Have a vegetable garden at home and want to include some peppers crops? Or want to grow peppers from scratch but don’t want to grow them alone?
Either way, you’ll have better results after learning about the best companion plants for peppers.
Planting the right neighbors alongside your peppers could give you incredible advantages. From accelerating growths to improving yield quantity, the ideal companions will help your plant enormously. But for that, you’ll have to know exactly what we’re talking about.
Below, we describe the most important companions for peppers (and the worse ones!). We also explain why and how you can get the most out of them. Want to know more? Then check the article below!
Are Peppers Easy to Grow?
As a short answer: yes.
The long answer? Well, it is easy to grow when compared to the most challenging ones. But you will still need to cover specific needs, or the plant may struggle.
First, consider that peppers come from the Solanaceae family. It is the same type of plant as the nightshade. This one has tasty fruits, though. The scientific name of peppers, however, is Capsicum. And within the Capsicum, you’ll find dozens, if not hundreds, of different species.
With these two things in mind, it’s also worth adding that it is a semi-tropical plant. Meaning, it loves a lot of sun, nutrient-rich soil, and warm environments. Apart from that, the soil should be drained and fertilized for better results.
So, is pepper easy to grow? Of course. It could be even easier if you plant it in the right area, with the right environment, and a rich enough soil.
Apart from that, nothing will help more than the ideal companions. Below, we explain some of them.
Vegetables & Fruits as Companion Plants for Peppers
Considering veggies and fruits are very similar, it wouldn’t be a surprise that your peppers can thrive with them around. But that’s only with the right ones. You can enjoy everything from higher yields to improved soil and even fewer pests. Here are some of them to consider:
Asparagus
As a perennial, asparagus may feel like a bit of a counterintuitive choice. It won’t grow the same way as the pepper plant, making it hard to enjoy its benefits. Or is it?
Thanks to its growth process, asparagus is an excellent soil enricher. That means after asparagus is harvested, it leaves residues behind that enrich the soil. More importantly, it stays behind without taking much space – helping organize your garden bed more efficiently.
Chard
Thanks to its large and tall leaves, swiss chards can work as an excellent shade giver. But it is the ability to stop harsh winds and keep weeds away that makes it so effective. It also adds an excitingly attractive green tone to any vegetable garden.
Eggplant
Similar to peppers, as they also belong to the nightshade family, eggplants are exceptional companions to consider. They require the same soil conditions and provide an increased nutrient share. That means they won’t cause any damage to the pepper and instead improve nurturing exponentially.
Garlic
Like chives, garlic can keep pests like aphids away. Their best feature, however, is the little amount of space they take. Without taking much of your garden, garlic ensures excellent space efficiency so you can get the most out of it.
Leeks
They’re also part of the onion family. Leeks take little to no room, their flowers deter unwanted insects, and still manage to bring an improved taste.
Onions
Insects like cabbage worms that often devour pepper plants are scared of the smell and chemicals that onions produce. This veggie also repels slugs and aphids. Interestingly, onion is also known for improving the taste of nearby neighbors (your peppers).
Parsnip
You can grow parsnip as a side plant in your garden as they’re a root vegetable. They won’t take any space from your peppers while still improving overall nutrient availability. Another considerable advantage of parsnip is the large leaves that keep the soil fresh with its shade.
Radishes
Many people know it as the white carrot, and that wouldn’t be a bad description. Like parsnips, they improve soil richness, take no space from the peppers, and give a slight shade for improved soil temperature.
Tomatoes
One of the best companion plants is tomatoes. They’re incredibly versatile and compatible with several veggies. For that reason, you can grow them beside your peppers, especially for the shade and protection from unwanted insects.
Other Vegetables to Consider
Other vegetables and fruits may also thrive alongside your pepper. These include:
Vegetables & Fruits to Avoid
Even though peppers are versatile and grow with pretty much any plant, they also have some enemies. Believe it or not, brassicas are all awful companions for peppers. Veggies like Brussel sprouts, collard greens, kale, broccoli, and the popular cabbage will have a hard time alongside peppers. And vice versa.
This happens because peppers prefer slightly acidic soil. Brassicas, in contrast, prefer somewhat alkaline soils. But at the same time, brassicas consume all the same nutrients as peppers, making it harder for your nightshades to feed off the soil.
Other vegetables you’ll want to avoid include potatoes. They’re incredibly disease-inducing for peppers and bring a lot of the same pests that like both plants.
Lastly, avoid apricots and similarly small trees. While they offer decent shade, they may also produce unwanted diseases and pests.
Herbs as Companion Plants for Peppers
Most herbs grow fairly healthily with peppers. But obviously, some of them offer a much better result than others. Here are some we recommend:
Basil
Few herbs are as popular and tasty as basil. When planted alongside peppers, they become even more delicious (and peppers do too!). More importantly, basil prevents aphids, thrips, flies, and mosquitoes from damaging peppers.
Chives
You could describe chives as a perennial from the onion family. But it also works as an herb for seasoning. What’s more important, it produces unique chemicals that spread on the soil. These chemicals can improve the taste of nearby plants, especially peppers.
