Companion planting
13 Cabbage Companion Plants (and What to Avoid)
Good cabbage companions are quick, low crops like lettuce and beets, flowering herbs for pest-eating insects, and trap crops like nasturtium and arugula. Keep cabbage away from tomatoes, pole beans, strawberries, and other brassicas.
The short answer
The best cabbage companions are quick, low crops like lettuce, spinach, and beets that use the ground space between young plants, trap crops like nasturtium and arugula that pull pests away, and flowering herbs that feed pest-eating insects. Keep cabbage apart from tomatoes, pole beans, strawberries, and other brassicas. Spacing and crop rotation do more for cabbage than any companion plant.
Cabbage companion charts mix solid extension guidance with old garden lore. This guide sorts the two, rating each pick as research-backed, traditional, or anecdotal, so you spend bed space on pairings that do real work.
The cabbage family has a pest problem more than a flavor problem. Cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworms, aphids, and flea beetles are the real threat, so the companions worth planting are the ones that help with pests or use the space well.
13 companion plants for cabbage
Each pick below is rated on how solid the evidence is. Research-backed means a study or documented trial supports it. Traditional means extension services list it as a companion, but without a controlled test of the benefit. Anecdotal means it's gardener lore with no extension source.
| Plant | Why it helps | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | Quick, low grower that uses the ground between young cabbage before heads fill in | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Spinach | Same space-filling role, harvested before the cabbage spreads | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Beets | Low grower that doesn't shade the cabbage | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Celery | Upright companion that fits the gaps without crowding | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Dill | Small flowers feed the parasitic wasps that prey on caterpillars | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Chamomile | Same beneficial-insect logic as dill | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Sage | Listed as a cabbage-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Rosemary | Listed as a cabbage-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Peppermint | Listed as a cabbage-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Bunching onions | Used alongside dill and marigolds in flea beetle management | Research-backed (Utah State Extension) |
| Marigold | Part of a marigold-nasturtium-onion combo that cut cabbage looper and cabbageworm numbers in one study | Research-backed (MSU Extension) |
| Nasturtium | Trap crop that draws aphids and caterpillars away from cabbage | Research-backed (UConn IPM, MSU Extension) |
| Arugula or mustard | Trap crop for flea beetles, planted as a sacrificial border | Research-backed (UMN Extension) |
The strong picks either fill space the cabbage isn't using or take the pest pressure onto something else. The aromatic herbs are worth growing, just don't count on them to repel pests without evidence behind that specific claim.
Bad companion plants for cabbage
Now the avoid list, with an honest note on which cautions are solid and which are tradition.
| Keep apart | Why (and how solid the reason is) |
|---|---|
| Tomatoes | Extension-backed. WVU Extension says do not plant the cabbage family with tomatoes. Both are heavy feeders, and pairing them fights the rotation cabbage needs. |
| Pole beans | Extension-backed. Also on WVU Extension's "do not plant with" list for the cabbage family. |
| Strawberries | Extension-backed. WVU Extension lists strawberries among the plants to keep away from the cabbage family. |
| Other brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, kale) | Well supported. Same family, same pests and diseases. Iowa State Extension says grow cole crops in a spot only once every three to four years. |
The brassica rule is the one to take seriously. Iowa State Extension recommends rotating cole crops so the same family returns to a bed only once every three or four years, and University of Minnesota Extension gives the same four-year guidance. Planting cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower elbow to elbow does the opposite of rotation, and it concentrates the very pests you're trying to avoid.
Cabbage next to zucchini, squash, or cucumbers isn't on any extension avoid list. They're a different host group, and University of Minnesota and Utah State Extension both note that mixed plantings can even help hide brassicas from flea beetles. Just give the vines room so they don't shade the cabbage.
Which companion helps with which pest
Match the companion to the actual pest, not a general "keeps bugs away" claim. Here's what's documented, and only what's documented.
| Pest | Companion tactic | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flea beetles | Trap crop border of arugula, mustard, rapeseed, or napa cabbage | University of Minnesota Extension |
| Flea beetles | Bunching green onions, dill, and marigolds as companion crops | Utah State University Extension |
| Cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm | Marigold, nasturtium, and onion planted together (as a group, not one plant alone) | Mississippi State University Extension |
| General cole crop pests | Perimeter trap cropping, an attractive species planted around the bed to draw pests off the main crop | University of Connecticut IPM |
Note
Aphids and cabbage root fly don't have a documented companion-plant fix in the sources checked for this guide. If those are your problem, floating row cover and monitoring do more than any companion pairing.
