Most vegetables and herbs make good beet companion plants, but some should not. Pole beans inhibit beet growth, while excess nitrogen can compromise beet nutrition.
Onions (leeks, scallions, and shallots) can serve as natural deterrents against flea beetles and Colorado potato beetles that damage beets, while garlic improves flavor as an antifungal. Garlic also releases sulfur into the soil as a natural antibacterial.
1. Onions
Onion family plants- leeks, scallions, and spring onions- make excellent beet companion plants. Their nitrogen and phosphorous contributions enable beets to flourish in rich, nutrient-rich soil environments while acting as protectors against pests that could otherwise damage them.
Beets by decreasing their bitterness. Cabbage plants, with their leafy tops, make an excellent partner crop for beets, providing similar nutrients while adding much-needed moisture to the soil, and its rotted leaves act as a great mulch to keep things cool while restricting weed growth.
Legumes such as peas and beans pair nicely with beets because their deep roots absorb atmospheric nitrogen into forms beets can use. Furthermore, this food source has the power to bring up any additional nutrients they might otherwise not access on their own.
Kohlrabi, cauliflower, and leeks can make great companion plants to beets by providing much-needed calcium to the soil – helping prevent symptoms associated with calcium deficiency, such as wilting or stunted growth in beets.
Nasturtiums and marigolds make excellent companion plants for beets. Both attract pollinators that help promote the natural pollination of beets; their flowers also serve as natural repellents against some common beet pests, such as aphids and nematodes. Plus, they can even be planted as cover crops to eradicate any potential weed issues before they arise! However, pole beans and field mustard plants could inhibit beet growth!
2. Radishes
Radishes are delicious spring or fall vegetables that add an exciting crunch to any salad, thanks to their abundant sources of antioxidants like betalain and alpha-lipoic acid, which help fight oxidative stress, boost your immunity system, protect against cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline, as well as provide antioxidant protection from heart disease and cognitive decline. Radishes also contain ample amounts of vitamin A, vital for eye health, immunity function, and cell development.
Thanks to their similar growth habits, beets and radishes make ideal companion plants in any garden. Both vegetables require identical watering and sunlight requirements, and both provide shade from heat during summer days while helping regulate soil temperatures – Plus, with their quick crop cycle times, they can often be harvested before the beets reach gathering time!
Radish root systems combine well with beetroots to increase soil quality and nutrients. When planted alongside brassica family members, such as kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, and cauliflower, they break up soil layers while dispensing valuable nutrients into surrounding beds. Their leaves contain manganese and iron, which benefit the soil when dying back or tilled up, helping improve its quality and nutrient levels.
Radishes and beets boast high concentrations of Vitamin C, making them essential components of skin health and immunity. Their sweet flavor pairs well with tart ingredients, while their earthy texture perfectly matches creamy cheeses. Radishes and beets also taste delicious when roasted with garlic and olive oil!
Beet-eating pests can be deterred with aromatic herbs like thyme, hyssop, rosemary, and mint, whose intense scent repels many common vegetable pests like beet-eating hornworms and flea beetles. Also, consider planting petunias with solid odors, repelling most insect pests while drawing in beneficial insects like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees!
3. Sage
Plant sage alongside beets to deter pests and promote growth. Sage has an aromatic scent that repels aphids that could otherwise damage beets. You can also use it to attract predatory insects like ladybugs and hoverflies that help deal with aphid infestations. Sage is also an effective trap crop to keep rabbits away from vegetable gardens while providing ground cover in beet beds.
Allium family plants such as onions, scallions, and garlic make excellent beet companion plants as their strong scents deter insects that feed on beets. Garlic in particular, stands out due to its release of sulfur into the soil – an antifungal element that helps combat diseases that threaten beets.
Leeks and chives also make excellent beet companions due to their similar size and growth requirements. They are great additions to brassica vegetables such as kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower as they enrich the soil with nitrogen through nitrogen fixation.
Radishes are another fast-growing crop that makes an excellent companion crop to beets, thanks to their shallow root systems that fill in between thick taproots of beets to prevent weeds and help retain moisture. Lettuce can also serve as an excellent companion as its easy growth makes shade available during hot weather, with shallow roots reaching into areas deep roots can’t. Beans or legumes may contribute to nitrogen fixation processes, which help improve soil quality for beets.
4. Lettuce
If you’re planning a cool-season spring or fall garden, pairing beets with leafy greens like spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) could help ensure they won’t compete for nutrients; additionally, they could provide shade to keep beets cooler in hot weather, helping prevent them from bolting prematurely.
Beans (Phaseolus coccineus) make an excellent partner to beets. Being legumes, they add vitality and improve soil through nitrogen fixation by taking in atmospheric nitrogen and turning it into plant-available nitrates and nitrites for plant growth and flavor enhancement. Beans provide vital supplements for the beet’s continued development and flavorful harvests.
Even though both crops belong to the cool-season family of brassica plants, beets and broccoli (Brassica oleracea) pair well together. It is likely due to broccoli’s deep root system, which brings nutrients directly to beetroots that beets may need yet cannot access. Furthermore, both belong to this particular family of plants, so they naturally complement each other in their growth patterns.
Although most plants make great beet companions, there are three to avoid when planting near beets: beans, corn, and peppers require too much sun for optimal growth and could cause beets to produce large leaves with few roots if planted together in one garden space. It would be better if these vegetables were grown elsewhere instead.
5. Beans
If you’re planting beets alongside other vegetables in your garden, it is important to note each crop’s needs. Companion plants may help minimize pest issues while creating an optimal growing environment for both crops.
Bush beans make an ideal beet companion crop as their growing conditions and nutritional requirements overlap closely. Bush beans repel insects that could harm beets, adding organic matter back into the soil and providing natural protection from fungal issues such as mold or mildew that threaten beets.
Planting beans alongside beets reduces your need for fertilizer by removing extra nitrogen from the soil and returning it when their roots decay – eliminating your need to add fertilizers! Plus, their deep roots break up clay soils while loosening topsoil, creating an ideal growing environment for beets to flourish.
Alliums (like scallions, garlic, and chives ) are potent pest deterrents and make an effective team with beets in combating common diseases. Their pungent smell deters insects like aphids, slugs, and beetles, as well as mammals such as rabbits and groundhogs, from entering your property.
Alliums make an excellent companion plant to beets in any kitchen garden as both enjoy cool temperatures and thrive in rich, damp environments. Their container-growing capabilities make them an easy addition to the soil-free garden space.
