By Jennifer Poindexter
Are you adding peppers to your home garden? Would you like to get the most bang for your buck in your growing space?
Consider companion planting. This type of gardening allows you to plant items next to each other where one (or both) plants receive a benefit just by growing in close proximity to one another.
If you’re curious which plants make the best companions for peppers, you’re in the right place. I’m going to walk you through which crops grow well together.
Plus, I’ll also share the benefit of practicing companion planting between the crops mentioned. If you’re considering practicing companion planting in your garden, here’s what you should know:
Best Companion Plants to Grow with Peppers
It’s wise to plan out your garden before planting. By thinking it through, and growing plants near one another that help each other thrive, this could help you get a larger harvest and the most out of your growing space.
Here are twenty companion plants to grow near your peppers:
1. Basil
Basil and peppers grow well together in the garden. Both of these plants enjoy full sunlight, and they tend to help each other produce a better flavored harvest.
If that’s not enough reason to grow basil and peppers together, you should also know that basil is great at deterring common pests of the pepper plant. If you’d like your harvest to be protected and have more flavor, consider growing these two crops near each other.
2. Tomatoes
Tomatoes and peppers are commonly grown together in the garden. Should you create this perfect match in your growing space, be sure to practice crop rotation each year to avoid issues with pests and diseases.
However, tomatoes and peppers go together nicely because they both have similar growing conditions. The tomato plants can also provide some protection to the pepper plants during the hottest part of the day since they’re frequently taller and can cast shade.
3. Other Peppers
When we think of companion planting, we sometimes jump to other crops without thinking of different varieties of the same crop.
In this case, you may plant multiple varieties of peppers together. They’ll share similar growing conditions and should perform well when grown side-by-side.
4. Garlic
Garlic is another crop which sometimes gets overlooked when considering companions for your peppers. Yet, these two make a great pair!
If you’re growing younger garlic in your growing location, plant peppers right next to it. Garlic helps ward off many fungal based diseases that could ravage your pepper harvest.
5. Parsley
Herbs make great companions for a variety of garden vegetables. Peppers and parsley are another great example of this.
When growing peppers and parsley together, the parsley helps deter aphids and beetles from disrupting your pepper harvest. The parsley also helps the pepper plants produce better flavored fruit.
6. Spinach
You may not pair peppers and spinach together considering spinach is a cool weather crop and peppers love the heat.
However, you may plant spinach between the pepper plants to provide shade and prolong its growing season. In turn, the spinach helps serve as a weed barrier around the pepper plants.
7. Beets
Beets are another crop which get overlooked as a companion to peppers due to their opposite growing schedules. If you’ve ever grown beets in the heat, you know they can become woody at harvest.
Yet, if you grow beets next to peppers, the pepper plants provide shade to prolong your beet harvest. In turn, the beets serve as a weed barrier to the pepper plants.
8. Petunias
Many people know to plant marigolds in their gardens because they’re a wonderful pest deterrent, but did you know petunias serve the same purpose?
If you’d like to add a little extra color to your growing space, consider planting petunias amongst your peppers. These flowers are great at keeping unwanted guests out of your garden and protecting your pepper harvest in the process.
9. Chives
Chives are a member of the allium family. Plants belonging to this family are frequently grown strategically around the garden due to their ability to deter pests and diseases.
Growing chives and peppers close together has its benefits as well. Chives are great at keeping aphids away from your pepper plants.
10. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are beautiful flowers with colorful, round blooms. They also make an excellent companion to pepper plants.
These flowers are grown sacrificially around your peppers as they draw aphids away from the pepper plants and to their bright flowers.
11. Marigolds
Marigolds are a common companion plant around the garden. They have bright colored blooms which attract pollinators.
However, they also produce a unique fragrance which is known for keeping pests out of the garden. If you’d like to protect your pepper harvest, plant marigolds nearby. They make excellent row markers as well.
12. Oregano
I’ve grown oregano in my garden for years, and it makes a gorgeous (and flavorful!) addition to the garden.
Oregano is a friend to most plants as its scent is great for keeping pests away. You may also plant it between pepper plants to serve as ground cover to keep weeds under control.
13. Dill
Dill prefers cooler temperatures, so it isn’t commonly thought of as a companion for pepper plants. Yet, it’s wise to grow any member of the Apiaceae family near your pepper plants. This is the same family carrots belong to.
