Some vegetables can grow all year long without losing their momentum. One of these vegetables is the carrot.
Because of that, carrots can make up for an excellent addition to any vegetable garden. But how do you know what species to plant with carrots? We’re here to help you with that.
You’re going to learn about the most effective carrot companion plants, separated into vegetables, flowers, herbs, and even grains. Depending on what type of plants you’re planning to grow in that garden, you’ll find something worth using in this list.
So, care to learn about the ideal carrot companion plants? Check below!
Why Plant Carrots with Companions?
While most people prefer planting carrots alone, there are tons of benefits from growing them alongside other plants. Some of these benefits include:
- Higher Yields
The right companions will increase the soil’s nutrients, prevent pests, and help with pollination. More importantly, some plants can bring desirable pollinators and pest deflectors that carrots can benefit from.
- More Protection
Carrots are easy to grow for the main factor that they’re root plants. That means the veggie is often underground and away from flying and walking pests. But carrots are vulnerable to worms and weevils. Some heavy-root plants and those that produce unique chemicals will protect carrots from these pests.
- Better Space Use
Being underground plants for most of their lives, carrots often take little space up top. When you plant alongside other species, you can use this place overground more efficiently and add more crops to any garden.
- Improved Soil
Not only it is nutrients that other plants can provide, but also unique chemicals, water retention, and less erosion in the soil that carrots can benefit from. When you’re growing carrots, all these advantages are worth considering.
Vegetables to Plant with Carrots
If you want sustained growth on your crops, the best thing you can do is plant your carrots with other vegetables. The right combination can promote further growth and nutrient sharing. Here are some vegetables to consider:
Brassicas
Everything from cauliflower to collard greens, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and turnips all work wonderfully alongside carrots. They share similar soil preferences and promote higher nutrient delivery that ensures consistent growth throughout the year.
Chives
Thanks to their ability to repel pests like beetles, aphids, and carrot rust fly, chives are an almost perfect addition to any carrot garden. Another significant advantage is their chemical delivery that improves the taste of the carrots directly.
Cucumber
By not competing for water or nutrients in the same space, cucumbers are also worthwhile companions for carrots. It is essential to plant them with several inches of distance, though, as cucumber may inhibit growth if the fruit starts to grow directly over the carrot foliage.
Onions
Preferring a mildly acidic soil composition, onions grow well alongside carrots. They don’t compete much for nutrients while still growing similarly, releasing components into the soil that help each other grow sustainably. Onions can also confuse the rust carrot fly and repel it, which is a huge advantage.
Peas
Because peas grow entirely above ground and their roots are rarely large, they work as exceptional companions for carrots. When the plant starts to decompose, they provide unique nitrogen release into the soil that no other companion does.
Tomatoes
If there’s a companion that carrots love, then that’s the tomato. They offer a wide array of benefits, going from sharing nutrients to improving soil composition that enhances flavor, and even repelling pests. Tomatoes also love carrots, so you can grow both simultaneously.
Other Vegetables to Consider
Don’t like the vegetables above? Don’t worry, you can also use the following ones alongside carrots:
Vegetables to Avoid
Even though carrots grow fairly well with tons of different vegetables, some of them may actually be damaging. This includes parsnips (similar to carrots ) that attract pests and diseases carrots are vulnerable to. You’ll want to keep parsnips away from carrots.
Another bad companion for carrots is the fennel. It is generally an awful companion for most vegetables. But like parsnips, it shares tons of pests that carrots also suffer from.
And lastly, potatoes. As another root vegetable that grows underground, potatoes suck away some of the same nutrients that carrots need. If planted too close, their growth will be limited.
Flowers to Plant with Carrots
As root plants, carrots love being planted alongside flowers. You can enhance the looks of any garden by setting up your flowers close to carrots and making better use of the space if necessary. Here are some flowers to consider:
Ammi
One of the best flowers to attract pests away from carrots is the Ammi. A beautiful and easy-to-grow flower, it brings useful insects like lacewings that feast on aphids. This flower works well with a wide array of vegetables, but it is especially useful for carrots as pest deflectors.
Nasturtium
One of the best trap crops you can grow alongside carrots, the nasturtium not only looks gorgeous but also gives a wide array of benefits, starting from the ability to deter aphids and whiteflies. It also composts fast, which adds up to its nutrient share and helps carrots grow further.
They may work as a cover for beetles, however. But if you don’t suffer from those, the nasturtium will be a perfect addition to your garden.
Sunflower
If you want to keep aphids away from the carrot foliage, a sunflower is an excellent addition to your garden. It will also keep beetles away, as the sunflower is a super-attractive flower all around.
Sunflowers are also ideal for improving pollination. Because carrots depend heavily on insects for that, sunflower works like a charm by attracting these pollinators.
Other Flowers to Consider
You can grow almost any flower alongside carrots, though. Just try staying away from those that may bring unwanted ground pests like beetles. Some beneficial flowers include:
- Agastache
- Amaranth
- Calendula
- Chamomile
- Chervil
- Chrysanthemum
- Clover
- Bergamot
- Phacelia
- Rudbeckia
- Scabiosa
Flowers to Avoid
One of the flowers you may want to stay away from is the alyssum. Because alyssum grows densely and close to the ground, it works as a shelter for beetles that eventually feast from carrot foliage. You probably don’t want that.
