Steve Yoder
I'm Steve, a 30-something urban gardener fascinated by companion planting research. Growing up surrounded by greenery sparked my passion for gardening early on. I enjoy transforming my small backyard, experimenting with companion planting techniques and eco-friendly practices. Sustainability matters—I advocate for native plants and composting.
Table of Contents
If you are planting a garden with potatoes, there are plenty of great companion plants to grow with them. Here we will look at some of the best potato companion plants and how they can help your crop grow.
Planting Potatoes in the Garden
Before we have a look at potato companion plants, we will talk about some growing tips. Potatoes are a cool-season crop that grows best in well-drained soil. They need full sun and you should plant them in rows with about 12 inches (30cm) between each plant. In addition to requiring good soil, potatoes also benefit from a light mulch of straw or hay around their stems. In this way, they will grow healthier and won’t break down into the soil and rot.
You can plant your potatoes after the danger of frost has passed. This is generally in early spring when temperatures begin rising above 50°F (10°C) but before it gets too hot (over 80°F / 27°C). To prepare your garden space for taters, remove any existing plants or residual topsoil so there’s nothing but plain dirt left behind. The ideal location for potatoes is an area with plenty of sun exposure. But also some afternoon shade, such as under trees or along fences where they will receive filtered light but not direct sunlight all day long. This prevents them from burning up during peak summer heat!
Before planting your seedlings in hills about 12 inches (30 cm) apart from each other in rows about 18 (45cm) inches apart from one another, dig holes roughly twice as deep as the size of your seeds/seedlings themselves underneath them. Make sure those holes don’t contain rocks or clods because these can damage young roots if present inside them!
Potato Companion Plants
While growing potatoes, consider the following plants as potato companion plants:
- Marigold
- Catnip
- Horseradish
- Carraway
- Garlic
- Onion
- Calendula
- Nasturtium
Marigold
One of the most commonly used potato companion plant is the marigold. Marigolds help keep away many destructive pests, including insects like cucumber beetles and squash bugs. They also add a bit of color to your garden!
Especially studies with the African Marigold show very promising results.1,2 Marigold as a companion plant could directly affect neighboring plants through chemicals ingested through their roots and deter pests in this way.3,4
Also take a look at: Marigold Companion Plants – Definition of Beauty
Catnip
Catnip is one more good potato companion plant. It can prevent pests from attacking the tubers. As with many plants, catnip has a strong scent that acts as a natural repellent to bugs. These include aphids, whiteflies, and beetles. Catnip also has antibacterial properties that help protect your potatoes from diseases like blight and rot!
Horseradish
Horseradish, or Armoracia rusticana, is a perennial plant belonging to the mustard family. You can harvest its root for culinary use and the leaves as potherbs. It’s a good potato companion plant because it helps prevent pests and diseases from attacking the potatoes. However, horseradish can be invasive if not contained within a fence or other barrier that prevents spreading beyond its area.
Caraway
Caraway is a strong-smelling herb that’s good for pairing with potatoes. You can use caraway in place of dill, and it’s popularly used to season rye bread. You’ll also find caraway seeds in some sausages and pickles! If you’re planning on planting potatoes near caraway, remember that they will spread quickly. So, plan carefully if you don’t want them taking over your garden.
Caraway is also good to plant near beans because the two plants repel each other’s pests and diseases. Carrots seem to do well when planted near caraway as well; however, be careful not to overdo it because too much caraway can make your carrots bitter.
Garlic
Garlic is also an excellent companion plant for potatoes. One of the reasons they work so well together is that they both produce a lot of sulfur compounds. They prevent pests from attacking your potato crop.
Onions
You can plant onions between rows of potatoes to help keep pests away from the potatoes.
For more information about onion companion plants, visit:
Calendula
Calendula (pot marigold) is a great potato companion plant. Calendula attracts pollinators, which helps to increase the number of potato tubers. It’s also a good companion plant for potatoes because it helps repel pests and nematodes, two common potato diseases.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums – An annual flower that is easy to grow. It blooms during the potato season and attracts beneficial insects. That’s why your potato plants can benefit from it as a neighbor.
What not to Plant with Potato
Avoid planting these plants along with potatoes in your garden:
- Tomatoes
- Eggplants
- Peppers
- Strawberries
- Corn
- Beans
- Squash
Tomatoes and Potatoes
While potatoes and tomatoes are both members of the Solanaceae family, they do not get along. Tomatoes produce ethylene gas, which causes potatoes to become bitter and inedible. If you’re planting a lot of tomatoes, keep them at least 20 feet away from your potato plants.
Eggplants and Pepper
The same goes for eggplant and peppers. They also produce lots of ethylene gas that can cause potatoes to become bitter or discolored. Also, they can cause them to grow poorly or be stunted in size.
You can find out more about eggplant companion plants here: 9 Eggplant Companion Plants for Better Growth
Growing Strawberries with Potatoes
Avoid planting potatoes near strawberries too! Because both these crops are very susceptible to late blight disease, planting them together could result in a devastating loss of your crop. The situation gets critical if this disease suddenly strikes one or both plants before harvest time arrives each year.
Beans and Corn
Similarly, avoid planting potatoes near beans because they too can carry diseases that affect other crops within proximity. Furthermore, avoid corn because it grows tall quickly while tubers need time below ground level before they can sprout up into edible stalks. This would make harvesting difficult if done at all without removing some roots first!
Beans companion plants can be found here: Beans Companion Plants – Which Ones Should be Chosen?
Planting Squash with Potatoes
If possible avoid squash due to similarities. Its fast growth rate will overtake any early sprouts coming up from underground in no time.
Also take a look at: Squash Companion Plants – 10 Best and 4 Bad
References
- Theunissen, J. (1994). Effects of intercropping on pest populations in vegetable crops.Bulletin OILB SROP (France).
- Rovira, A. D. (1969). Plant root exudates.The botanical review,35(1), 35-57.
- Finch, S., & Collier, R. H. (2000). Host‐plant selection by insects–a theory based on ‘appropriate/inappropriate landings’ by pest insects of cruciferous plants.Entomologia experimentalis et applicata,96(2), 91-102.
- Parker, J. E., Snyder, W. E., Hamilton, G. C., & Rodriguez-Saona, C. (2013). Companion planting and insect pest control.Weed and pest control-conventional and new challenges,10, 55044.
