Companion Planting Made Simple
A practical, no-myths approach to which crops grow happily side by side.
By The Raised Bed Gardener Team · · 5 min read
Companion planting is the idea that some plants grow well together. Some claims are folklore, but a few practical principles are genuinely useful in a small bed.
Pair tall with short
Lettuce tucked at the base of tomatoes enjoys a little afternoon shade in summer and uses space that would otherwise sit empty.
Pair fast with slow
Radishes sown alongside carrots come out long before the carrots need the room.
Classic, easy pairings
- Tomatoes with basil
- Carrots with radishes
- Lettuce beside peppers or tomatoes
- Chives near carrots and lettuce
- Bush beans alongside most leafy greens
A few combinations to avoid
- Very large plants that shade out everything near them
- Crowding many heavy feeders, like tomatoes, into one corner
Beginner tip: Good spacing, sunlight and soil matter more than any companion chart.
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