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Arugula Companion Plants: 11 Plants To Grow With Arugula

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Arugula, or rocket, is one of the fastest-growing, cool-seasoned leafy greens you can plant in your veggie garden. Their tangy, pepper-like taste makes them a perfect pick for salads. But it won’t be good if pests munch on them before you do.

Their damp and soggy habitat makes them prone to pest and fungal attacks. Sprinkling chemical-rich pesticides will defeat the purpose of homegrown vegetables. So instead, try planting arugula companion plants that can repel pests and help the plant thrive.

Fortunately, you can choose from a long list of flowering plants, vegetables, and herbs that pair well with arugula. But there are also a few families you should totally avoid. Keep on reading as I discuss them all!

What Are The Benefits of Arugula Companion Plants?

Before jumping to the list of good companion plants, let’s take a look at how these companion plants will benefit your dear arugulas.

1. Keeps Pests And Insects Under Control

Insects, like beetles and cabbage worms, love munching on arugula leaves. Growing companion plants that deter them can save your main crop.

Besides, the growing habitat of arugula makes them prone to catching on to aphids and fleas, which can also be tackled by companion plants.

2. Improves Soil Health

Improves Soil Health

The harvesting cycle for arugulas is extremely short, so you might be tempted to plant them repeatedly. However, planting the same crop in the same soil continuously for a long period can make the soil nutrient-deprived.

Planting companion plants alongside will ensure that the soil’s health remains intact and your arugula’s growth is not stunned.

3. Locks The Soil Moisture And Provides Shade

Arugulas require loamy and mucky soil to thrive. If you live in a sunny location, you can achieve that by using companion plants as ground cover-ups.

They can prevent excess water evaporation and keep the moisture intact. Since arugulas are a cool-seasoned crop, some companion plants can also provide shade and help them survive through excess heat.

11 Best Arugula Companion Plants

Now that you know how companion plants can help you grow better arugulas, let’s take a look at what are the best ones out there:

1. Rosemary

Rosemary

If you are planning to plant a herb as your arugula companion plant, rosemary should be your first preference. This aromatic herb is a suitable companion plant for multiple vegetables and does not usually clash.

Its strong fragrance is known for warding off pests that can keep your garden from thriving. Rosemary is usually a very hardy plant and is highly drought-tolerant.

In a suitable climate, their growth can go out of hand. So we suggest planting them in separate pots and keeping them near your main crop.

2. Dill

Dill

Another good pest-managing arugula companion plant is dill. Dills are known for attracting beneficial insects like ladybugs, wasps, and praying mantises, which feed on common garden pests like aphids and cabbage moths.

They also attract pollinators like butterflies and bees, which can improve the overall pollination of your garden. Dills usually love a warm and sunny setting and don’t do well in soggy soil.

So you can plant them in separate planters and keep them near your arugulas, and it will be a win-win situation.

3. Mint

Mint

Mint is another herb that you can choose as a companion plant for arugula. It has multiple benefits, as it not only repels pests but also helps improve the taste of the neighboring plant.

This is why you will often find seasoned gardeners planting mint with carrots, cabbages, cauliflowers, and collard greens.

Their strong odor deters aphids, beetles, and caterpillars that can munch on your arugula leaves. However, note that mint plants are notorious spreaders and can get invasive so planting them in a separate pot will be a better idea.

4. Chives

Chives

Chives are low-maintenance perennials that last for years. During their long life, they help other plants by repelling harmful pests and attracting beneficial pollinators. You need to plant them once and harvest them for years.

They are related to the Onion family, which is pretty evident from the taste of their leaves. Chives are also cool-season plants like arugula, so the best time to plant them is early spring.

Their soil requirements are also similar to arugula’s (loamy, moist soil), so you can easily plant them together in your garden bed.

5. Chervil

Chervil

Don’t get deceived by the delicate lacy foliage of this herb, as it works wonders when it comes to repelling slugs and pests. Chervil deters pests like aphids and is also known for improving the taste of neighboring vegetables.

Chervil leaves have a mild taste that has hints of parsley and aniseed. It is an annual herb that thrives in cool shady areas. Chervil is one of the very few herbs that you can use in a dessert, as it has a sweet taste.

6. Parsley

Parsley

Parsley is a common companion plant for multiple fruits and vegetables. Their ease of growing and pest-repelling abilities are what make them gardeners’ favorites.

