When deciding what herbs to plant together in your herb garden, it is crucial to consider the compatibility of the plants as some herbs can affect the growth and condition of others.
In this blog post, we will be discussing what herbs can be planted together, and have included a handy herb companion planting chart for you to refer to.
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What herbs to plant together?
One of the great things about herbs is that many of them can be planted together, in the same pot or garden bed.
This saves space and can also be beneficial for the plants, as some herbs can help to support and protect their companions.
They can make each other taste better, grow better, and help keep insects away.
However, you may not be able to plant certain plants next to each other because of how they will react or affect the other plant. Some herbs can be quite aggressive and may crowd out other plants, steal all the nutrients from the soil, or badly affect the flavor of your herbs.
So what herbs grow well together? Read on to get the skinny on the best herbs to plant together.
Scroll down for our herb companion planting chart, or read on for all the details.
What is herb companion planting?
Your plants’ neighbors can be just as important as the soil they’re planted in. Some plants do really well together, while others do not.
The companion planting gardening method involves planting two or more herbs of different types next to one another. This could be in a pot or in your garden.
The idea is that the plants will be mutually beneficial to each other. Benefits include:
- Better growth
- Enriching the soil
- Improving flavors
- Repelling garden pests
- Attracting predators for garden pests both plants may share.
Certain herbs can also keep some animal pests away.
For example, basil is known to be a good companion for tomatoes, as it can help to deter pests. Rosemary is another useful herb to have in the garden, as it can help to improve the growth and flavor of other plants.
But not all herbs make good companions. See this post for more: What Herbs Should Not Be Planted Together.
Planting herbs together
There are many benefits to planting herbs together, and it is also a great way to make the most of a small space, and maximize the output of your herb patch.
When choosing which herbs to plant together, it is important to consider the climate, the soil, and the water needs of each plant.
Choose herbs that will use the herb garden space efficiently. For example, you can plant two plants in one patch such as a creeping plant that will cover the ground, and an upright plant that will grow above it.
Companion planting herbs can help each other to grow. For example, tall plants will provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter herbs.
Herbs that grow well together
Here are some quick rules as to which herbs grow well with each other and help your garden along:
Herbs that enrich the soil
Apart from helping out fellow herbs, certain herbs in your herb garden can help your entire garden out in general by enriching the soil found in your garden.
- For example, planting caraway is good for the soil and surrounding plants because it has the ability to break down heavy soil due to its long roots. This makes the soil well aerated and all surrounding plants benefit.
- Plant some Caraway as this helps aerate your soil. You can plant your caraway in a snaking design so that a lot of the other herb garden plants will benefit from it. Just keep your dill far away from your caraway, as they do not grow well together.
- Plant your sage and rosemary next to each other. They really help each other along, and you’ll find that many dishes use them together, and so it’s great to have them both.
- Lovage, sweet marjoram and tarragon can enhance the flavor of almost any herb they are planted next to, plus helps the herb’s overall health. Plant any of these three herbs and your other herbs will flourish too!
- Elderberry is also good for the soil as it can break down soil, as well as compost applied to the soil. It creates rich topsoil around its roots, and when it’s reached the end of its life cycle, you can mix the soil your elderberry patch was in around your garden so the rest of your garden can benefit from its work.
- Finally, valerian and comfrey are great additions to your compost pit because they make great fertilizers. Your compost will be truly enriched, and all your plants will benefit from it.
Herb that repel pests
Another great plus to having herbs around is that many herbs can drive away pest insects that bug humans or eat other plantes in the garden.
Similarly, some herbs will attract beneficial insects, which then act as predators of pest insects.
Serving the dual purpose of protecting their fellow herbs and you and your family from pest insects can make herb plants truly welcome and loved.
- To keep bugs away, plant some horseradish. This strong plant will help your other plants grow insect and predator free.
- Basil and rosemary can drive away mosquitoes, while tansy can keep garden ants in check.
- Onions can also repel some pests.
Having herbs that can drive away pests that bug you also makes the act of gardening a much more enjoyable pastime!
Companion planting with some vegetables can also prevent pest problems. For example, onion plants can repel some pests.