A sample bed layout
Picture a standard 4x8 raised bed. Cabbage wants room, so plan around the cabbage first and fill the gaps with the quick, low crops.
Set cabbage on a roughly 18-inch spacing, about one plant per square foot, which fits two rows down the bed. While those heads are small, the soil between them is open ground for weeks. That's where lettuce, spinach, and beets go, sown in the gaps and pulled before the cabbage spreads. The plant spacing calculator works out exact plant counts for your bed size.
Edge the bed with dill or chamomile to feed pest-eating insects, and tuck a border of nasturtium or arugula at the edges as a trap crop. Keep the tomatoes and pole beans in a different bed entirely.
Pro tip
The single best pest move isn't a companion plant at all, it's rotation. Plant this year's cabbage where you grew a non-brassica last year, like beans or tomatoes (in their own bed, not next to the cabbage). Iowa State Extension says cole crops should hit the same spot only once every three to four years.
It applies to the whole brassica family
Everything here holds for broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and Brussels sprouts too, since they share the same pests, the same rotation rule, and most of the same companion list. If you're growing more than cabbage, broccoli companion plants covers that crop specifically.
Brassica family companions
Cabbage isn't the only crop this guide covers. Kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips, and rutabaga are all in the same botanical family (Brassicaceae, with most as Brassica oleracea), so they share the same bugs and the same fixes.
NC State Extension lists cabbage aphid on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard, and kale, all one pest hitting the whole group. Utah State Extension shows the same pattern for caterpillar pests, with diamondback moth and its relatives attacking broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, rutabaga, and turnip alongside cabbage.
That overlap means the companion strategies above aren't just a cabbage trick. A nasturtium or arugula trap crop, a dill and marigold border, a bunching-onion planting, any of it works the same way whether the main crop is cabbage, kale, or Brussels sprouts. And the rotation rule matters more, not less: since these crops share pests, planting kale where you grew broccoli last year doesn't break the pest cycle. Rotate the whole brassica family as one group, not crop by crop.
Growing Brussels sprouts too? When to harvest Brussels sprouts covers the bottom-up picking signs for that one.
If turnips or rutabaga are in the mix, treat them like cabbage for spacing and neighbors too. They're root crops, so the family's above-ground pest complex behaves the same, but the roots also want loose soil rather than a bed a companion just finished shading.
Common cabbage mistakes
Two errors sink more cabbage beds than any bad neighbor plant.
Common mistake
Crowding cabbage with other brassicas to save space. Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower share loopers, cabbageworms, aphids, and soil diseases. Packing them together feeds all of it. Give cabbage its own block and rotate the family out of that spot for three to four years.
Trusting a few herbs to repel pests, then skipping row cover. Aromatic herbs are pleasant companions, but the evidence that they repel cabbage pests specifically is thin. If cabbageworms are a real problem, floating row cover and handpicking do far more than a border of mint.
Get the spacing right first
Companion planting only pays off if the cabbage has room to begin with. Crowded plants compete and trap humid air, which invites disease no matter how good the neighbors are.
Space cabbage about 18 inches apart, or one plant per square foot in a raised bed. Iowa State Extension gives a range of 18 to 24 inches in the row depending on the head size you want, tighter for smaller heads. The how far apart to plant cabbage guide has the full spacing table by method, when to plant cabbage covers the timing for spring and fall crops, and when to harvest cabbage covers the squeeze test that tells you a head is ready.
For the same evidence-versus-folklore sort on other crops, tomato companion plants and cucumber companion plants cover those beds.
Your next step
Plant lettuce, spinach, and beets in the gaps, edge the bed with dill, chamomile, or a nasturtium and arugula trap border, and keep cabbage away from tomatoes, pole beans, strawberries, and its own brassica cousins. Rotate the family every three to four years.