Parsley blooms lure beneficial insects like predatory wasps and hoverflies that keep garden pests under control. They also attract black swallowtail butterflies, which are great pollinators. Especially brassicas, like arugula, benefit from this herb.

If you are feeling adventurous and planning to plant more than one companion plant for your arugula, then keep parsley on your list. It can easily gel with most vegetables and flowers, like nasturtiums, which are also good arugula companion plants.

7. Celery

Celery

Moving from herbs, if you are looking for veggies that can be good companion plants for arugula, then start with celery. They repel pests that are attracted to brassicas like arugula. Their aromatic leaves keep white cabbage moths away from infiltrating.

On the plus side, celeries need the exact same growing conditions, so while you are growing arugula, you might as well grow some of it. Always go for self-blanching celery, as they are much easier to grow and taste as good as the others.

Celery has the same growing conditions as arugula, so with a single effort, you get double results.

8. Beans

Beans

Both bush beans and pole beans are great companion plants for arugula. Beans are known for their ability to fix nitrogen levels in the soil.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are the two essential elements for better-growing arugula. So instead of using chemical fertilizers, take help from beans and naturally increase the nitrogen level of your garden bed.

Bean roots also help gather nutrients and salts from deep soil and bring them near the surface. Hence, by planting them, you can be assured that your arugula will never be nutrient-deprived.

9. Borage

Borage

Beneficial pollinators like bees and butterflies absolutely love the bright blue borage flowers. But that’s not why they are helpful for arugula.

Arugula is quite a self-sufficient plant and barely requires cross-pollination. But what they lack is the ability to save themselves from predators. If you live in an area where herbivores graze freely, growing arugula can be difficult.

Cows, goats, horses, or deer; most herbivores love arugula but hate borage. So you can use borage plants for edging your arugulas and keeping them safe from those big predators.

Apart from that, borage also deters smaller predators like cabbage moths and caterpillars, making it an all-rounder.

10. Chamomile

Chamomile

Chamomile’s strong fragrance might relieve your stress but makes it utterly difficult for pests to locate their food. As a result, those tiny white flowers work great in deterring pests like aphids and cabbage worms.

Due to the growing conditions, arugula is highly prone to fungal infections like mildew and molds. In that case, chamomile’s natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties come in handy.

Not to forget, chamomile flowers are also great at attracting beneficial pollinators like swallowtail butterflies and bumble bees.

11. Nasturtium

Nasturtium

Arugula requires damp and soggy soil, and achieving that in a constantly sunny climate can be tricky. In that case, you can take the help of companion plants like nasturtium, which can be good ground cover-ups while preserving soil moisture.

Ensure that you are planting them a couple of rows away from the arugula. That way, they can become sacrifice plants by attracting the aphids that were coming for your arugula.

Besides that, the cheerful and easy-to-grow flowers are also great for adding a pop of color to your yard!

Worst Companion Plants For Arugula

Now that you know what to plant with your arugula, let’s take a look at what you should strictly avoid as companion plants.

1. Strawberries

Strawberries

Strawberry fruit and the plant itself are two of the biggest attractors for slugs and snails. Even though strawberries and arugula have similar growing conditions, avoid planting them together. Planting them alongside arugula will double the danger.

2. Nightshades

Nightshades

Nightshades (like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants) and brassicas (arugula) share common enemies and diseases. Plus, their nutritional needs are also quite similar, which can cause tension between the two. As a result, either one of them will become deprived.

Plus, nightshades require acidic soil, which is not preferred by arugulas.

3. Brassicas

Brassicas

Growing plants of the same family together is never a great idea. It only magnifies the chances of catching pests and diseases, resulting in damage to all. Hence avoid planting any brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower.

In fact, try maintaining a safe space between the rows and individual arugula plants.

4. Fennel

Fennel

Unlike most herbs, fennel is known for releasing a chemical called anethole, which can stunt your arugula’s natural growth. This chemical can get released through roots and have a negative impact on the neighboring plant.

Time To Grow Your Arugulas!

Hope you have gained insights into what your arugula needs for better growth and how you can achieve it through companion planting. Remember, the process of companion planting isn’t a one-way process.

If done right, it can benefit both plants. Seasoned gardeners often take it one notch up and plant multiple companion plants together to get the most out of the setup. If you want to try that, start with the safest combination, which is parsley, chives, and dills with arugula as your main crop.

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