The reason being is these plants produce droopy tops which invite beneficial insects which keep unwanted pests away from your harvest.
14. Carrots
As referenced above, members of the Apiaceae family are a great friend to pepper plants. If you’re concerned about pests in your garden, consider growing carrots next to your peppers.
Their bushy tops will invite the right insects to the growing space. Plus, the peppers can provide shade to your carrots which will keep the soil cooler and your carrot crop healthy. This should also help deter weeds from growing between the pepper plants.
15. Onions
Onions are a member of the allium family. These vegetables produce a unique flavor and scent which many pests consider all around offensive.
This is great news for the gardener because you may plant onions near your pepper plants to deter pests which would normally make a snack of your pepper harvest.
16. Lettuce
Have you ever considered growing lettuce with your peppers? If not, you should! Lettuce is a low-growing crop which allows the peppers to enjoy sunlight. In turn, the peppers provide shade for the lettuce which prefer cooler temperatures.
Plus, lettuce serves as an excellent edible weed barrier. This stops weeds from growing between your pepper plants and competing for the nutrients the plants need to produce a harvest.
17. Corn
At first glance, you may think corn makes a terrible companion to pepper plants due to its height. Yet, its height is exactly what makes these two quite the pair.
Corn is a taller plant that can provide wind protection to your pepper plants. It can also shade the pepper plants through parts of the day. Corn is also known for drawing aphids away from your pepper plants, so be sure to plant plenty of it since some of it may be sacrificed to the insects to protect your pepper harvest.
18. Green Beans
Green beans are another great companion for pepper plants. I prefer bush varieties since the beans are more tender.
However, bush varieties also make an excellent weed barrier around your pepper plants. This should equate to less work for you and healthier plants.
19. Yarrow
Yarrow is a taller plant which produces bright clusters of flowers. It makes an excellent companion to many vegetables in the garden.
The main benefit yarrow provides to your garden is inviting beneficial insects (such as pollinators) into the growing space. If you’d like to see your peppers thrive, plant yarrow near them to encourage better pollination.
20. Rosemary
Our last companion to discuss for peppers is rosemary. This is a beautiful herb that produces an enjoyable fragrance.
It also serves as a living mulch. You may plant rosemary around your pepper plants and it will help keep weeds down and moisture around your plants.
You now have twenty different options for plants which grow well alongside pepper plants in the garden. Whether you’re trying to protect your pepper harvest, improve its flavor, or encourage better pollination, companion planting could be the way to go.
Companion planting does take a little more forethought when planting your garden, but if you pick plants you enjoy, provide the benefits you need, and it makes gardening a little easier it could be worth the extra effort.
Pepper Companion Plant Reference Chart
| Companion Plant Name | Type of Plant | Benefits | Planting Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | Herb | Pest control, flavor enhancement | Plant in full sun; regular watering |
| Tomatoes | Vegetable | Shared requirements, space optimization | Plant in full sun; regular watering |
| Garlic | Vegetable | Pest control, disease prevention | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Parsley | Herb | Pest control, attract pollinators | Plant in partial to full sun |
| Spinach | Vegetable | Space optimization, shade tolerance | Plant in partial to full sun |
| Beets | Vegetable | Soil enrichment, space optimization | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Petunias | Flower | Pest control, attract pollinators | Plant around pepper bed perimeter |
| Chives | Herb | Pest control, attract pollinators | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Nasturtiums | Flower | Pest control, attract pollinators | Plant around pepper bed perimeter |
| Marigolds | Flower | Pest control, attract pollinators | Plant around pepper bed perimeter |
| Oregano | Herb | Pest control, flavor enhancement | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Dill | Herb | attract pollinators | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Carrots | Vegetable | Soil conditioning, space optimization | Plant in well-drained, loose soil |
| Onions | Vegetable | Pest control, disease prevention | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Lettuce | Vegetable | Space optimization, shade tolerance | Plant in partial to full sun |
| Corn | Vegetable | Windbreak, space optimization | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Green Beans | Vegetable | Nitrogen fixation, space optimization | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun |
| Yarrow | Flower | Attract pollinators, soil enrichment | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun; drought-tolerant |
| Rosemary | Herb | Pest control, flavor enhancement, attract pollinators | Plant in well-drained soil; full sun; drought-tolerant |
Learn More About Growing Peppers
https://extension.sdstate.edu/peppers-how-grow-it
https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-peppers
https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/vegetables/peppers/growing-peppers-chiles/
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