Cabbage Companion Plants

Marigolds are a practical companion plant to ward off cabbage moths and other garden pests while drawing in beneficial insects like ladybugs and hoverflies that feed off aphids and other harmful insects.

Thyme is an excellent companion plant for cabbage as it naturally repels common pests such as aphids and flea beetles while helping prevent rot and improve soil nutrient absorption.

Bush Beans

Bush beans are easy to cultivate and should be planted after the last frost has passed. Sow the seeds about an inch and a half deep and two to three inches apart; bush beans usually begin yielding in two weeks, so gardeners often recommend succession planting every two weeks for maximum harvest potential.

Beans pair well with beets, kale, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts as part of the Brassica family of vegetables, providing shade to these crops, which lengthen their growing seasons and add nitrogen into the soil for the benefit of cruciferous vegetables.

Beans contain phytic acid, which, when consumed in excess, can block your body from absorbing essential minerals like calcium, zinc, and iron. To minimize their phytic acid content and ensure they can drink them entirely by the body, cook and soak beans in water to drastically lower them before eating them.

Planting bush beans near plants that repel cabbage butterfly caterpillars is an intelligent idea. Catnip, chamomile, coriander, and yarrow repel them while inviting parasitic wasps that lay their eggs inside cabbage caterpillars, killing them off. Rue is best kept at bay.

Pole Beans

Pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) resemble bush beans in that they grow in an upright vining pattern and require trellises for support. Numerous stunning varieties, such as Kentucky Wonder, Scarlet Wonder, Kentucky Blue, and Blauhilde Musica Speckled Calico, make this bean especially worthwhile! Young plants are stringless when harvested fresh or dried into shell beans to be eaten fresh or dried into shell beans later. With an extended growing season that often extends well past frost dates, pole beans can keep producing even after frost arrives!

Pole and bush beans release nitrogen into the soil, helping other vegetables and flowers flourish. They work particularly well in warm-season gardens such as corn, squash, and beefsteak tomatoes. Furthermore, pole and bush beans are great companions for carrots, radishes, and beets as they uncover nutrients otherwise unavailable to these plants.

Pole beans are often planted near cabbages and other brassicas as they provide shade from the hot afternoon sun, benefiting broccoli, cauliflower, and kale in nearby gardens. Chamomile can also help by repelling cabbage moths that threaten these cool-season veggies; additionally, it thrives well under partial shade conditions, making it an excellent option if gardening space is limited.

Peas

Peas are ideal companion plants for cabbage. Both share similar needs for growth – full sun and medium fertile soil are needed, while both require ample water. Peas provide nitrogen to cabbage while serving as host plants for beneficial insects like hoverflies and wasps, reducing insect pests in your garden.

Thyme is another widely-used vegetable companion plant. This aromatic herb naturally repels flea beetles from your garden and protects from fungal and other plant diseases that might threaten cabbage crops.

Rosemary makes an ideal companion plant for all brassica vegetables, such as cabbage. Its strong scent can enhance their flavor and deters cabbage moths and other pest insects from attacking.

Sage is another fragrant herb that can be planted near cabbage to repel cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles naturally and reduce chemical insecticide use. Sage grows annually in zones 4-8, so it can be planted again year after year, making companion planting part of an organic gardening system appealing.

Mache

Planting vegetables close together has long been proven to reduce pest pressure, including mache. A member of the brassica family (which also includes kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower), it thrives well with cabbage in relaxed weather environments. It has similar soil requirements and pest issues as its counterpart. Mache can benefit from using well-composted compost or manure before planting as it helps ensure optimal results.

Mache is an early-season crop that matures quickly, meaning harvest can occur before cabbage transplants have reached their intended destinations. Its cold temperature tolerance makes it an excellent winter cover crop solution, perfect for use around beds where cabbage will take center stage without overshadowing it!

A great companion for mache is yarrow, which repels cabbage moths while drawing beneficial lacewing insects to the garden. Various yarrow cultivars are available, and its flowers add color to your garden as a perennial. Other perennials that help control cabbage moths include chives, dill, and wormwood, which all work to deter cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles.

Onions

Brassica family vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale benefit significantly from growing onions in their gardens, which serve to deter common garden pests such as cabbage moths, loopers, aphids, and other cruciferous vegetable pests. Onions provide a natural alternative to insecticides for many vegetables.

Onions and their relatives (rutabaga and turnips) make ideal companion plants for crops with deep root systems like carrots and parsnips, helping unearth soil nutrients and replenishing topsoil. Furthermore, onions don’t compete for nutrients with cabbage for growing space on your plot!

Arugula is an aromatic cool-season green that thrives near cabbage. When flea beetles appear on your arugula plants, cover them with insect netting or row covers until the flea beetles have moved on to other targets.

Other herbs and flowers make ideal partners for cabbage, such as marigolds, which help protect it against cabbage moths. Aromatic herbs like chamomile, wormwood, chives, and summer savory enhance its flavor while deterring insect pests such as aphids and flea beetles and attracting pollinators. Clover makes a beneficial companion plant as it protects against nematodes while providing a living mulch that maintains soil moisture retention.

Chives

Chives make an ideal companion plant for cabbage as they protect from common pests such as cabbage loopers, flea beetles, and slugs. Furthermore, these delicious herbs also help prevent fungal diseases that can threaten this cool-season crop. Chives can easily fit between cabbage plants with other cool-season veggies like radishes, carrots, and beets in any garden space.

Marigolds are an ideal cabbage companion plant choice. Their ability to deter and distract various brassica pest insects (thrips, aphids, cabbage moths) makes them invaluable defenses against brassica pests like thrips. Not only that, but these vibrant blooms also bring color and beauty into any vegetable garden!

Mint makes an ideal companion plant for cabbage because it deters many pesky brassica pests, such as moths, aphids, and flea beetles that feed on it. Furthermore, mint attracts beneficial insects like earthworms, which help improve soil conditions – all great reasons to partner with them in your garden!

Clover makes an excellent companion plant for cabbage as its nitrogen-fixing capabilities help replenish soil nutrients consumed by cabbage plants, leading to healthier plants with increased yields – making crimson clover a trendy choice in organic gardens.

Catnip

Catnip is an excellent companion plant to grow with cabbage as it repels aphids, cabbage loopers, and flea beetles and draws pollinators into your garden. Plus, its easy-care requirements mean seeds can be planted directly in spring or fall for easy cultivation! When mature, mature catnip plants tolerate light frosts as a bonus, making it the perfect match with both early-season and late-season crops of cabbage!

Nepetalactone, the active ingredient found in catnip that attracts and affects cats, acts like marijuana or LSD when smelled by cats; upon inhaling its oil, it triggers a similar response in their brains as when people smoke marijuana or LSD; this makes cats lick, rub and roll in it for up to 10 minutes before its effects wear off. Catnip also works well as an effective deterrent against rodents (cats and mice), so planting it around cabbage plants will further keep these pests away.

Other useful companion plants for cabbage include onions, parsley, chives, and marigolds – these flowers help repel pests while adding beauty to the garden. Avoid planting Brussels sprouts, cauliflower peppers, squash, and pumpkins nearby, as these crops contain large leaves that will shade out cabbage plants.