10 Best Pepper Companion Plants And 5 You Should Avoid

If you are thinking of adding other beneficial crops to your pepper garden, then continue reading this article to see the list of best pepper companion plants.

If you desire to have a bountiful harvest from your small pepper garden, do not grow them alone.

Why?

Because companion planting does not just give you a bountiful harvest but also wards off pests and diseases that may affect your plant.

Take advantage and maximize the benefits of the companion crops we are about to share below.

Most of them are herbs, while others are vegetables and even flowers.

However, the ideal plants to plant with peppers are carrots, eggplant, petunias, tomatoes, dill, etc. 

With companion planting, this strategy positively benefits the other plant in close proximity.

Some companions provide peppers 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 pepper companion plants that have been proven to increase your harvest yield.

All you have to do is plant them in close proximity to your pepper plant.

So, read on for the best companion plants for pepper.

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 one 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 gardeners’ 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 Peppers

There are many companion plants for peppers. 

These plants suit the growth of peppers and favor their overall survival in the garden.

Some of these plants include herbs like basil, parsley, and dill; vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and eggplant; and flowers like nasturtiums, geraniums, and petunias. 

Let’s go into most of these favorable plants that you can grow with peppers.

#1. Basil:

Basil is a herbaceous plant best grown during sunny weather. Though a herb, basil does well on its own.

You can get a great harvest for Basil whether you plant them with companion plants or not.

Companion planting basil with peppers is more beneficial to the pepper rather than to the basil plant.

One of the benefits of companion planting basil with pepper is that basil boosts the flavor of peppers.

Also, it deters most garden pests including flies, mosquitoes, thrips, aphids, and spider mites. 

So while you’re growing basil for consumption, it keeps your pepper farm flourishing.

#2. Carrots:

Carrots are one of the pepper companion plants. 

The combination of peppers and carrots in the garden provides a living mulch for the pepper plant. 

Carrot is a root crop and therefore does not compete with the pepper plant for space. 

And also, help in spacing out the peppers in the right way.

Even better, they are good for weed control. The absence of weeds on the farm gives your peppers a good chance to grow vigorously. 

#3. Chard:

Swiss chard is one of those crops that is ideal for companion planting. 

And besides peppers, Swiss chard is one of the Best Garlic Companion Plants.

When combined with peppers in the garden, Swiss chard is a lot beneficial as it offers protection from the winds.

Furthermore, if you’re looking for a plant to add color to your garden, Chards also add great color to your garden.

Also, Swiss chard serves as a shade, it shades the pepper plant from too much sunlight. 

Lastly, Swiss chards make weeds uncomfortable. 

You don’t have to worry about herbicides or weeding for your pepper garden that is planted with Swiss chard.

4. Spinach:

Spinach is a great companion plant for weed control.

Also, they help in the spacing of the peppers while not in competition for sunlight or water. 

Rather than growing tall, spinach grows large. This is great to be able to accommodate both plants.

The low growth of spinach is beneficial to the pepper plant but may require growing into larger plants.

#5. Leeks:

Leeks are plants belonging to a family of plants whose other members are onions and garlic. 

Although many people do not know of leeks as much as onions and garlic, leeks are quite good when combined with peppers in companion planting.

Leeks do not compete for space because they take up very little space.

Also, their repugnant odor repels insects such as carrot flies that destroy the carrot fruit. 

Also, the small stature of leeks is a great advantage to spacing out the garden.

#6. Radishes:

Radishes are one of the best pepper companion plants.

If you’re looking to plant companion crops with pepper and space is a disadvantage, radishes are the plants to go for.

Radishes help you maximize the space in your garden and that is the major benefit they affect as companion crops to peppers.

Because radishes grow fast, it gives you Harvey before your peppers mature. 

It takes about 4 weeks for radishes to mature.

#7. Okra:

Okra is that companion plant you need to give your pepper partial shade and protect against strong winds. 

Also, they repel pests and disastrous insects such as aphids from infesting the garden. 

#8. Lettuce:

Another crop to plant with pepper is lettuce.

Lettuce has a small stature and is best for space maximization. Also, they do a great job crowding out weeds from infesting your garden.

#9. Onions:

The combination of onions and pepper never goes wrong in any meal. And that same bonding loves they share in the garden as well.

The onion plant offers the gardener both edible leaves and roots. And in addition, they offer great relationships when you plant them with pepper.

Onions do a great job of keeping off pests such as cabbage worms, slugs, aphids, and many others from the garden.

#10. Chives:

Chives are like garlic and are one of the Best Carrot Companion Plants.

They improve the yields and flavor of your peppers. Also, they do a great job of deterring pests such as insects and aphids.

Other plants that do well as companion plants when you plant them with pepper include;

• Beets
• Corn
• Beans
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Garlic
• Squash
• Oregano
• Dill
• Peas
• Lovage
• Petunia
• Parsley
• Marjoram
• Buckwheat
• Cucumbers
• Rosemary
• Eggplant
• Geraniums
• Marigolds
• Nasturtium.

Plants You Will Regret Planting With Peppers

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 pepper.

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 peppers:

• Kale
• Fennel
• Apricots
• Kohlrabi
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Mustard plants
• Brassica family
• Brussels sprouts
• Beans (for jalapenos)
• Peas (for jalapenos)
• Soybeans (bell pepper)
• Lima beans (bell pepper)

The abovementioned plants are very harmful to peppers in different ways. 

Some of these plants attract pests and diseases which may affect the peppers.

If you’re intending to get a bountiful pepper harvest, do not plant these crops with peppers.

Frequently Asked Questions About What To Plant With Peppers.

What Happens If You Plant Peppers Too Close Together?

When you plant peppers of different varieties together, chances are high that they will likely cross-pollinate.

What this means is that your sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) will not become hot if they are pollinated by your ghost peppers (Capsicum chinense).

But not to worry, this does not affect your crop during the current season. 

You just have a hotter or sweeter pepper.

Can I Plant Tomatoes and Peppers Together?

Absolutely! You can grow tomatoes and pepper together. 

Although tomatoes are not the best companion plant for pepper, it has no adverse effect on them either.

However, the only deterring factor is that both are members of the Nightshade or Solanaceae families and growing them together can increase the risk that the disease will spread among them.

This will be worse if both are grown in the same bed as each other.

Can I Plant Marigolds With Pepper?

Yes, Marigolds are good pepper companions

What Can I Plant Next To Jalapeno Peppers?

For jalapeno peppers, the best companion plants include the following:

• Dill
• Garlic
• Carrots
• Marjoram
• Parsley
• Chives
• Oregano
• Coriander
• Asparagus
• Eggplants
• Cucumbers

A lot of the companion plants for other peppers are also available for the jalapenos.

Summary

Besides the beautiful touch of red, green, and yellow colors it adds to the garden, pepper is one of the Easy Vegetables To Grow All Year Round In Pots.

Growing them does not just add beauty to the garden, it also gives you one of the fastest and most bountiful harvests.

To increase your chance of having a great harvest, you need to employ the technique of companion planting and know what plants are best planted with pepper.

Also do not forget to read this article on How To Prepare The Soil For Planting Vegetables.

It will go a long way for you!!!

References

• Pepper Scale
• Treehugger
• Gardenine