Top 10 Turnip Companion Plants
If you are thinking of companion planting for turnips this season, here is a list of turnip companion plants and crops.
If you are hoping to get the best out of your garden space this season, you need not overlook companion planting.
In this guide, we have come up with a list of companion plants as we did for garlic at your request.
Companion planting is a gardening trick that has come to stay. Whether you’re planning a Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening or Indoor Vegetable Gardening, companion farming works best in both cases.
However, this process may be a little risky but you have nothing to fear if you familiarize yourself with the companion chart.
Understanding this concept will help you make art out of your garden.
Every farmer wants that.
Let’s show you the companion plants for turnips!!!
What Is Companion Planting?
As the name rightly specifies, companion planting is a gardening method in which the gardener plants different plants in proximity for special effects. 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.
Here are more important things you should know about companion plants for turnip vegetables.
Why Companion Planting?
As important as it may be, most farmers do not know the benefits in stock for them if they choose a companion plant.
For vegetable farmers, companion planting is an excellent idea and a great step in the right direction.
Some of the benefits of companion planting include;
#1. Companion Plants Wards Off Certain Insects And Attracts Pollinators.
Most companion crops see to it that there are no pests near your farm and at the same time they attract a certain kind of creepy crawlies to your crop.
Bees and other beneficial insects naturally fly toward your crops because of these plants. You know what pollination is on your farm.
Also in the same vein, they repel harmful insects such as beetles and aphids.
#2. Companion Plants Are Great for Shade and Support.
Just like lettuce and swiss chard,m to turnips, companion plants offer your plants shades and support while they grow.
However, you have to follow the companion chart to make this benefit beneficial.
Right tall-growing plants should be paired with other climbing or low-rising plants, by doing so, their growth could significantly improve.
For instance, plant corn and climbing beans together.
#3. Companion Crops Suppress Weeds and Improve Soil Quality.
Weeds have never been a good idea in the farming environment. Most sensitive crops do not survive in their presence.
Companion plants such as potatoes are going to help you to curb that problem. Potatoes leave very little room for weeds to grow and pollute the soil.
In addition to that, companion planting is one way to improve soil quality.
Majorly, You can achieve this by planting nitrogen-fixing companion plants as long as they are compatible.
Some of these plants are legumes such as peas, beans, etc.
#4. Companion Plants Help Improve Plant Growth and Health.
One of the things companion planting helps you to get as a farmer is good to plant health and growth.
This process helps to change the soil biochemistry and favor each of your plants.
Using this farming or gardening technique, you get a healthy and good harvest.
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.
What is The Perfect Companion Plants Combination For A Vegetable Garden?
Vegetables grow very well when they are planted close to their companion crops.
However, beyond this, you need to know How To Prepare Soil For Planting Vegetables. This is so because the soil is one of the determining factors that support plant growth.
Also, planting companion crops will be more beneficial to you if you know the best things to plant in a garden.
You may want to check out the Easy Vegetables To Grow All Year Round in Pots.
The perfect combination of companion planting in a vegetable garden includes the following plants;
- Maize
- Winter squash
- Climbing beans.
The winter squash helps the ground stay moist and shaded. Also, its prickly leaves keep pests and weeds away.
The Maize helps the climbing beans grow high. And the climbing beans fix nitrogen in the soil.
Therefore, you may just need to add a little NPK with these combinations in your Vegetable Garden.
Turnip is one of the vegetable garden plants whose companion plants benefit highly.
Top 10 Turnip Companion Plants
Before we talk about the companion crops for this vegetable, it’s ideal we give you a little exposé on the plant: turnip.
Turnips are one of the best garden vegetables.
Its presence in salad gives it an exceptional and phenomenal taste.
Just like garlic, turnips are great companion crops to a variety of plants. However, they too thrive well when planted alongside other plants which you will find out below.
Here is a list of plants that benefit turnip plants;
#1. Chives Garlic:
Chives Garlic is one of those nonedible plants.
Its leaves and flowers are beautiful, luscious, and very attractive but they are not edible.
Chives Garlic is best planted with turnips because of its natural ability to repel pests, particularly aphids.
This pest-repellent property wards off many other pests that do not favor the growth of turnips.
Additionally, chives garlic also improves the flavor of their companions.
Therefore besides warding off pests, your turnips get to have a special taste courtesy of Chives Garlic.
#2. Garlic (Allium Sativum):
This is the edible garlic.
The kind that you use regularly in your kitchen. Asides from it being a great kitchen vegetable, it’s also one of the best companion plants.
