Good & Bad Bean Companion Plants
You want to grow beans at home but are not sure what plants you should grow with beans?
Great! This blog post is exactly for you since I show you the best and worst bean companion plants in the following.
Table of Contents
Why do I need Companion Plants to grow Beans?
You might wonder why you should actually use companion planting.
Sure, you could also grow beans alone. Yet, you would miss out on several advantages that companion plants can provide to your beans.
For instance, good companion plants improve soil conditions, serve as a ground cover, attract pollinators, deter pests, provide shade and can have many additional positive effects on the overall growth behavior of your beans.
While good companion plants can have those positive effects, bad companion plants will likely do more harm than good.
Consequently, make sure to have a look at the following tables to figure out the best companion plants for your beans.
Good Beans Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it good? |
|---|---|
| Cucumbers | Provide shade to your beans. |
| Celery | Deters pests. |
| Beets | Loosen the soil. |
| Radishes | Loosen the soil. |
| Peas | Deter pests. |
| Savoy | Loosens the soil. |
| Nasturtiums | Attract pollinators. |
| Marigolds | Attract pollinators. |
| Radishes | Loosen the soil. |
| Squash | Improve the soil. |
| Corn | Provides shade. |
| Strawberries | Attract pollinators. |
| Carrots | Loosen the soil. |
| Catnip | Deters pests. |
| Spinach | Ground cover to keep the soil moist. |
| Rosemary | Improves the flavor of your beans. |
Bad Beans Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it bad? |
|---|---|
| Leeks | Emit harmful substances to the soil |
| Chives | Takes away nitrogen from your beans. |
| Garlic | Takes away nitrogen from your beans. |
| Onions | Take away nitrogen. |
| Shallots | Take away nitrogen. |
| Scallion | Emits harmful elements to the soil. |
| Sunflowers | Take away too much sun. |
| Kale | Feeds on similar nutrients. |
| Cabbage | Feeds on similar nutrients. |
| Cauliflower | Feeds on similar nutrients. |
| Broccoli | Feeds on similar nutrients. |
Best & Worst Bean Companion Plants – Summary
| Best Companion Plants | Worst Companion Plants |
|---|---|
| Rosemary | Garlic |
| Catnip | Chives |
| Carrots | Onions |
| Spinach | Leeks |
| Strawberries | Sunflower |
| Radishes | Scallions |
| Squash | Shallots |
| Corn | Cabbage |
| Nasturtiums | Broccoli |
| Marigolds | Cauliflower |
| Savoy | Kale |
| Radish | |
| Peas | |
| Beets | |
| Cucumbers | |
| Celery |
What should you plant with Beans?
Good companion plants for beans are beets, celery, cucumbers, radish, peas, savoy, nasturtiums, marigolds, squash, radishes, corn, strawberries, carrots, spinach, rosemary and catnip.
You should not plant beans with garlic, onions, scallions, chives, shallots, sunflowers, kale, cauliflowers, cabbage, broccoli and leeks.
You want to know more about growing beans in general. Don’t forget to check out my grower’s guide on how to grow beans from seed to harvest!
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
