Garlic Companion Planting: Plant Companions For Garlic

Garlic is one of the best companion crops out there. A natural pest and fungus deterrent with few incompatible neighbors, garlic is a good crop to plant scattered throughout your garden. Keep reading for information about the benefits of garlic and the key to successful garlic companion planting.

Garlic Companion Planting

Companion planting is a great low maintenance, low impact way to improve the health and flavor of your garden. Mainly because of the tendency of some plants to repel certain pests, there are pairings you can make when you plan your garden that just work. 

Garlic, in particular, is something of a wonder plant that improves the quality and health of almost anything it’s planted next to. Garlic takes up very little space and can grow in most conditions, as long as it has full sun. As a result, it will thrive near plenty of other plants that may have more specific growing needs and can benefit from its proximity. 

Garlic is definitely one of the more pungent plants you can grow. Maybe it’s because of this that makes it’s so good at driving away pests. It’s a great deterrent to all kinds of pests including:

• Fungus gnats
• Codling moths
• Spider mites
• Cabbage loopers
• Japanese beetles
• Aphids
• Ants
• Snails
• Onion flies

Garlic can even drive away rabbits and deer. If your garden suffers from any of these creatures, try planting garlic next season. It grows best if planted late in the fall, however, so be careful not to miss its planting season. Garlic also naturally builds up sulfur, which is an effective fungicide for neighboring plants.

Plants That Grow Well With Garlic

Because of its many benefits, the list of plants that grow well with garlic is long. Companion plants for garlic include:

• Fruit trees
• Dill
• Beets
• Kale
• Spinach
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Eggplants
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Kohlrabi

Flower plant companions for garlic include:

• Roses
• Geraniums
• Marigolds
• Nasturtiums

Companion plants for garlic that improve garlic’s overall growth include:

• Rue, which will drive away maggots
• Chamomile, which will improve its flavor
• Yarrow
• Summer savory

Though few, there are some plants that actually suffer when planted near garlic. Be sure to keep asparagus, peas, beans, sage, and parsley far away from it, as their growth can be stunted. 

Companion planting is a great way to effectively grow plants without the use of any harsh chemicals. Plant companions for garlic and the like will help ensure a bountiful season. Simply intersperse your garlic throughout the garden to maximize its many benefits.

Love Gardening Know How? Our latest book, The Complete Guide to Vegetable Gardening, is available now!

Perfect for the gardener in your life, or for your own coffee table, this book boasts 224 pages of high-quality pictures, expert tips, and easy-to-follow advice to get your vegetable garden growing its best. Look for it at these sellers, and wherever quality books are sold.