area where legumes were planted previously.
• Chives, Onions, and Shallots – These other allium family members can all attract onion flies, leading to poor health for all of them if they’re planted too close to each other.
• Parsley – Garlic and parsley will compete for nutrients, stunting the growth of both.
• Sage – Sage can stunt garlic’s growth.
Happy Garlic Companion Planting!
Now that you know all about companion planting with garlic, try one or two and see what works best in your garden!
Looking for more allium family companion planting tips? Check out the full list of onion companion plants.
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