Top 10 kale Companion Plants And 4 You Should Avoid
Do you want to know the best companion plants for your kale plant this planting season? Then here is a list of crops that will be beneficial to you.
If your wish is to have a bountiful harvest this kale planting season, do well not to grow them alone.
This is because companion planting does not just give you a bountiful harvest but also wards off pests and diseases that may affect your plant.
Therefore it is in your best interest to take advantage and maximize the benefits of the companion crops we are about to share below.
Most of them are herbs, others are vegetables, and even flowers.
However, the ideal plants to plant with kale are dill, lemongrass, beets, potatoes, Hyssop, marigolds etc.
Companion planting is a good strategy that positively benefits the other plants in close proximity.
Some companions provide kale with shade, act as a barrier to the wind, deter certain weeds and pests, aid in moisture retention, or act as a trellis.
In this article, we have put together a list of kale companion plants that have been proven to increase your harvest yield.
All you have to do is plant them in close proximity to your kale.
Spicing up your garden this season with kale and its companions is an amazing idea.
Read on for the best companion plants for kale.
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a natural method that has been used by gardeners for years to aid pollination, keep the number of pests down and maintain a natural balance in your garden.
What this means is that planting some plants close to another will have a beneficial effect on each other’s growth or just be beneficial to one and not affect the other plant adversely
Companion planting is all about planting some plants together because they have characteristics that complement each other.
Some attract beneficial insects, others repel pests, and some go as far as complementing each other’s nutrient requirements
Companion planting is one of the Gardening Tips And Tricks For Beginners that many often ignore.
This Gardening Tips For Vegetable Planting is a welcome development in the gardener’s world.
However, most gardeners find it suitable for both Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening and Indoor Vegetable Gardening.
Understanding this concept and putting it into use is a great way to make art out of your garden.
I’m pretty sure that is your intention.
Other times, a plant may have a neutral companionship with the primary crop.
Why Should I Use Companion Plants?
It’s no longer news that one of the reasons why most farmers do not plant companion crops is because they don’t know what this singular act brings to them.
For vegetable farmers as well as other gardeners, companion planting is an excellent idea and a great step in the right direction.
Some of the benefits of companion planting include
- Companion Plants wards off certain insects and attracts pollinators.
- Also, companion plants are great for shade and support especially for underground plants.
- Companion crops suppress weeds from thriving in the garden leaving the plants to enjoy the soil nutrients.
- Also, companion plants are a great natural and organic method to improve soil quality as Composting. See Composting For Beginners.
- Companion plants help improve plant growth and improve plant health.
All these will only be possible if you pay attention to the companion chart.
Do not overlook the smallest details, if you do, you’re likely to put the healthy growth of your plant at risk.
10 Best Companion Plants for Kale.
Interestingly, companion plants for Kale are quite numerous in number.
Basically, kale plants grow well with many crops. Seems like they do not have any enemy crops.
These plants suit the growth of kale and favour its overall survival in the garden.
Some of these plants include herbs like dill, Hyssop, chamomile and lemongrass, vegetables like celery, and flowers like marigold.
Let’s take a good look at most of these favourable plants that you can easily grow with kale.
#1. Lemongrass:
Lemongrass is an amazing herb that is grown for both culinary and medicinal benefits.
However, they serve as good companion plants for kale as well.
You can get a great harvest for lemongrass whether you plant them with companion plants or not.
Companion planting lemongrass with kale is more beneficial to the kale rather than to the lemongrass plant.
One of the benefits of companion planting lemongrass with kale is that lemongrass serves as a repellent for dangerous pests.
So, while you’re growing lemongrass for consumption, it also keeps your kale farm flourishing.
And at harvest, you get two useful garden plants.
That’s a huge plus!!!
#2. Marigold:
This beautiful flower mostly planted for ornamental purposes is another great companion plant for kale.
Not only does it add beauty to your farm, but it also attracts certain insects that feed on pests.
This makes your kale pest free and enhances its growth.
Furthermore, it is known that certain species of Marigold, namely African and French Marigolds, have the ability to suppress nematodes that attack plant roots.
Besides its incredible companionability to kale, marigolds make good companion plants to most other garden crops.
Also, it is one of the Best Flowers To Grow In Your Garden.
