Cabbage is one of the most popular plants that thrive well when planted with a beneficial companion plant.
It is a leafy green, red or white biennial plant that is grown as an annual vegetable. This tasty cool weather crop is easy to grow will look great in your garden and also easy to eat. It is best to have cabbage grown in spring so you can harvest before the summer heat or start cabbage in mid to late summer then you can harvest during the cool days of autumn.
There is more to companion planting than just planting species of plants near each other. Before getting started, get to know which plants belong to which family and how beneficial they are to each other.
Companion planting can help increase the yield and quality of your crops and plant your crops and vegetables with companions intended to benefit one or both plants.
Cabbage is a heavy feeder hence you need to have it planted with crops that do not compete with it for attention. So what does your cabbage prefer to be planted next to? Read on for plants to grow with cabbage.
Table of Contents
The Best Plants to Grow With Cabbage
Cabbage plants can be a bit challenging to grow for the beginner gardener, it only likes cool temperatures and it can also be a magnet for some garden pests, however, planting some crops with it can help deter pests. Here are 10 plants to grow with cabbage in 2021 and beyond.
| Cabbage Companion Plants | What not to plant with Cabbage |
|---|---|
| 1. Beets | 1. Lettuce |
| 2. Onions | 2. Tomatoes |
| 3. Buckwheat | 3. Strawberries |
| 4. Potatoes | 4. Peppers |
| 5. Borage | 5. Grapes |
| 6. Rosemary | 6. Rue |
| 7. Beans | |
| 8. Chamomile | |
| 9. Dill | |
| 10. Hyssop |
1. Beets
Members of the cabbage family such as kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli grow well with beets. Beet Contyributes essential minerals to the soil and this can be taken up slowly by cabbages throughout the season.
Beets have many suitable garden companion and some of the best companion plants for beets is cabbage. The beets leave although best eaten also makes a wonderful addition to the composer pile.
2. Onions
Onions are a great companion for cabbages as it naturally repels pests that attach cabbages. Onions should never be planted close to other onions such as leeks, shallots, or garlic due to onion magnets that could easily travel quickly from plant to plant and keep onions away from peas and beans.
Onions are great at repelling insect pests like cabbage loopers, cabbage worms, cabbage maggots, and any other pests that plague cabbage crops. They are also believed to enhance the flavor of cabbage plants.
3. Buckwheat
Buckwheats provided unexpected benefits in the garden and are great for your cabbages. It attracts special beneficial insects which include parasitic wasps that have the potential to kill cabbage worms. Buckwheat is often used as a cover crop or green manure hence it deserves a place in your garden as an insect and bee attraction.
4. Potatoes
Potatoes are not just nutritious and delicious but they make a great companion with your cabbages. Potatoes are great plants for planting near plants in the cabbage family and it can be planted along with corn and beans, this combination with potatoes can benefit their growth and flavor.
5. Borage
Borage is a great plant to have in your garden, it attracts bees and more than 100 beneficial plants. It works side by side with your cabbages to repel cabbage worms and tomato plants as it attracts beneficial insects.
6. Rosemary
Any plant in the cabbage family can benefit from having rosemary nearby. Having rosemary planted in proximity will prevent the rampant feeding of the larvae of these moths. Rosemary also repels carrot flies and increases the vitality of your carrots. It has lots of benefits and this is not just in your cooking, this sun-loving plant cabbage repels loopers from all cruciferous vegetables by smell alone.
7. Beans
The perfect place to plant your beans is with beets, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, and other cool-season crops. Beans when planted near members of the cabbage family, can provide shade from the sun. If you are wondering the best companion plants for beans then the answer to this is beets, cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce.
8. Chamomile
Chamomile is an ideal companion plant for cabbages and all brassicas plants. It has a strong scent that helps repel cabbage moth. Chamomile is one of those plants that thrive in partial shade and rather than spraying, this can be used to prevent moths and other pests in the garden.
