The Companion Planting Kit

Why it works

Companion planting is simply choosing what to grow near what, so plants help each other instead of competing. It’s old wisdom with real science behind some of it — a helpful nudge, not a rulebook. A few of the ways it actually works:

Confusing pests. Strong scents (onions, herbs) mask the smell pests use to find a crop.
Bringing in helpers. Flowers draw pollinators and predatory insects that eat aphids and caterpillars for you.
Sharing space. Tall plants shade tender ones, climbers use sturdy neighbours, sprawlers smother weeds (the classic "three sisters").
Feeding the soil. Beans and peas fix nitrogen that nearby plants can use.
Trap cropping. A sacrificial plant lures pests away from your prize crop.

Words to know

Companion planting: Growing certain plants near each other so they help — not hinder — one another.
Beneficial insects: The bugs on your side: ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies and bees that eat pests or pollinate.
Trap crop: A plant grown to lure pests away from the crop you actually care about.
Nitrogen-fixing: Legumes (beans, peas) host bacteria that turn air into plant food, feeding their neighbours.
Pollinator: An insect that moves pollen so flowers set fruit — mostly bees, also butterflies and hoverflies.
Allelopathy: When a plant releases chemicals that suppress others nearby — why a few pairings clash.
Polyculture: Mixing crops in one bed instead of solid single rows — harder for pests to find a feast.
Insectary plants: Flowers grown on purpose to feed and shelter the good bugs (alyssum, calendula, dill).

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The Companion Planting Kit

The chart

Crop	Grows well with	Keep apart from
Tomato	Basil, carrot, parsley, marigold, onion, chives, nasturtium	Cabbage & brassicas, fennel, potato, corn
Carrot	Onion, leek, rosemary, sage, peas, lettuce, tomato	Dill, parsnip
Beans (bush & pole)	Corn, squash, cucumber, carrot, cabbage	Onion, garlic, fennel
Peas	Carrot, cucumber, corn, beans, turnip, radish	Onion, garlic
Cucumber	Beans, corn, peas, radish, sunflower, nasturtium	Potato, strong herbs (sage)
Lettuce	Carrot, radish, beet, strawberry, cucumber	Nothing major
Onion & garlic	Carrot, beet, lettuce, cabbage, tomato	Beans, peas
Cabbage & brassicas	Onion, beet, dill, chamomile, potato	Tomato, strawberry, pole beans
Broccoli / cauliflower	Onion, celery, dill, potato, beet	Tomato, strawberry
Potato	Beans, corn, cabbage, horseradish	Tomato, cucumber, squash
Corn	Beans, squash, cucumber, peas	Tomato
Squash, zucchini & pumpkin	Corn, beans, nasturtium	Potato
Beetroot	Onion, lettuce, cabbage, bush beans	Pole beans
Capsicum & chilli	Basil, tomato, onion, carrot	Fennel, brassicas
Spinach	Strawberry, beans, peas, brassicas	Nothing major
Strawberry	Lettuce, spinach, beans, borage	Brassicas
Radish	Cucumber, lettuce, peas, carrot	Hyssop
Basil	Tomato, capsicum, oregano	Rue
Marigold	Almost everything — a classic pest deterrent	Nothing
Nasturtium	Cucurbits, tomato, beans — a useful trap crop	Nothing

Companion planting is traditional guidance — results vary with your soil and climate, so treat it as a helpful starting point.

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The Companion Planting Kit

Star companions & tips

The workhorse plants

Marigold: Deters nematodes and many pests. Dot it through the whole garden.
Nasturtium: A trap crop for aphids; sprawls to shade bare soil.
Borage: A bee magnet; a good friend to tomatoes and strawberries.
Calendula: Draws pollinators and predators — and the petals are edible.
Alyssum: A low carpet of tiny flowers that hoverflies adore.
Dill & basil: Their flowers feed beneficial insects (keep fennel well away from most veg).

Tips that matter

Start with two or three pairings you’ll remember — don’t redesign the whole bed.
Tuck a flower into every bed; think of it as pest control.
Mix crops up — pests find a solid block of one thing far too easily.
Rotate plant families each year.
Watch and note what worked; your garden is the real authority.

Common mistakes

Overcrowding — companions still need their own light, water, and room.
Planting known clashers (onions + beans; fennel near most veg).
Expecting a force field — it’s an edge, not a miracle.

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The Companion Planting Kit

Pairing report cards

Print, cut out, and keep a record of what you paired and how it went — so next season you’re not guessing.

I planted together

Bed / spot

Season / date

How it went (pests, growth, yield)

Verdict◯ Repeat ◯ Tweak ◯ Skip

I planted together

Bed / spot

Season / date

How it went (pests, growth, yield)

Verdict◯ Repeat ◯ Tweak ◯ Skip

I planted together

Bed / spot

Season / date

How it went (pests, growth, yield)

Verdict◯ Repeat ◯ Tweak ◯ Skip

haventheapp.com — grow your own, at your own pace