Its best ability is to keep pests away with its flowers is also worth nothing.
Dill
The pungent smell of dill will make aphids and other undesirable insects to stay away. It gives a slight taste boost and works excellently as a space distributor, taking away unused space without taking away from the peppers.
Oregano
Without competing for space with peppers and still offering improved vegetables around, oregano is undoubtedly one of the best companions you can pick. Interestingly, oregano can also keep the soil fresh for peppers to thrive.
Parsley
Growing a little shorter than other herbs, parsley provides sufficient shade for the soil to work as an excellent companion. Its best ability is to keep the soil nutritious and boost peppers’ flavor slightly.
Other Herbs to Consider
While the herbs above may be enough, you may also consider others, like:
- Marjoram
- Rosemary
Herbs to Avoid
There aren’t many herbs that could cause trouble with your peppers. But just like it does with other plants, fennel can be extremely dangerous. Even though fennel tastes fantastic, it brings the same type of pests that love peppers. For that reason, they can be problematic when planted close.
Flowers as Companion Plants for Peppers
Planting flowers close to your vegetables is an excellent way to keep unwanted insects away. At the same time, they bring pollinators that so many veggies need. Peppers can enjoy both of these advantages. Here are some flowers to think about:
French Marigolds
Gorgeous orange to yellow flowers, marigolds repel aphids, slug, whiteflies, and even nematodes that are hard to get rid of. One of their best advantages is their unique soil effect, adding nutrients that boost pepper’s growth.
Geraniums
Apart from adding a uniquely beautiful touch to any garden or planting area, geraniums repel beetles, worms, and other undesirable insects. At the same time, they bring pollinators that peppers could benefit from.
Nasturtium
One of the few flowers you can eat without side effects, nasturtium also makes for a fantastic pepper companion thanks to its capacity for deterring beetles, bugs, whiteflies, and aphids. Similar to marigolds, geraniums also provide a slight growth boost to nearby plants. They also give subtle but beneficial shade.
Petunias
Keeping your garden looking fresh and attractive is never a bad option. What sets petunias apart, however, is their ability to keep asparagus beetles and leafhoppers away. These love peppers just like aphids, which will also stay away if petunias are around.
Yarrow
Instead of deterring the worst insects, yarrow brings the good ones, like ladybugs. These insects will eat away pests like aphids that feed on pepper plants. Apart from that, ladybugs are exceptional pollinators that peppers will love.
Other Flowers to Consider
There are tons of different flowers to consider, though. The following ones are fantastic to plant with your peppers:
- Alliums
- Black-Eyed Susans
- Coneflowers
- Golden Rod
- Lavender
- Lovage
Flowers to Avoid
Some people will recommend sunflowers as companion flowers. But they can be slightly problematic due to their ability to invade large areas fast. While this won’t be a problem at first, sunflowers may become a slight problem for your peppers. On the positive side, sunflowers will prevent weeds.
Grains & Legumes as Companion Plants for Peppers
Despite the massive amount of nutrients that grains and legumes consume from the soil, they can be exceptional companions for your peppers. However, not all of them are. Below we explain more about them:
Buckwheat
Because they look more like flowers, buckwheat produces gorgeous ornaments that attract beneficial pollinators. Interestingly, buckwheat composts fast, making it an excellent addition to the soil for your peppers to feed on once it breaks down.
Corn
If you have enough space to grow large corn crops, then you’ll love how well they work with your peppers. Apart from trapping aphids away, corn also provides a lot of shade and improve wind protection, preventing unwanted damage.
Peas
When peas break down, they improve nitrogen content in the soil. This is something peppers can benefit from exponentially, boosting growth and fruiting. Peas work both when planted at the same time or before peppers.
Other Grains & Legumes to Consider
While the benefits won’t be as much as the ones above, these grains & legumes will be helpful too:
- Barley
- Oatmeal
- Sorghum
- Rice
Grains & Legumes to Avoid
If you don’t want the nitrogen on the soil to deplete fast, you’ll keep beans away from your pepper crops. Being the total opposite of peas, beans consume a lot of nitrogen and harm pepper’s growth. If they’re too close, they will fight for the nutrient and not grow as expected.
Conclusion
With the best companion plants for peppers in this list, you should have enough to get your vegetable garden growing right away.
Remember, vegetables mostly help with shade and better soil composition. As for herbs, you’ll get an improved taste and fewer pests. Flowers will attract pollinators and insects that feed on pests. And with grains and legumes, you can enjoy everything from shade to exponentially improved soil nutrients.
Whatever you go for, consider the ones in our list above. They won’t make your peppers grow by themselves. But with the right care and companions, you’ll have an easier time and better growth over time.
| Companion Plants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | Fruits | Herbs | Flowers | Spices |
| Cucumber | Watermelon | Basil | Sunflower | Garlic |
| Eggplant | Strawberry | Cilantro | Rose | Pepper |
| Okra | Kale | |||
| Onion | Rhubarb | |||
| Potato | Spinach | |||
| Pumpkin | ||||
| Tomato | ||||
| Zucchini | ||||
| Carrot | ||||
| Cabbage | ||||
| Broccoli | ||||
| Squash | ||||