Pepper Plant Companions – What Are Good Companions For Peppers (2024)

Growing peppers? You’ll be glad to know that there are many pepper plant companions that can benefit your peppers. How can companions for peppers engender healthier plants with higher yields? Read on to find out about pepper companion planting and plants that like to grow with peppers.

Pepper Companion Planting

Companion plants for peppers or other veggies work together symbiotically, each giving and/or receiving something from the other. Companion planting simply means grouping different, but complimentary, plants together. This may accomplish several things. Companion planting may provide shade or act as a wind barrier, it may succeed in retarding weeds or deterring harmful pests and disease, or it may act as a natural trellis or aid in moisture retention.

Plants That Like to Grow with Peppers

There a many plants suitable for growing alongside peppers.

Herbs

Herbs are wonderful pepper plant companions.

Vegetables

Tomatoes and bell peppers can be planted in the same garden, but be sure to rotate them to a different area the successive growing season so they don’t pass on overwintering pathogens. The tomatoes deter soil nematodes and beetles. Carrots, cucumbers, radishes, squash, and members of the Allium family all do well when grown in close proximity to peppers. Eggplant, a member of the nightshade family along with peppers, thrives alongside peppers. Spinach, lettuce, and chard are suitable pepper companions. They help crowd out weeds and due to their short stature and rapid maturation, are a great way to maximize garden space and get in an additional crop. Beets and parsnips can also fill in space, retard weeds around the peppers, and keep the soil cool and moist. Corn serves as a windbreak and sun barrier to peppers, while beans and peas fix nitrogen into the soil, a necessary nutrient for peppers, and also help block wind and sun. Buckwheat can be grown around pepper plants to attract pollinators and, once harvested, serves as green mulch for the garden. Pepper plants comingled with asparagus is another great space saver. Once the asparagus has been harvested in the spring, the peppers can utilize the space.

Flowers

Many flowers also make terrific companion plants for peppers.

Plants to Avoid

As with everything, there is good with the bad. Peppers don’t like the company of every plant, although this is quite a lengthy list. Avoid planting peppers near members of the Brassica family or with fennel. If you have an apricot tree, don’t plant peppers near it since a common fungal disease of peppers may also spread to the apricot.

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Pepper Plant Companions – What Are Good Companions For Peppers (2024)

FAQs

Pepper Plant Companions – What Are Good Companions For Peppers? ›

Companion plants are basil, savory, borage, dill, nasturtium, carrots, garlic, cabbage, lavender, parsley, marigold, lettuce, marigold, thyme, tomatoes and onions. Flowers, garlic, herbs and onions go particularly well with peppers, as they prevent diseases and pests.

What not to plant next to peppers? ›

Brassicas: Almanacs and home gardeners recommend avoiding planting brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, cauliflower) near peppers because they require different soil acidity levels and can deter pepper plant growth.

Can I grow tomatoes and peppers together? ›

The reality is that because the two have similar growth requirements, they can in fact be grown quite successfully together. Diseases common to both tomato and pepper include Verticillium wilt and bacterial spot.

What is the best support for pepper plants? ›

Tie the stems to the stakes with soft twine or strips of old nylon stockings to avoid cutting into or scarring the stems. (You can also support a pepper plant by surrounding it with a small wire tomato cage.)

What is the best intercrop for peppers? ›

Tomatoes: Peppers and tomatoes are both members of the nightshade family, and they complement each other well. Basil: Basil is a fragrant herb that can repel pests such as aphids, flies, and spider mites. It also attracts pollinators such as bees, which can help improve the yield of pepper plants.

Can I plant peppers and cucumbers together? ›

Vining vegetables like cucumbers actually make perfect companions to bushing veggies like peppers. They enjoy similar growing conditions and can grow together in about the same amount of space as a single plant. Ensure you trellis your cukes and plant your peppers in front so they aren't shaded by growing vines.

Do pepper plants like to touch each other? ›

Pepper plants tend to do best when grown in close proximity to each other, but not quite touching. When transplanting, it is ok to bury a little of the stem, but there are no advantages to planting deep. Unlike tomato plants, pepper plants will not readily grow roots from their stems.

What is a good companion plant for jalapenos? ›

then there are lots of options, and many of those that make good companions for bell or sweet peppers, are also good for jalapeños. Vegetable crops to grow alongside jalapeños include beans, peas, carrots and cucumbers. And therefore in reverse, peppers make good cucumber companion plants, and companions for the rest.

Can I plant onions with peppers? ›

You can plant onions and peppers together. As onions do not take up a lot of room above the ground, they are good to plan as neighbors if you're growing peppers. Also, onions have a strong smell with helps to deter a lot of pests such as aphids and slugs, making them great for pepper companion planting.

What should you not plant next to tomatoes? ›

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes
  • 01 of 10. Fennel. Fennel is not a good companion for any garden crop. ...
  • 02 of 10. Cabbage. Getty Images. ...
  • 03 of 10. Pole Beans. Neyya / Getty Images. ...
  • 04 of 10. Dill. Oxana Medvedeva / Getty Images. ...
  • 05 of 10. Corn. ...
  • 06 of 10. Okra. ...
  • 07 of 10. Potatoes. ...
  • 08 of 10. Broccoli.
May 18, 2024

Can basil and peppers be planted together? ›

Basil grows well when paired with bell peppers and chili peppers. Basil improves the growth and flavor of peppers. Basil aids in deterring several common garden pests, such as aphids, spider mites, thrips, mosquitoes, and flies that are often attracted to peppers.

What not to plant with cucumbers? ›

Brassicas: Plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can compete with cucumbers for the same nutrients in the soil. They also attract pests that can damage cucumber plants, such as flea beetles and cabbage worms.

What does Epsom salt do for pepper plants? ›

Epsom salt contains magnesium, an essential plant nutrient. Used as a foliar spray or soil additive it will help tomato and pepper plants grow and produce larger, tastier yields.

Are coffee grounds good for pepper plants? ›

Coffee grounds can contribute to a healthier soil environment for your pepper plants. Here's how: Enhanced Drainage: Coffee grounds have a slightly coarse texture, which can help improve soil drainage. This is particularly beneficial for pepper plants, which prefer well-draining soil to prevent root rot.

What compliments pepper plants? ›

In a raised bed, various herbs such as basil, parsley or dill are good companions for peppers. Lettuce, carrots and onions also make good neighbours for peppers in a raised bed.

Can I plant marigolds next to peppers? ›

A: Yes! Marigolds are incredibly easy to grow and make great pepper companions! A great pest deterrent based on their strong fragrance, as well as their ability to repel nematodes through their roots, marigolds are a long-standing pest deterrent in the vegetable garden.

Do peppers like to be planted in pairs? ›

Multiple pepper plants (of the same or different varieties) can be planted together and, in some cases, can help each other out. For example, planting a border of hot peppers around sweet peppers is likely to deter any pests that thought about munching on either of those plants.

What should you not plant near tomatoes? ›

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes
  • 01 of 10. Fennel. Fennel is not a good companion for any garden crop. ...
  • 02 of 10. Cabbage. Getty Images. ...
  • 03 of 10. Pole Beans. Neyya / Getty Images. ...
  • 04 of 10. Dill. Oxana Medvedeva / Getty Images. ...
  • 05 of 10. Corn. ...
  • 06 of 10. Okra. ...
  • 07 of 10. Potatoes. ...
  • 08 of 10. Broccoli.
May 18, 2024

Can zucchini and peppers be planted together? ›

Zucchini can offer some shade and ground cover for peppers and the two crops grow well together. Peppers do not add any specific benefit for zucchini, but you can grow both together and have a good crop of both.

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