Herbs to Plant with Carrots
Most herbs share different nutrient needs than carrots while still growing differently. This helps carrots stay away from pests and grow consistently without drawbacks. Here are some herbs to consider:
Basil
If you want no aphids, beetles, mites, flies, or even worms around your carrot, then you’ll consider basil as an excellent addition to the crops.
On top of that, basil shares many nutrients and chemicals with carrots that help with growth and taste.
More importantly, you can always come up with exceptional carrot and basil recipes. They work well when planted and eaten.
Borage
Some people consider it more of a flower than an herb. But it is thanks to the strong chemicals it produces as an herb that makes it such an excellent addition to any carrot crop as it enhances soil composition.
It also deters worms and caterpillars that love carrot foliage. Moreover, it brings pollinators that carrots depend on for their survival.
What’s really interesting about borage is how good it looks. Even alongside carrots, borage improves the crop’s appearance exponentially.
Parsley
Carrots and parsley love to share their chemicals and nutrients, promoting further growth when planted together.
Thanks to the strong smell, parsley also repels beetles and attracts pest-eating insects like hoverflies and wasps. This also helps carrots.
Catnip
One of the most potent smells in the herb category, catnip works as an exceptional pest-repelling addition. From aphids to beetles and even foliage-eating bugs, they all hate catnip.
Apart from that, it brings pollinators around, so it helps carrots propagate as well. More interestingly, it attracts cats and dogs which works as pest control for carrots.
Oregano
While people think oregano produces damaging chemicals, it is not true. Oregano actually improves soil composition, giving carrots more nutrients to feast on. What’s even better, oregano repels beetles and similar carrot-eating pests.
Other Herbs to Consider
While the herbs above are all more than useful for carrots, you can also consider other spices. These include:
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Summer Savory
- Thyme
Herbs to Avoid
Some herbs like cilantro and dill produce unique chemicals that affect carrots slightly. They may also attract pests that could damage your carrots, which is obviously something you want to avoid.
Grains & Legumes to Plant with Carrots
Most grains and legumes produce nitrogen-fixing on the soil, which is something carrots benefit from. If you want to keep the soil rich and healthy around your carrots, then grains and legumes should be your first choice as companions. Here’s a bit more to know about them:
Bush & Pole Beans
All types of beans love carrots and vice-versa. Thanks to their nutrient release, they share soil amazingly well with carrots, promoting further growth and enhancing flavor mildly.
Because beans grow rapidly, they also improve soil composition that carrots appreciate over time.
Buckwheat
If you want to keep the soil in pristine condition for the carrots to thrive, then a manure plant like buckwheat would be an excellent companion.
A unique advantage of buckwheat is the ability to increase calcium content in the soil. More importantly, buckwheat absorbs nutrients that carrots can’t as root vegetables. When buckwheat is composted, it releases all these nutrients back into the ground for carrots to feast on.
On top of all that, buckwheat brings insects that eat pests as well as pollinators. It is one of the best companions for carrots you can get.
Flax
The oil that flax seeds produce is extremely helpful for carrots. This oil gets deep into the soil and protects roots vegetables from common pests. Moreover, it gives them unique nutrients that most roots vegetables can’t get for themselves.
Oats
Because oats grow fast, they also compost fast. When this happens, they add tons of different nutrients to the soil that carrots can absorb. When it comes to growing matter, few plants work as well as oats alongside carrots.
Soya Beans
Thanks to their ability to increase nitrogen content on the soil, soybeans become a next-level companion for carrots. They also repel unwanted beetles and other bugs that can affect carrot foliage.
Other Grains to Consider
Want more grain alternatives for your garden alongside carrots? Consider these:
- Broad beans
- Chia
- Quinoa
Grains to Avoid
While maize or corn is not necessarily detrimental to carrot, it may attract unwanted pests that cause damage. At a decent distance, however, corn and carrot co-live pretty well.
Worst Companion Planting for Carrot
Here is a list of plants that you should avoid planting with carrots.
1. Potatoes
Because potato and carrot are both root crops, planting them together would result in the former absorbing all of the nutrients. Therefore, to thrive, your carrot plants would have to work hard.
2. Alyssum
Alyssum could make excellent ornamental plants. Alyssum and carrot plants, on the other hand, grow low, and the former tends to spread densely close to the ground, eventually serving as a shelter for beetles.
3. Corn
Corn attracts pests that can harm your carrot plants. As a result, it is best to avoid pairing them.
4. Dill
Certain components of dill may be harmful to your carrot plants. Furthermore, dill and carrots belong to the same plant daily, which may result in cross pollination. As a result, keep these two plants apart.
5. Parsnip
Pests attracted to parsnip and carrot are similar. As a result, planting them together will make your garden more susceptible to disease.
6. Fennel
Fennel is a poor choice for a companion plant. Because it is allelopathic to most garden plants, this herb should be planted separately.
Conclusion
With these carrot companion plants above, you should be ready to improve your carrot growth right away.
Remember, it is not only about the companion but the overall care you give to the plant. Even if you plant the best companion around your carrots, you may still not get decent growth if you aren’t growing correctly.
Overall, however, the companions above will be an excellent idea in your garden crop. It’s time to test for yourself and experience those fantastic results!