9. Dill
Dill can help repel insects such as cabbageworm, cabbage moth, and cabbage looper. It can also help improve the health of brassicas like broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower. brussels sprouts, swiss chard, and kale. Dill also happens to be another attraction for beneficial insects and you can think of dill as a self-seeding annual.
10. Hyssop
Hyssop is a plant that makes a good companion plant to both cabbage and grape. Hyssop is a safe plant to grow as a companion plant with many crops but not radishes. This plant does remarkably well even in times of drought. Bees and butterflies are both attracted to hyssop flowers and as an insect repellent, it helps repel cabbage moth larvae and cabbage butterflies.
What can you not plant next to cabbage?
Naturally, there are also a few plants that should not be planted near the cabbage. To keep peace in the garden, here are a few plants that prefer to be planted further away from cabbage.
1. Lettuce
This appreciates bring planted with chives and garlic however cabbage does not like garlic and would not like to be planted near cabbage as in some cases, root secretions from members of the cabbage family might prevent lettuce seed from germinating.
2. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are to steer clear of cabbages and other brassicas as the relationship is not beneficial. Keep in mind that tomatoes are going to hinder the growth of cabbage and any other brassica family.
3. Strawberry
Strawberries should be planted far away from cabbages as they can impair the growth of strawberry plants. If you are going to companion plant anything with strawberries let it be borage.
4. Pepper
Peppers should also not be grown near cabbage as they may harm one another. Cabbage need to steer clear of peppers.
5. Grapes
Grapes can stunt the growth of cabbages, it doesn’t get along well with herbs and flowers. Grapes should never be planted near cabbages or radishes.
6. Rue
Rue is one of those plants experts and farmers agree it should never be planted near cabbages but the reason is unknown. However, it is okay not to understand every plant relationship provided they thrive with the right companion.
FAQ
What is the best fertilizer for cabbage?
It is best to fertilize cabbage two weeks after transplanting it with a balanced fertilizer. The recommended fertilizer for cabbages is weak compost tea, liquid fertilizer, fish emulsion. This can be repeated every two weeks.
Does cabbage grow in shade?
Vegetables that are sure to thrive in partial shades are beets, broccoli, arugula, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, Chinese cabbage, corn, salad, mustard. However, cabbages need full sun, at least six to eight hours of direct sun.
Will cabbage regrow?
Unlike other vegetables, cabbage does not regrow year after year as it is considered an annual plant but cabbage if treated properly can actually be a biennial.
How do you protect cabbage from moths?
There are many ways you can protect your cabbage from moths. To naturally fight moths, you can try tricking the White Cabbage Moth which is also fake moths and eggshells. You may also want to try organic pesticides.
How often do you water cabbage seedlings?
Keep the water pressure low when watering cabbage seedlings and you should water regularly by giving 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly.
What month do you harvest cabbage?
Cabbages are often grouped according to when they are harvested. Cabbages should be ready for harvest in 80 to 180 days from seed although this depends on the variety of cabbage.
Can you grow cabbage all year round?
Most gardeners wonder when to plant cabbages. Cabbages can be sown almost all year round as long as you wait until midsummer but can’t be planted in the coldest mid-winter months.
In Conclusion
Cabbage is a cool-season crop that matures in an average of 63 to 88 days and there are many different types of cabbages in various shades of white, red, green, and purple. Before planting cabbage, you should consider when you want it to harvest as this allow you to pick the right cabbage for every season, and companion planting is one of the best ways to keep cabbage plants healthy and free from insects pests such as cabbage worms.
Companion planting is highly beneficial to cabbage plants although cabbage plants are easy to grow planting plants varieties that are beneficial to them enhances the soil and control insects and disease.
Discover more companion planting advice:
- Parsley Companion Plants: 10 Best Plants to Grow With Parsley
- 16 Best Zucchini Companion Plants to Grow
- Basil Companion Plants: 10 Best Plants to Grow With Basil
- Strawberry Companion Plants: 11 Best Plants to Grow With Strawberries
- Cauliflower Companion Plants: 12 Plants to Grow With Cauliflower
- Kale Companion Plants: 15 Best Plants to Grow With Kale