Incredibly planting garlic alongside turnips is a great vegetable gardening trick.
Both have a mutual relationship because they complement each other’s growth by repelling insects.
The smell of garlic is repugnant, and insects such as aphids, Japanese beetles, and onion flies will stay far away from your garden.
This is great because you will have a good harvest, fresh and without blemish.
Check out Garlic Companion Plants.
#3. Thyme:
Thyme is one of the turnip companion plants.
This is a herb with a characteristic aromatic smell.
Its scent does not only make food appealing and tasty, but it also makes thyme an ideal contender for companion planting.
Cabbage vegetables are often affected by cabbage white butterflies, turnip included.
However, when you plant thyme along with turnips they repel these pesky butterflies.
Also, thyme as companion plants for turnips helps to attract beneficial insects or pollinators.
Thyme attracts insects such as bees and hoverflies.
#4. Mint:
Mint is great for companion planting on a turnip farm.
If you’re looking for a beneficial herb to plant alongside Turnip, Mint is among the best herbs for planting with Turnip.
When planted together, they strongly repel most harmful insects.
In a garden where the Catmint and Turnip are planted, flea beetles never get close.
Both plants ward off the most harmful pests for turnips.
Such pests include; aphids, weevils, and ants.
With Catmint in the garden, your turnips can grow without any attacks from pests.
#5. Peas:
Who would have thought that peas are great companion plants for turnips?
Well, it is.
Peas make an excellent companion for your turnip plant. As a member of the legume family, they have by nature nitrogen-fixing properties.
Peas fix nitrogen in the soil for plants. When you grow your turnip plant with your peas, your turnip will be able to use the nitrogen from the soil more effectively.
Also, peas’ nature of growth (growing upwards) is a great benefit because turnips tend to grow underground, below the soil.
With this, there will be no competition for space in the garden. So you get to plant two crops in one place and not have a stuffy garden.
#6. Vetch:
Plants like vetches fall under the legume family and make an excellent companion plants for turnips.
Just like planting peas in the garden, vetch will allow their garden companions to use the nitrogen in the soil better because by nature they supply nitrogen to the soil.
Vetch is the ideal companion plant for turnips if your soil quality needs improvement.
You can also consider this guide we have written to help you improve your soil quality: Composting For Beginners.
#7. Pole Beans and Bush Beans
Other leguminous plants that are great turnip companion plants are pole beans and bush beans.
Generally, pole beans and bush beans are best for companion planting.
These duos are great for improving the quality of your garden soil for your crops.
Besides these two species of beans, all types of beans make excellent companions. However, you need to be sure the beans are favorable to the crop you want to plant.
Using their natural nitrogen-fixing ability, they will allow their companion plants to help utilize the nitrogen in the soil.
In other words, your turnips will grow well without worrying about the amount of nitrogen in the soil.
#8. Lettuce
Generally, Lettuce is a great companion for most garden vegetables such as celery, strawberries, squash, and spinach.
By nature, the lettuce plant is the best shade regulator.
This attribute favors underground plants like turnips. It shades it from much Sunlight enabling them to grow well.
Besides that, lettuce attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies just like most other companion crops.
#9. Swiss Chard
Swiss chard also provides dense shade to their companion plants just like lettuce.
Without these shades, your turnips are at risk of being burnt by the harsh sun.
I’m sure you wouldn’t want that.
#10. Tomatoes
Last on the list of our turnip companion plants are tomatoes.
Although delicate, tomatoes are more of the receiver in this companionship. This is so because when you grow tomatoes with turnips, the turnips repel aphids that attack tomatoes.
You can learn more about tomato companion plants as well.
These are the top 10 Plants you can plant alongside your turnips that will help them grow to their full potential and give you a great harvest
What Should I Not Plant Alongside My Turnips?
As we earlier described, not all companion plants can favor certain plants.
Whatever you do, do not plant the following plants alongside turnips;
- Onion
- Knot Weed
- Hedge Mustard
These plants, though beneficial to many other plants, are not ideal to be planted close to turnips.
They affect the growth and eventually give you a scrawny harvest.
Summary
Companion planting is a beneficial trick that makes excellent farmers.
Most professional gardeners rely on companion planting to ensure their crops grow to their maximum potential.
All you have to do is ensure you are planting the right combination of plants.
Do your research and know what plant is ideal for which plant.
Because turnips are highly compatible by nature, you will get the best harvest if you follow our guide.
Feel free to explore other articles on our site. We have written them to make you a great farmer!!!
