Printable Cheat Sheets — Plot Buddies

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Vegetable Companions

20 common veggies × their best garden friends

Vegetable	Best Companions	Avoid Planting With
🥕 Carrot	Onion, Leek, Rosemary, Sage, Chives, Lettuce, Tomato, Pea, Radish	Dill, Parsnip, Fennel
🍅 Tomato	Basil, Marigold, Carrot, Onion, Garlic, Parsley, Asparagus, Nasturtium, Borage	Fennel, Potato, Dill, Brassicas, Corn
🥒 Cucumber	Bean, Pea, Sunflower, Corn, Dill, Nasturtium, Radish, Lettuce, Marigold	Sage, Potato, Aromatic Herbs
🫘 Bean (Bush)	Carrot, Cucumber, Corn, Potato, Strawberry, Celery, Summer Savory, Marigold	Onion, Garlic, Fennel, Gladiolus
🫛 Pea	Carrot, Radish, Cucumber, Corn, Bean, Turnip, Spinach, Potato, Mint	Onion, Garlic, Gladiolus
🥬 Lettuce	Carrot, Radish, Strawberry, Cucumber, Onion, Beet, Chives, Nasturtium	Parsley, Celery (crowding)
🥔 Potato	Bean, Corn, Cabbage, Horseradish, Marigold, Eggplant, Pea, Nasturtium	Tomato, Cucumber, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Raspberry
🧅 Onion	Carrot, Beet, Chamomile, Summer Savory, Lettuce, Strawberry, Tomato	Pea, Bean, Sage, Asparagus
🧄 Garlic	Rose, Raspberry, Tomato, Fruit Trees, Beet, Lettuce, Cabbage	Pea, Bean, Parsley, Sage
🌽 Corn	Bean, Squash, Pumpkin, Pea, Cucumber, Potato, Sunflower, Dill	Tomato, Celery
🥦 Broccoli	Dill, Celery, Chamomile, Sage, Rosemary, Beet, Onion, Potato, Nasturtium	Tomato, Strawberry, Pole Bean, Mustard
🥬 Cabbage	Dill, Celery, Onion, Potato, Chamomile, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Nasturtium	Strawberry, Tomato, Pole Bean, Rue
🌿 Spinach	Strawberry, Pea, Bean, Radish, Cabbage Family, Nasturtium	Potato (competes)
🫑 Pepper	Basil, Marigold, Carrot, Onion, Tomato, Okra, Parsley, Petunia	Fennel, Kohlrabi, Apricot
🍆 Eggplant	Bean, Marigold, Pepper, Potato, Spinach, Thyme, Tarragon	Fennel
🥕 Beet	Onion, Cabbage, Lettuce, Radish, Bush Bean, Kohlrabi, Mint	Pole Bean, Mustard
🌱 Radish	Pea, Nasturtium, Lettuce, Cucumber, Spinach, Chervil, Bean	Hyssop, Potato (if crowded)
🎃 Squash/Pumpkin	Corn, Bean, Nasturtium, Marigold, Oregano, Radish, Borage	Potato
🥬 Kale	Beet, Onion, Celery, Potato, Dill, Chamomile, Rosemary, Nasturtium	Strawberry, Tomato
🥕 Celery	Bean, Cabbage Family, Leek, Tomato, Dill, Chamomile, Nasturtium	Parsnip, Potato