>> Related post: Companion Planting Herbs with Vegetables
Herb companion planting chart
Use this herb companion planting chart to figure out what herbs and other plants grow well together.
| Herb | Helps | Helped by | Avoid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anise | Basil | Coriander | ||
| Basil | Tomatoes, asparagus, nightshades, peppers, petunias, oregano | Anise and chamomile | Rue and sage | Can make tomatoes taste sweeter. Acquires a bitter taste when planted next to Rue. Deters flies and mosquitoes. |
| Borage | Strawberries, squash, tomatoes, brassicas, broccoli | Strawberries | Can deter the tomato horn worm. | |
| Caraway | Most herbs, strawberries | Dill and Fennel | Helps aerate the soil. Attracts beneficial insects. | |
| Chamomile | Onions, cabbage, basil | Attracts beneficial insects. | ||
| Chervil | Radish, lettuce, broccoli | Makes radish spicier. | ||
| Chives | Carrots, tomatoes, brassicas | Carrots | Deters aphids. Makes carrots sweeter. | |
| Comfrey | Asparagus, avocado | Makes great fertilizer (add to compost). | ||
| Coriander/ Cilantro | Asparagus, spinach | Anise | Attracts beneficial insects. Deters aphids. | |
| Dill | Cabbage, lettuce, corn, cucumber, asparagus, brassicas, broccoli, fennel | Beans | Fennel, carrots and tomatoes | Can cross pollinate with fennel. Attracts beneficial insects. |
| Fennel | No plant | Dill | Any herb | Can adversely affect any herb planted beside it. Attracts beneficial insects. |
| Garlic | Fruit trees, roses, cucumber, peas, celery, tomatoes, brassicas, beets | Peas and beans | Deters Japanese beetles and rabbits. | |
| Geranium | Corn, grapes | Beets, tomatoes, potatoes | Tends to help all plants. Can carry the curly top virus. | |
| Horseradish | Potatoes | Deters potato bugs, and other herb garden pests. | ||
| Hyssop | Cabbage, grapes | Mint | Radish | Deters cabbage moths. |
| Lavender | Rue | Deters ticks, moths, and mice. | ||
| Lemon Balm | Tomatoes | |||
| Lovage | Almost every plant | Rhubarb | Helps enhance the flavor of any herb next to it, and helps growth of many herbs. | |
| Marigolds | Asparagus, cucumber, eggplant | Beans, cabbage | Deters asparagus beetle, bean beetle, nematodes, and tomato horn worm. | |
| Marjoram | Almost every plant | Peppers | Helps enhance the flavor of any herb next to it, and helps with fellow herbs’ health. | |
| Mint | Cabbage, beets, eggplant | Parsley, other mints | Never plant next to other mints. Attracts beneficial insects. Deters cabbage moths and clothes moths, flea beetles | |
| Nasturtium | Broccoli, radish, brassicas, cucumber | Cauliflower | Deters aphids, bean beetles, and squash bugs. | |
| Oregano | Grape vines, nightshades, tomatoes, peppers | Basil | Deters cabbage moths. Can be planted next to most crops. | |
| Parsley | Asparagus, corn, roses | Alliums, mint | Attracts beneficial insects while warding off some pests. | |
| Peppermint | Eggplant, brassicas | Attracts beneficial insects. | ||
| Rosemary | Sage, beans, cabbage, carrots, brassicas, and broccoli | Sage, beans | Potatoes | Deters bean beetles, cabbage moths, carrot flies, and mosquitoes. |
| Rue | Roses, fruits, raspberries, and lavender | Basil, cucumbers, cabbage, and basil | Give basil a bitter taste. Attracts beneficial insects. Deters flies and Japanese beetles. | |
| Sage | Rosemary, cabbage, beans, and carrots | Rosemary | Cucumbers | Deters cabbage moths and carrot flies. |
| Spearmint | Eggplant and fruit trees | Attracts beneficial insects. | ||
| Summer Savory | Onions, green beans | Beans | Drives away cabbage moths, Mexican beetles, and black aphids. | |
| Tansy | Fruit trees, beans, corn, and roses | Deters ants, cabbage moths, and squash bugs. | ||
| Tarragon | Almost every plant | Helps enhance the flavor of any herb next to it, and helps with fellow herbs’ health. | ||
| Thyme | Cabbage | Helps keeps worms away from cabbage. Deters cabbage moths. |
Final thoughts
As can be seen, herbs make great companion plants for each other, the gardener, and the garden in general.
And as a reward, your vegetables and herbs will taste better so you will have more free time to relax and enjoy your herbs.
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