Companion planting
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.
The short answer
Good garlic companions are low, quick crops like beets, carrots, and lettuce that share the bed while garlic grows through winter and spring, plus tomatoes, strawberries, and the cabbage family. Keep garlic away from beans and peas, and don't follow onions, leeks, or shallots with garlic in the same spot for at least four years. Garlic is in the ground 8 to 9 months, so most of the companion planting happens in spring, around an already-growing crop.
Garlic is a strange bed to plan around. You plant it in fall and don't pull it until early summer, so it sits in the ground through winter, then shares that space with whatever else you plant in spring. Most companion charts skip that timing problem entirely.
This guide sorts real extension guidance from garden lore, rates each pick as research-backed, traditional, or anecdotal, and tells you what to plant beside garlic in fall versus what to tuck in around it once it's already growing.
12 companion plants for garlic
Each pick is rated on how solid the evidence is. Research-backed means a study or documented trial backs it. Traditional means extension services list it as a companion without a controlled test of the benefit. Anecdotal means it's gardener lore with no extension source, and none of those made this list.
| Plant | When to plant it | Why it helps | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beets | Fall, alongside garlic, or early spring | Low grower that fills bare soil between garlic rows | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Carrots | Early spring, once garlic is up | WVU lists it as a companion, and USU Extension credits onion-family scent with confusing carrot rust flies | Traditional (USU, WVU Extension) |
| Lettuce | Fall alongside garlic, or early spring | Quick, low crop that uses the ground before garlic spreads | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Cabbage family (cabbage, broccoli, kale) | Spring, after the coldest weeks pass | Listed as an onion-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Tomatoes | Late spring, after garlic is well up | Listed as an onion-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Strawberries | Planted as a perennial bed border | Listed as an onion-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Summer savory | Spring | Listed as an onion-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Asparagus | Planted as a perennial, nearby | Listed as an onion-family companion | Traditional (WVU Extension) |
| Chard | Fall alongside garlic, or early spring | Low grower, same role as beets and lettuce | Traditional (UConn Extension) |
| Peppers | Late spring, after garlic is well up | Listed as a good neighbor for onions | Traditional (UConn Extension) |
| Chamomile | Spring, at the bed edge | Small flowers feed pest-eating insects | Traditional (UConn Extension, Penn State Extension) |
| Dill | Spring, at the bed edge | Umbel flowers feed the wasps and hoverflies that prey on aphids | Traditional (Penn State Extension) |
Notice the pattern: nothing here is a repellent-plant myth. It's low crops that use empty ground, and a few perennial or long-season crops that don't mind sharing space with an allium. The strongest single claim is carrots, where garlic and onions likely mask the scent carrot rust flies use to find their host.
Bad companion plants for garlic
| Keep apart | Why (and how solid the reason is) |
|---|---|
| Beans | Extension-backed. WVU Extension lists beans as incompatible with the whole onion family, including garlic, since garlic stunts bean growth. |
| English peas | Extension-backed. Same WVU Extension list, same reason. |
| Onions, leeks, shallots (in the same spot) | Extension-backed. WVU Extension's garlic guide says to avoid planting garlic where onions, chives, leeks, or shallots grew in the last four years. Shared pests and diseases build up in the soil. |
| Blueberries | Extension-backed, different reason. Oregon State University Extension says garlic grows fine physically next to blueberries, but the two crops want different soil pH, so a shared bed means compromising one of them. |
The rotation rule matters more than any single bad neighbor. Penn State Extension recommends good crop rotation and planting garlic after a heavy cover crop like buckwheat or rye, not after another allium. Garlic, onions, leeks, and shallots all draw the same pests and, in the worst case, the same soilborne diseases, so treat the whole family as one crop when you plan where it goes next.
The bean and pea conflict is the other one worth respecting. West Virginia University Extension puts beans and English peas on the onion family's avoid list because garlic stunts their growth. Give legumes their own bed, ideally one that will feed nitrogen back to next year's garlic.
Note
Onion thrips and onion maggot are garlic's two most common pests in the eastern US, per Penn State Extension and Washington State University Extension. Neither has a documented companion-plant fix in the sources checked for this guide. Crop rotation, clean seed stock, and removing crop debris do more for both than any neighboring plant.
A sample fall garlic bed layout
Picture a standard 4x8 raised bed planted with garlic in October. Garlic is the anchor crop here for 8 to 9 months, so plan the bed in two stages: what goes in now, and what goes in once garlic is up and growing in spring.
At planting, fall. Set garlic cloves about 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or roughly 9 cloves per square foot on a tight grid, as covered in the spacing guide below. If there's a strip of bed left over, a fall planting of lettuce or spinach can share the space, since both tolerate the same cool weather garlic goes into the ground in.
Through winter. Garlic sits under mulch and does nothing visible. This is not the time to add anything else. Straw or leaf mulch, 3 to 4 inches deep, is the only addition the bed needs.
In spring, once shoots are up. This is where most of the interplanting actually happens. Tuck beets or carrots into any open row space, since both are low growers that won't shade the garlic. Chamomile or dill along the bed edge feeds pest-eating insects through the rest of the season. Hold off on tomatoes or peppers until garlic has real height, and remember garlic clears out in early to mid summer, opening the whole bed for a second planting.
