Mastering Companion Planting: The 7 Best Plant Combinations for Maximum Yield

Why Companion Planting Is the Key to Healthy Gardens

Companion planting is far more than a trend - it is a cultivation method thousands of years old, based on natural synergies between plants. Combined correctly, plants protect each other from pests, improve the soil and boost the yield by up to 30 percent.

What Happens with Good Companion Planting?

• Allelopathy: Plants release substances through their roots that promote or inhibit neighbours
• Nutrient complementarity: Shallow and deep rooters share different soil layers
• Biological pest control: Scents confuse or repel pests

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The 7 Best Combinations

1. 🍅 Tomato + Basil + Carrot

The classic - and for good reason. Basil drives the whitefly away from tomatoes, while carrots loosen the soil. The essential oils of the basil have been shown to improve the flavour of the tomatoes.

Planting distance: Basil directly next to the tomato plant, carrots at a 20 cm distance.

2. 🥒 Cucumber + Dill + Sunflower

Dill attracts hoverflies, which eat aphids on cucumbers. Sunflowers serve as a natural windbreak and provide a climbing trellis.

Tip: Only sow dill once the cucumbers are already 15 cm tall.

3. 🥕 Carrot + Onion

The carrot fly avoids the onion smell, the onion fly avoids the carrot scent. A perfect symbiosis that has been practised for generations in cottage gardens.

Ratio: Alternating one row each.

4. 🌽 Corn + Bean + Squash (The "Three Sisters")

This indigenous cultivation method from Central America also works excellently in Central Europe:

• Corn provides a climbing frame for the beans
• Beans fix nitrogen in the soil
• Squash shades the soil and suppresses weeds

5. 🥬 Cabbage + Celery + Chamomile

Celery drives away the cabbage white butterfly with its intense smell. Chamomile strengthens the cabbage's resistance and promotes growth.

6. 🫛 Peas + Lettuce + Radish

Peas supply nitrogen for the nutrient-hungry lettuce. Radishes mark the rows and are harvested before the lettuce needs the space.

7. 🍓 Strawberries + Garlic + Borage

Garlic protects strawberries from grey mould, borage attracts pollinators and improves the soil structure with its deep taproots.

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Plants That Do NOT Get Along

Just as important as knowing good neighbours is avoiding bad ones:

❌ Bad together	Reason
Tomato + Fennel	Fennel inhibits tomato growth
Bean + Onion	Onions disturb the nodule bacteria
Cucumber + Tomato	Different moisture requirements
Potato + Sunflower	Mutual growth inhibition

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How to Plan Your Companion Planting with PermaNatura

With the PermaNatura Harmony Check you see at a glance which plants harmonise in your bed. Simply place plants by drag & drop - the AI automatically evaluates the compatibility and gives optimisation suggestions.

Practical tip: Start with 2-3 combinations and observe the results for a season before you rearrange your entire bed.

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Sources: Gertrud Franck "Gesunder Garten durch Mischkultur", Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)