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Rhubarb can be used in companion planting in the garden to help keep harmful pests away from nearby crops. It can also help provide some shade to the soil to keep it cool. While rhubarb grows well with most vegetables and crops, there are a few that really benefit from being planted with rhubarb as a companion plant. In this article, we go over what are good companion plants for rhubarb and what not to grow with rhubarb in the garden.
Good Companion Plants For Rhubarb
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Garlic
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Onions
- Rhubarb
- Strawberries
- Turnips
Beans are a mutually beneficial companion plant for rhubarb. Beans benefit from rhubarb repelling harmful insects and rhubarb benefits from the nitrogen beans add to the soil.
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale and other members of the Brassica Family all benefit form rhubarb’s ability to deter whiteflies and cabbage worms.
Garlic and Onions repel leaf beetles and weevils which can have a detrimental effect on growing rhubarb.
Companion Plants for Onions
Strawberries are one of the better-known companion crops for rhubarb. Both rhubarb and strawberries can be harvested at the same time and neither of these crops will compete for the same nutrients in the soil. Find other crops to plant with strawberries here.
What Not To Plant With Rhubarb
While rhubarb does grow well amongst most vegetables in the garden, there are a few crops that gardeners have advised don’t do well with rhubarb :
- Cucumbers
- Melons
- Pumpkins
- Tomatoes
Cucumbers are heavy feeders and will take away nutrients in the soil that rhubarb needs to thrive.
Companion Plants for Cucumbers
Pumpkins and Melons will shade rhubarb too much from the sun. Rhubarb needs full sun so other crops that provide too much shade can cause problems with adequate sunlight.
Tomatoes and rhubarb as a companion crop combo will attract too many pests. Find other crops to plant with tomatoes here.