Pro tip
Mark your bed map before winter buries the rows. Garlic looks like bare mulch from December through February, and it's easy to forget exactly where the rows sit until green shoots appear. A simple sketch saves you from digging into cloves when you go to plant spring companions.
Common garlic companion mistakes
Common mistake
Planting garlic where onions or leeks grew last year. The same pests and soilborne diseases carry over, and Penn State Extension recommends rotating garlic away from any allium, not just repeating the family in place. Give the bed at least four years before another allium returns, per WVU Extension.
Crowding beans or peas next to garlic to save space. WVU Extension lists both as incompatible with the onion family. Put legumes in their own bed, ideally one that will grow next year's garlic after the beans fix some nitrogen into the soil.
Get the spacing right first
Companion planting only pays off if the garlic itself has room to bulk up. Crowded cloves compete for water and nutrients no matter how good the neighbors are.
Space garlic cloves about 6 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart, or 9 per square foot on a 4-inch grid in a raised bed. The how far apart to plant garlic guide has the full spacing chart by method, and when to plant garlic covers the fall planting window by zone.
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Plant garlic on its own in fall, fill any open ground with lettuce or spinach right away, then bring in beets, carrots, and pest-feeding herbs like dill or chamomile once shoots are up in spring. Keep beans, peas, and other alliums out of the bed entirely.
The biggest win is timing, not the companion list. Read how to plant garlic to get the fall planting right, then when to harvest garlic to know when the bed opens back up.
Common questions
What should I plant with garlic in the fall?
Plant garlic by itself in fall, then use the open ground around the young shoots for a fall cover crop or the last low crops of the season, like beets or lettuce started as transplants. West Virginia University Extension lists beets, lettuce, and the cabbage family as onion-family companions, and all three can go in beside newly planted garlic while the weather still allows it.
What should you not plant next to garlic?
Beans and peas. West Virginia University Extension lists beans and English peas as the plants to avoid with the whole onion family, including garlic, since garlic stunts their growth. Also avoid planting garlic where onions, leeks, or shallots grew in the last four years, since WVU Extension warns the shared pests and diseases carry over in the soil.
Can I plant something with garlic in spring, while it's still growing?
Yes. Garlic is in the ground from fall to early summer, so spring is when most of the interplanting happens. West Virginia University Extension lists carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries as onion- family companions, and the low, quick ones (carrots, lettuce) can go in the gaps between garlic rows as soon as the soil can be worked, months before the garlic is ready to pull.
Do onions and garlic compete with each other?
Don't plant them in the same bed at the same time. They share the same pests, including onion maggot and onion thrips, and Washington State University Extension notes onion maggot flies move easily between onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots planted close together. Keep alliums in their own block and rotate the whole family as one crop.
Is garlic a good companion plant for other vegetables?
For some crops, yes. West Virginia University Extension lists garlic's onion family as a companion for beets, carrots, lettuce, the cabbage family, tomatoes, and strawberries. The strongest documented case is carrots, where Utah State University Extension credits onion-family scent with helping confuse the flies that lay eggs on carrot roots.
Can I plant garlic near strawberries or blueberries?
Strawberries, yes. West Virginia University Extension lists strawberries as a companion for the onion family. Blueberries are trickier. Oregon State University Extension says garlic grows fine next to blueberries, but the two want different soil pH, so plan on amending the soil for one of them if they share a bed.
Sources
Agronomic claims in this guide are checked against these primary sources.
- Companion Planting — West Virginia University Extension
- Growing Garlic in West Virginia — West Virginia University Extension
- What are good companion plants for onions? — Ask Extension (UConn Home & Garden Education Center)
- Culinary Herbs are Good for Beneficial Insects, Including Pollinators — Penn State Extension
- Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting — Utah State University Extension (4-H)
- Can I grow garlic next to my berries? — Oregon State University Extension Service
- Garlic Production — Penn State Extension
- Onions, Garlic: Onion Maggot — Washington State University Extension (Hortsense)
Keep reading
When to Plant Garlic (Fall Timing by Zone)
Plant garlic in fall, about 3 to 6 weeks before the ground freezes, so roots set before winter. That lands mid-September to November across most US zones. Plant cloves 2 inches deep, pointy end up, 4 to 6 inches apart.
Read →When to Harvest Garlic (Signs It's Ready)
Fall-planted garlic is ready in early-to-mid summer, when the lower 3-4 leaves have browned but 5-6 upper leaves stay green. Here are the signs, the lift, and how to cure 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 →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 →Spinach Companion Plants (and What to Keep Apart)
Good spinach companions are tall shade-givers like beans and corn, quick neighbors like radishes and lettuce, and flowers for pollinators. Keep spinach from chard and beets, which share leaf miners. Most pairing rules are folklore, so plant for shade, spacing, and pest sense.
Read →Pepper Companion Plants (and What to Keep Apart)
Good neighbors for peppers include basil, onions and garlic, carrots, lettuce and spinach, nasturtium, and tomatoes. Keep fennel and heavy-feeding brassicas apart. The reliable wins are spacing, pollinator support, and not crowding, not flavor magic.
Read →