The biggest win is the simplest one. Give every cabbage real room and rotate it, then use the planting guide above to time the crop right.
Common questions
What should you not plant cabbage next to?
West Virginia University Extension says to keep the cabbage family away from tomatoes, pole beans, and strawberries. Also avoid crowding cabbage next to other brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower, since they share the same pests and diseases and the family should only return to a spot once every three to four years.
What plants don't like cabbage?
Tomatoes and pole beans are the two extension-backed conflicts. They're heavy feeders competing with cabbage for nutrients, and pairing them works against the crop rotation that keeps cabbage-family pests down. Strawberries are also on the WVU Extension avoid list.
Can I plant cabbage next to zucchini or cucumbers?
There's no documented problem with it. Cabbage and squash-family crops are different host groups, and University of Minnesota and Utah State Extension both note that mixed plantings can help hide brassicas from flea beetles rather than cause harm. Give the sprawling vine room so it doesn't shade the cabbage.
What plants complement cabbage well?
Low, quick crops like lettuce, spinach, and beets are the easiest picks. They use the ground space between young cabbage before the heads fill in. Trap crops like nasturtium and arugula pull pests off the cabbage instead of repelling them.
Do marigolds help cabbage?
Maybe, in a limited way. Mississippi State University Extension notes a study where marigold, nasturtium, and onion together helped reduce cabbage looper and imported cabbageworm numbers. That's narrower than the popular claim, so treat a few marigolds as a low-risk extra, not a pest shield on their own.
Is cabbage companion planting backed by science?
Some of it. Trap crops are documented, UConn IPM describes perimeter trap cropping for cole crops and University of Minnesota Extension documents trap crops for flea beetles. Crop rotation and spacing are well supported too. Many specific herb pairings are traditional and thinly tested, so treat the charts as a starting point, not a rulebook.
Sources
Agronomic claims in this guide are checked against these primary sources.
- Perimeter Trap Cropping for Cole Crops — University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management
- Companion Planting: Myth or Truth? — Mississippi State University Extension
- Companion Planting — West Virginia University Extension
- Growing Cabbage in the Home Garden — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Growing cabbage in home gardens — University of Minnesota Extension
- Companion Planting in Home Gardens — University of Minnesota Extension
- Flea Beetles on Vegetables — Utah State University Extension
- Pests of Crucifers — NC State Extension Publications
- Caterpillar Pests of Brassica Vegetables — Utah State University Extension
Keep reading
8 Tomato Companion Plants (and What to Keep Apart)
Good tomato companions are basil for its documented thrip control, plus marigold, garlic, onion, lettuce, carrots, nasturtium, and parsley for space and pest support. Keep tomatoes away from brassicas, fennel, potatoes, and black walnut.
Read →11 Cucumber Companion Plants (and What to Avoid)
Good cucumber companions are beans and peas for nitrogen, corn or sunflowers for a living trellis, and flowers that bring in the bees cucumbers need to set fruit. Keep cucumbers off potatoes and give the vines room to avoid powdery mildew.
Read →10 Broccoli Companion Plants (and What to Keep Apart)
Sweet alyssum, thyme, onion, and nasturtium have the strongest evidence behind them for broccoli, from a trap-crop trial and an Oregon State study on parasitoid wasps. Keep broccoli away from tomatoes, strawberries, pole beans, and a tight block of other brassicas.
Read →When to Plant Cabbage (Spring and Fall Timing)
Set cabbage transplants out 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost, once soil reaches about 45 F. For a fall crop, plant transplants 6 to 8 weeks before the first fall frost. Cabbage matures in 60 to 100 days.
Read →12 Garlic Companion Plants (and What to Avoid)
Good garlic companions are low crops like beets, lettuce, and chard that share the bed while garlic grows through winter, plus tomatoes, strawberries, and carrots. Keep garlic away from beans, peas, and other alliums planted too soon after it.
Read →Zucchini Companion Plants (and What to Keep Apart)
Good zucchini companions are flowers like nasturtium and borage that pull in the bees zucchini needs to set fruit, plus beans and corn. Keep zucchini away from other squash and cucumbers, which share its pests. Most "avoid" charts are folklore.
Read →