Garlic Companion Plants – Where to Plant Garlic in the Garden
When the rest of your garden is finally winding down, it’s just about time to start thinking about where to plant garlic in the garden. Find a few garlic companion plants and you’ll be all set to think ahead for next year’s harvest!
Finding a good garlic companion plant starts with looking at your current garden layout and looking ahead to next year’s plan.
Fortunately, you will find quite a few suitable companion plants for garlic and onions, which are both related as part of the allium family.
Benefits of Garlic Companion Planting
In the kitchen, garlic is quite the companion of many different foods. Italian dishes, sauces, and roasts all do well with the unmistakable flavor of garlic. Garlic’s benefits continue in the garden, making it one of the best companion plants for almost any of your favorite crops.
Garlic’s benefits as a companion plant include:
- Natural pest repellent properties
- Fungicidal properties as a fungus deterrent
- Likely to deter rabbits and deer
- Friendly neighbor to many different crops
- Beneficial in improving the quality of nearby crops
- Happy to grow in small, leftover spaces in your garden
With so many benefits of companion planting with garlic, it’s almost a no-brainer to try this fantastic crop. It’s easy, too!
Let’s dig into the best companions for garlic plants!
Garlic Companion Plants: What to Plant Garlic Next to
Knowing what to plant garlic next to may seem a bit of a mystery, but the good news is most plants are agreeable companions to garlic.
Consider these options of plants that grow well with garlic:
Interplanting Garlic with Tomatoes
Interplanting garlic with tomatoes is perhaps one of the easiest and best combinations for garlic companion planting.
The garlic plants grow nicely in the bare corners of the garden between tomato plants and the flavors and aromas definitely play nice together.
As companion plants, garlic can also help to deter aphids and other pests that tend to plague tomatoes.
A garlic and tomatoes companion planting plan also makes it easier come harvesting time. Garlic is likely to be ready in July, when many tomatoes also start to ripen for picking.
Lettuce and Garlic
Try lettuce and garlic companion planting in containers, raised beds, or directly in the ground. Garlic and lettuce tend to have similar requirements and usually thrive when planted nearby.
Garlic as a planting companion also helps to deter garden pests that may threaten lettuce and other crops.
Potatoes and Garlic
Potatoes and garlic work well as companion plants. Whether in the ground or in grow bags, potatoes grow deep enough below the ground to accommodate garlic above.
Grow potatoes as garlic companion plants and you’ll likely enjoy an easy potato crop as well. The beneficial pest repellent and fungicidal properties of garlic make it an awesome neighbor for potatoes.
Basil and Garlic
Basil and garlic tag team to help tomatoes thrive, making this a trifecta companion planting plan. Grow basil and garlic nearby as both plants work well with lots of other crops.
Brassicas with Garlic – Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Kale, & Kohlrabi
Garlic companion planting with brassicas proves to be a beneficial matchup in the garden. The aromatic pest protection offered by garlic makes for a fine planting companionship between kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli in the garden.
Garlic specifically repels various moths, aphids, and other pests, making it a fine neighbor for plants in the brassica family.
Chives and Garlic Companion Planting
As they’re both part of the allium family, garlic and chives can be planted next to each other. Thus, chives have similar growing requirements, making them a good pick for garlic plant companions
Other Good Garlic Companion Plants
These are just a few key companion plants for garlic to consider for your garden. Impressively, when looking for what to plant with garlic, you may find most plants do well in proximity to this amazing crop.
When in doubt, try it out! You can try companion planting garlic in a container garden with one vegetable while another grows elsewhere without garlic. Then, compare the results and see which of the crops performed best in health and quality!
It makes more sense to mention the few crops not to plant near garlic rather than listing out all the good garlic companion plants.
Start with those listed above, avoid those listed further below, and/or experiment on your own to find the best combinations!
Flower & Garlic Companion Planting
By the way, did you know you can also plant garlic near flowers?
Some good flower garlic companion plants may include:
- Marigolds – Another agreeable companion plant, marigolds grow well with garlic as companions. Popular as a choice for repelling pests, marigolds combine power with garlic for a double dose of deer, rabbit, and insect pest deterrents. (Also, check out marigold companion plants!)
- Nasturtiums – Likewise, nasturtiums grow very well with garlic. Both plants offer pest deterrence and other improved growing conditions in the garden. Climbing varieties of nasturtiums can lean on garlic for support and the leafy greens of the nasturtium offer shade for the garlic bulbs.
- Roses – Garlic can help improve the health of your rosebushes! When companion planting garlic, roses enjoy the pest control benefits and potentially face less threat of disease as well.
What Not to Grow Near Garlic
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what not to plant beside garlic, as well. Luckily, most crops make good plant companions for garlic, but a few are best to avoid.
Avoid planting garlic near these crops:
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Parsley
- Peas
- Sage
- Strawberries
The reason not to plant garlic near these crops is because it’s believed to slow and stunt their growth.
Final Thoughts: Garlic Companion Planting
Isn’t it thrilling how easy it is finding good companion plants for garlic?! I originally thought it would be a big deal figuring out where to plant garlic in the garden. To my surprise, just about anywhere works!
This year I decided on tomatoes as the main companion plant for garlic in our garden. Then, I chose kale as another garlic companion plant in a fabric grow bag.
Now that I know I can also plant garlic with roses, I am ready to run out and bury a few more garlic cloves!
Do you have prior experience and advice to share with garlic companion plants in your garden? Or any questions you want to ask about garlic companion planting?
Feel free to shout out in the comments below. We love hearing from you and all comments get a response!
You might also enjoy our Google Web story on Garlic companion planting!
Happy Gardening!
11.26.22 – Updated to add 2 new photos. Also improved spacing. Created web story.