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Herb Companions

Which herbs help which vegetables — and how

Herb	Helps These Vegetables	How It Helps	Keep Away From
🌿 Basil	Tomato, Pepper, Asparagus, Oregano, Marigold	Repels flies & mosquitoes; improves tomato flavor	Sage, Rue
🌿 Chives	Carrot, Tomato, Apple, Rose, Cucumber, Lettuce	Repels aphids & carrot fly; prevents apple scab	Pea, Bean
🌿 Dill	Cabbage, Broccoli, Lettuce, Onion, Corn, Cucumber	Attracts beneficial wasps & hoverflies	Carrot, Tomato
🌿 Mint	Cabbage, Tomato, Pea, Bean, Rose	Repels cabbage moth, ants, & flea beetles	Parsley (invasive; containerize!)
🌿 Rosemary	Broccoli, Cabbage, Bean, Carrot, Sage	Repels cabbage moth & bean beetles	Basil, Potato
🌿 Sage	Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Rosemary, Strawberry	Repels cabbage moth & carrot fly	Cucumber, Onion, Rue
🌿 Thyme	Cabbage, Broccoli, Tomato, Eggplant, Strawberry, Rose	Repels cabbage worm & whitefly; ground cover	—
🌿 Oregano	All vegetables, especially Brassicas & Squash	General pest repellent; attracts pollinators	—
🌿 Parsley	Asparagus, Tomato, Corn, Rose, Carrot	Attracts hoverflies; improves tomato health	Mint, Lettuce
🌿 Cilantro	Tomato, Spinach, Potato, Pea, Bean, Anise	Repels aphids & spider mites; attracts beneficials	Fennel
🌿 Marjoram	All vegetables, especially Eggplant & Squash	Improves growth & flavor of neighbors	—
🌿 Tarragon	Eggplant, Pepper, All vegetables	General pest repellent; enhances growth	—
🌿 Chamomile	Broccoli, Cabbage, Onion, Cucumber	Improves Brassica & onion flavor; antifungal	—
🌿 Nasturtium	Tomato, Cucumber, Squash, Radish, Brassicas	Trap crop for aphids; repels squash bugs	—
🌿 Borage	Tomato, Squash, Strawberry, Cucumber	Repels tomato hornworm; attracts pollinators	—
🌿 Chervil	Radish, Lettuce, Broccoli, Carrot	Repels slugs & aphids; improves radish flavor	—
🌿 Marigold	Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper, Potato, Squash, Beans	Roots kill nematodes; repels many pests	—
🌿 Lavender	Cabbage, Fruit Trees, Rose, Chamomile	Repels moths & deer; attracts pollinators	—
🌿 Calendula	Tomato, Asparagus, Bean, Pepper	Attracts beneficial insects; repels asparagus beetle	—
🌿 Summer Savory	Bean, Onion, Garlic	Repels bean beetles; improves bean growth	—

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Enemies at a Glance

Never-plant-together pairs — keep these apart!

Plant A	Plant B	Why They Clash
Tomato	Potato	Both Solanaceae — share blight & pests; compete for nutrients
Tomato	Fennel	Fennel inhibits tomato growth; allelopathic
Tomato	Corn	Shared pests (corn earworm = tomato fruitworm)
Tomato	Dill (mature)	Mature dill stunts tomato; plant far apart
Carrot	Dill	Cross-pollinate badly; dill stunts carrot growth
Onion / Garlic	Pea / Bean	Alliums inhibit legume growth; stunt root development
Bean (Pole)	Beet	Beet stunts bean growth; avoid interplanting
Cucumber	Sage	Sage inhibits cucumber growth; keep separated
Cucumber	Potato	Cucumbers encourage potato blight
Potato	Sunflower	Sunflowers release growth inhibitors; stunt potatoes
Potato	Pumpkin/Squash	Crowding & competing roots; squash spreads aggressively
Strawberry	Cabbage/Brassicas	Brassicas stunt strawberry growth
Strawberry	Tomato	Share verticillium wilt; keep well apart
Fennel	Most Vegetables	Fennel is allelopathic — inhibits almost all plants. Keep in a pot or far away
Walnut Tree	Most Garden Plants	Juglone from roots/leaves is toxic to tomatoes, peppers, potatoes & many others
Broccoli	Strawberry	Brassicas & strawberries compete; poor yield for both
Broccoli	Pole Bean	Beans fix nitrogen too aggressively for Brassicas
Pepper	Fennel	Fennel inhibits pepper growth; allelopathic
Sage	Cucumber	Sage aromatics stunt cucumber vines
Rosemary	Potato	Rosemary roots inhibit potato tuber formation
Cabbage	Grape	Cabbage roots release chemicals that damage grape vines
Asparagus	Onion / Garlic	Alliums stunt asparagus growth; separate beds
Radish	Hyssop	Hyssop inhibits radish root development
Lettuce	Parsley	Parsley can crowd & bolt lettuce; they compete
Corn	Celery	Cross-compete for nitrogen; both heavy feeders
Eggplant	Fennel	Fennel is broadly allelopathic to eggplant