#3. Celery:
Celery is one of those crops that is ideal for companion planting with kale.
First, you should know that celery is a rich vegetable that has a scent that drives certain insects away from the garden.
And doing so helps your kale and other members of the cabbage family to be less prone to the attack of damaging pests.
Therefore, you really don’t have to worry about herbicides and their effect on your farm.
Also, see How To Stop Grass From Growing Fast.
#4. Onions:
Onions are a great companion plant for pest control as well.
With onions in your garden, you do not have to bother about pests like aphids, Cabbage loopers, maggots, Cabbage worms, rabbits etc
Onions also are one of the Best Zucchini Companion Plants.
#5. Beets:
Another great companion plant for kale is the Beet plant.
Beets add a certain amount of nutritious minerals to the soil, which aids the growth of kale.
Also, it is very beneficial to other members of the cabbage family.
Also, Beets is one of the Top 10 Parsley Companion Plants.
#6. Sorghum:
Sorghum is one of the best kale companion plants.
It attracts parasitic wasps that in turn kill other pests that come to damage your kale.
Another name for sorghum is broom corn.
#7. Pole Beans:
Pole Beans is that companion plant you need to give your kale partial shade and protect them from too much sun.
Also, they supply a certain amount of nitrogen to the soil which your kale takes in slowly for better growth.
Pole beans supply nitrogen to the soil because they are leguminous plants and legumes are known to be nitrogen-fixing plants.
#8. Hyssop:
Another crop to plant with kale is Hyssop.
Hyssop attracts benefits that help a great deal in pollination. It also acts as a repellent that keeps away certain pests such as cabbage moths, larvae and cabbage butterflies.
Therefore it is of great advantage to the kale family.
#9. Chamomile
Chamomile is a good companion plant for kale.
It helps to keep pests away from the plant and also provides a partial shade. and pepper never goes wrong in any meal.
It is a recommended plant that is worth being present in every garden.
#10. Garlic
Garlic just like an onion is one beneficial plant to grow with kale.
They do a great job in deterring pests that cause damage to kale such as most insects and aphids.
You should see the Top 10 Garlic Companion Plants.
Other plants that do well as companion plants when you plant them with kale include;
- Dill
- Potatoes
- Buckwheat
- Rosemary
- Cilantro
- Coriander
- Chives
- Leeks
- Nasturtium.
- Hairy vetch
What Plants Should I Not Plant With Kale?
As much as you’re looking for companion plants to follow through with the benefits of Companion Planting this season, there are crops you should not plant if you’re planting kale.
These plants either compete for soil nutrients and space, or they have a toxic nature that can eliminate your desired crop.
That will result in a low harvest as well as poor performance of crops.
Whatever research you want to do, do not plant these plants close to kale:
- Sunflower
- Broccoli
- Strawberries
- Basil
The above-mentioned plants are very harmful to kale in different ways.
Some of these plants attract pests and diseases which may affect your kale.
If you’re intending to get a bountiful kale harvest, do not plant these crops with kale.
Frequently Asked Questions About What To Plant With Kale.
Can I Plant Kale With Broccoli?
No! Broccoli and kale are of the same family and cannot grow together.
This is because they are likely to be affected by the same pests and diseases.
If you plant them together, it will only take a matter of time before there’s an inflow of such diseases which will be detrimental to their growth.
How Do I Water Kale For Optimum Growth?
The kale plant needs an adequate supply of water for maximum growth.
You can water your kale with about one to one and a half inches of water every week.
However, if your kale is in a pot, you might have to water it much more.
Can I Plant Marigolds With Kale?
Yes, Marigolds are good kale companions.
They serve as pest repellent by attracting beneficial insects that would eat up other pests that attack kale.
Can I Grow Kale Indoors?
Amazingly the answer is yes you can.
And as long as you want.
However, you must make sure to provide it with enough light and moisture.
This is good news for those who do not have enough space in their gardens.
Check out our article on Indoor Gardening.
Summary
Now you have learnt the different kale companion plants.
What’s next?
Put your learning into action, and increase your chance of having a great harvest, by employing the techniques of companion planting and with the various plants that are best planted with kale
Also do not forget to read this article on How To Prepare The Soil For Planting Vegetables.
It will help you go a long way !!!
