A companion planting guide helps gardeners choose which vegetables, herbs, and flowers to grow near each other for mutual benefit. Some plant pairings repel pests, improve soil nutrients, or enhance flavor, while others compete for resources or attract the same diseases. Use this free interactive chart to find the best and worst neighbors for 35 common garden plants.
Find a Plant
Compatibility Matrix
About This Guide
Companion planting recommendations are based on traditional gardening knowledge and published research. Results may vary depending on your climate, soil type, and specific cultivars. Use this guide as a starting point and observe how plants perform in your own garden over time.
How to Use the Companion Planting Guide
Companion planting is one of the most effective organic gardening strategies, letting you boost yields, reduce pests, and improve flavor without chemical inputs. This companion planting guide covers 35 common vegetables, herbs, and flowers so you can quickly see which plants thrive together and which ones to keep apart.
Step 1: Search or Select a Plant
Use the search bar to type a plant name, or click any plant tag in the grid below. The tool instantly shows a detail card with that plant's good companions (highlighted in green), bad companions (highlighted in red), sun requirements, spacing, and planting depth. Click a companion or enemy tag to jump to that plant's detail card and explore further.
Step 2: Read the Compatibility Matrix
Scroll down to the interactive compatibility matrix, which shows every plant-to-plant pairing at a glance. Green cells indicate beneficial pairings, red cells indicate plants to keep apart, and gray cells are neutral. When you select a plant, its row and column are highlighted so you can scan its relationships across all 35 plants quickly.
Step 3: Plan Your Garden with Multi-Select
Toggle on "Plan My Garden" mode to select multiple plants you want to grow this season. The tool analyzes every combination and produces a compatibility report showing beneficial pairings, conflicts to avoid, and suggestions for rearranging your layout. This is especially useful for raised beds and square-foot gardens where space is tight and every neighbor matters.
Step 4: Use Plant Details for Layout Decisions
Each plant card shows spacing requirements and sun needs. Place tall, sun-loving plants on the north side of your beds so they do not shade shorter companions. Group plants with similar water needs together. Use aromatic herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme as border plants to repel common pests from nearby vegetables.
Tips for Successful Companion Planting
Start small by pairing two or three proven companions, such as tomatoes with basil, or corn with beans and squash (the classic "Three Sisters" combination). Marigolds and nasturtiums make excellent companion flowers for almost any vegetable garden, repelling aphids and attracting beneficial insects. Rotate your companion planting layout each year to prevent soil-borne diseases and nutrient depletion. Keep notes on what works in your garden so you can refine your pairings over time.
FAQ
Is this companion planting guide free?
Yes, this companion planting guide is completely free with no limits or signup required. Search plants, view the compatibility matrix, and plan your garden as often as you like. Everything runs in your browser.
Is my data safe when I use this tool?
Absolutely. All plant data and your garden selections are processed locally in your browser using client-side JavaScript. No information is sent to a server. Your garden plans stay completely private on your device.
What is companion planting?
Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants near each other for mutual benefit. Some plants repel pests, improve flavor, provide shade, or fix nitrogen in the soil for their neighbors. For example, basil planted near tomatoes can repel aphids and may improve tomato flavor.
Why should I avoid planting certain vegetables together?
Some plants compete for the same nutrients, attract the same pests, or release chemicals that inhibit nearby growth. For example, fennel produces substances that can stunt the growth of most garden vegetables. Keeping incompatible plants apart helps every crop thrive.
How far apart should companion plants be?
Companion plants should generally be within 2 to 4 feet of each other to share benefits like pest deterrence and pollinator attraction. However, plants that are enemies should be separated by at least 4 feet or placed in different garden beds entirely.
Does companion planting really work?
Many companion planting combinations are supported by scientific research and centuries of gardening experience. Benefits like nitrogen fixation by legumes, pest repulsion by aromatic herbs, and trap cropping with nasturtiums are well documented. Results vary by climate and soil conditions.
What is the 'Plan My Garden' feature?
The Plan My Garden mode lets you select all the plants you want to grow this season. The tool then analyzes every pairing and flags any conflicts or bad combinations so you can adjust your layout before planting. It shows a summary of all beneficial and problematic pairings.
Can I use this guide for container gardening?
Yes, companion planting principles apply to container gardens too. In fact, companion planting is even more important in containers because plants are closer together. Use the spacing and sun requirement data in each plant card to choose compatible container mates.