Companion Plants For Basil

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Growing basil in the garden is very rewarding. Not only do you have one of the most popular herbs available to you fresh right from the garden, but you can also use it in companion planting.

Using basil as a companion plant can help keep bugs off your other crops, and it can even improve the flovor of some garden crops. In this post we go over the best companion plants for basil and what not to plant with basil.

Good Companion Plants For Basil

Asparagus
Beans
Beets
Blueberries
Borage
Carrots
Celery
Chamomile
Chives
Cilantro
Corn
Eggplant
Lettuce
Marigolds
Marjoram
Okra
Parsley
Peppers
Potatoes
Radishes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Turnips

Asparagus and basil being planted together makes a great combo to attract ladybugs. Having more ladybugs means that you have a natural pest control for aphids. Basil benefits asparagus as a companion plant by repelling asparagus beetles.

Beans benefit from basil keeping harmful insects away. Find different kinds of green beans you can plant with your basil.

Companion Plants for Green Beans

Beets, Turnips, Carrots, and Radishes all are good companion crops to pair with basil. Basil helps keep away pests from the green tops of these root vegetables.

Companion Plants for Radishes

Blueberries can make a good companion plant for basil because basil can tolerate the acidic soil that blueberries need. And Basil can help bring in pollinators to the area once it flowers.

Borage helps attract honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators. This will help benefit all of your garden crops. It also has the ability to provide natural pest control. Borage helps repel pests like tomato hornwomrs, which can come in handy if you want to add tomatoes to the companion planting mix of basil and borage.

Chamomile is a good companion plant for basil. Basil gets improved flavor when planted near chamomile.

Corn benefits from basil leaves after they have fallen and dried. These dried basil leaves will help deter maize weevils. When planting basil with corn as a companion crop, make sure your basil is in a position to receive sun and not have growing corn stalks block out the sunlight. Another option would be to take dried basil leaves from other locations in the garden and scatter them around your corn as it’s growing.

Lettuce benefits from basil being planted nearby. Along with pest repelling abilities, basil can also help improve the flavor of lettuce when used as a companion crop.

Marigolds can add to the insect repelling abilities of basil by making a great combo to use with other crops like tomatoes or peppers.

Companion Plants for Marigolds

Peppers: Both hot peppers and bell peppers are good companion plants for basil. Basil can help repel unwanted pests away from your pepper plants and it also provides a natural ground cover to help keep weeds away and keep moisture in the soil.

Potatoes: When basil is used as a companion plant for potatoes, it helps improve the potato’s flavor. You also get the attraction of pollinators which can help your growing potato plants.

Spinach benefits from basil’s insect repelling abilities. Find other companion plants for spinach.

Tomatoes are a common companion crop for basil in home gardens. Basil helps keep the tomato hornworm and thrips away. Another benefit of using tomatoes as a companion plant with basil is that it has been shown that basil increases the flavor and yield of tomato plants.

What Not To Plant With Basil

Cucumbers
Fennel
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Rue
Sage
Thyme

Kale does not do well growing alongside basil in the ground.

Fennel should always be grown by itself as it does not make a good companion crop for anything in the garden.

Oregano and Rosemary don’t have the same watering needs as basil does. So it is best if planting these two next to each other to put them in separate containers rather than planting them in the ground next to each other.

Companion Plants for Oregano

Thyme, like Rosemary, has different soil and water requirements than what basil requires. So it is best to not plant these two next to each other in the ground.

Frequently Asked Questions About Companion Plants For Basil

What other herbs grow well with basil?

Parsley, Marjoram, Chamomile, Chives, Cilantro, and Oregano all are good herbs to plant with your basil. They all can help increase the flavor of basil.

Can basil and rosemary be planted together?

Rosemary and basil both have differing water requirements, so they are best kept separated in the garden.

Can cilantro grow with basil?

Cilantro and basil can be grown together. You can grow these two in either the garden or even in a large container for an indoor or urban garden. Both of these herbs have the same watering requirements, so there won’t be an issue of differing needs between the two.