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Zone Planting Guide

USDA zones 3–11: frost dates & planting windows

Zone	Temp Range	Last Frost	First Frost	Start Seeds Indoors	Transplant / Direct Sow	Fall Planting
3	−40°F to −30°F	May 30	Sep 10	Mar–Apr (10-12 weeks before last frost)	Late May–early Jun (after frost danger)	Jul–Aug (cool-season crops for fall)
4	−30°F to −20°F	May 15	Sep 20	Mar–Apr (8-10 weeks before last frost)	Mid-May–early Jun	Jul–Aug for fall harvest
5	−20°F to −10°F	May 1	Oct 1	Feb–Mar (8-10 weeks before last frost)	Late Apr–mid May	Late Jul–Aug; garlic in Oct
6	−10°F to 0°F	Apr 15	Oct 15	Feb–Mar (6-8 weeks before last frost)	Mid-Apr–early May	Aug for fall crops; garlic late Oct
7	0°F to 10°F	Apr 1	Oct 25	Jan–Feb (6-8 weeks before last frost)	Late Mar–mid Apr	Aug–Sep for fall/winter; garlic Nov
8	10°F to 20°F	Mar 15	Nov 10	Jan–Feb (6-8 weeks before last frost)	Mid-Mar–early Apr	Sep for winter crops; garlic Nov
9	20°F to 30°F	Feb 15	Nov 25	Dec–Jan (warm-season indoors)	Mid-Feb–Mar	Sep–Oct for winter garden
10	30°F to 40°F	Jan 30	Dec 10	Year-round (cool season in winter)	Year-round (avoid summer heat)	Sep–Nov for winter; summer hiatus
11	40°F+ (no frost)	No frost	No frost	Year-round tropical growing	Year-round; avoid extreme heat	Tropical perennials; year-round

Pro tip: Cool-season crops (spinach, kale, peas, radish, lettuce, broccoli) can go in 4–6 weeks before your last frost date. Warm-season crops (tomato, pepper, squash, cucumber, bean) wait until after all frost danger passes.

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Quick Reference: Top 10 Companion Pairs

The most trusted, time-tested combinations every gardener should know

⭐ 1. Three Sisters

Corn + Beans + Squash

Corn gives beans a trellis. Beans fix nitrogen. Squash shades soil & blocks weeds. The classic Indigenous American trio.

⭐ 2. Tomato + Basil

Tomato + Basil

Basil repels tomato hornworm & whitefly. Studies show it improves tomato flavor & yield. A classic Mediterranean duo.

⭐ 3. Carrot + Onion

Carrot + Onion / Chives

Onion smell masks carrots from carrot fly. Carrot smell confuses onion fly. Mutual pest confusion — brilliant pairing.

⭐ 4. Cabbage + Dill

Cabbage / Broccoli + Dill

Dill attracts parasitic wasps that prey on cabbage worms & loopers. Dramatically reduces caterpillar damage.

⭐ 5. Cucumber + Nasturtium

Cucumber + Nasturtium

Nasturtium acts as a trap crop for aphids, luring them away from cukes. Also repels cucumber beetles & squash bugs.

⭐ 6. Lettuce + Radish

Lettuce + Radish

Radishes germinate fast, marking the row. They loosen soil for lettuce roots. Harvest radishes before lettuce needs the space.

⭐ 7. Potato + Marigold

Potato + Marigold (French)

Marigold roots release nematode-killing compounds. Especially effective against root-knot nematodes that damage potatoes.

⭐ 8. Strawberry + Borage

Strawberry + Borage

Borage attracts pollinators that boost strawberry yield. Research shows it improves berry size & resistance to disease.

⭐ 9. Apple Tree + Chives

Apple Tree + Chives / Garlic

Chives planted beneath apple trees prevent apple scab & repel borers. Garlic does the same for peach trees.

⭐ 10. Rose + Garlic

Rose + Garlic / Chives

Garlic planted near roses repels aphids & blackspot. Improves rose fragrance. A centuries-old gardener's secret.