Good companion plants and mixed crops in the greenhouse

Prevent plant diseases and pests in the greenhouse by planting the right crops in proximity to each other.

Now that the greenhouse season has started, many of you have probably begun to think about how to arrange the greenhouse plants. Therefore, we think it is a good time to look at which plants thrive well next to each other, and which plants should be placed with some distance in the greenhouse. Because not all plants are equally beneficial for each other.

Why think about good companion plants and mixed crops in the greenhouse?

There are several benefits to arranging the greenhouse based on which plants are beneficial for each other. In addition to optimizing greenhouse space, good companion plants promote growth by providing energy and nutrients for each other, and by preventing plant diseases and pests.

Good companion plants don't just have to be other vegetables but can also include different plant species such as flowers, herbs, and vegetables - also called mixed cropping. Especially flowers and umbelliferous herbs help keeping pests away, while marigolds, borage, clover, etc., help improving the soil in the greenhouse.

If you would like to learn more about which plants thrive particularly well next to each other in order to make the best plan for your greenhouse, you can take a look at the overview below.

 

Good and bad companion plants in the greenhouse

If you are new to companion planting and mixed crops, it can be a bit of a puzzle to figure out which plants are good for each other. With inspiration from several garden sites and our own cultivation experience, we have compiled a list of which plants are good and bad companion plants for some of the classic greenhouse plants.

 

Plant species	Good companion plants	Bad companion plants
Tomato	Marigolds, basil, coriander, dill, calendula, nasturtium, bush beans, lettuce, spinach	Cucumber, melon, peas, fennel, potatoes
Cucumber and melon	Marigolds, basil, coriander, dill, cumin, beans, lettuce, nasturtium	Tomato, radish, potato
Bell pepper and chili	Marigolds, basil, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, squash, eggplant, cucumber	Tomato, fennel, beans, cabbage
Aubergine	Marigolds, basil, coriander, thyme, catnip, nasturtium, lettuce, bell pepper, bush beans
Courgette / Squash	Dill or fennel, oregano, parsley, nasturtium, calendula, clover, borage, amaranth, pole beans	No immediate bad companion plants
Spinach	Cabbage, radish, radish, celery, pole bean, tomato	No immediate bad companion plants
Lettuce	Dill, fennel, cress, mint, thyme, chervil, red clover, cabbage, bean, radish, tomato, cucumber	Celery, parsley
Cabbage	Marigold, coriander, dill, chamomile, rosemary, sage, wormwood, cumin, mint, clover, calendula, bean, beetroot, celery, head lettuce, loose-leaf lettuce, spinach, tomato	Tomato, pole bean, strawberry, garlic, yellow mustard

As you may have noticed, coriander, basil, and marigold are among the plants that are good to grow with most greenhouse plants, especially tomato, cucumber, and melon. So, if it seems somewhat overwhelming to make a greenhouse plan based on optimal companion plants, it's a good start to introduce these into the greenhouse.

Marigold is generally a really good flower to grow in the greenhouse with your other crops. In addition to being a beautiful edible flower, it can prevent soil fatigue and nematodes, and with its somewhat special "scent," it can scare off annoying pests.