The benefits of companion planting include improved growth and flavor of basil and providing a natural insect repel system for your garden. Using basil as a companion plant allows it to attract beneficial insects via taste of basil flower nectar, while its strong scent acts to basil repels many common garden pest varieties.
Yes, basil in your garden is a powerful tool to insect repel. Basil alongside other aromatic plants can basil to keep aphids and other pests like the tomato hornworm away. Additionally, basil is famous for being one of the plants that repel mosquitoes, making it a great companion plant for patios.
Yes, you should keep cucumber and sage away from basil. Cucumber can attract mildew that might attack basil, while sage prefers much drier soil than a basil plant. Also, keep herbs like basil away from rue, as it can stunt the growth and flavor of basil.
Planting companion plants alongside lettuce offers several benefits. They can act as a natural barrier against aphids and other pests, provide partial shade for lettuce, and suppress weeds around your lettuce crop. Companion planting with lettuce ensures your lettuce grow well by improving soil moisture retention and nutrient availability. Choosing a good companion or great lettuce companion plants also allows you to grow other plants like beets and lettuce together efficiently, making your vegetable garden more productive.
Yes. Some bad companion plants for lettuce include cabbage, broccoli when overcrowded, and other large brassicas that compete for nutrients. Avoid planting lettuce near plants that attract pests like aphids and cabbage worms without protective measures. Overcrowding lettuce with aggressive plants can prevent lettuce seeds from germinating properly and reduce the flavor and growth of your lettuce crop.
Companion planting with lettuce can repel pests like aphids, cabbage worms, and flea beetles. For example, chives and basil keep aphids away, while radishes can act as trap crops to divert pests from lettuce leaves. Leafy companions like spinach or beets also help by providing shade and physical protection. Proper planning ensures your lettuce grows without heavy pesticide use.
A carrot companion plant is any plant that grows well next to carrots and helps them grow best by improving soil conditions, repelling pests, or reducing competition for space. Companion planting with carrots matters because carrots are a popular vegetable with delicate roots that need loose soil, steady moisture, and protection from pests like carrot flies. Choosing the right carrot companion plants allows carrots to grow well together with other plants in the garden while improving overall plant health and harvest quality.
Yes, there are bad companion plants for carrots that can reduce yields or attract the same pests. Potatoes and carrots should not be planted together because they compete for nutrients and space. Cabbage plants and other brassicas attract pests like aphids that may also harm carrots. Fennel and some plants in the carrot family attract the same pests and can interfere with carrot growth. Understanding good and bad companion plants helps gardeners avoid planting combinations that don’t grow well together.
Carrots need space to grow, especially underground, to develop long, straight roots. When planting carrots together with companion plants, choose different plants that do not crowd the soil. Shallow-rooted plants and upright plants are ideal companions because carrots can take deeper soil space without competition. Proper spacing ensures carrots grow large and healthy while still benefiting from garden companion plants.
Basil isn’t just a flavorful herb you tuck into the corner of your garden—it’s a hardworking companion plant that plays a big role in natural pest control and healthier plant growth. In a well-planned garden, basil helps repel common pests like aphids, mosquitoes, and tomato hornworms while improving the overall vitality of nearby plants. That’s why understanding how to use basil as a companion plant can make a noticeable difference in both your harvest and your garden’s balance.
In this guide, you’ll learn which plants grow best alongside basil, how basil protects companion plants from pests, and where it fits into a productive garden layout. Whether you’re growing vegetables, herbs, or ornamental plants, this guide will help you use basil as a smart companion plant to boost growth, reduce pest problems, and create a more resilient garden.
The relationship between basil and tomatoes is the most celebrated example of companion planting. These two are considered the best companion plants because they share identical environmental needs and provide mutual benefits. Physically, tomato plants are tall, vining, or bushy perennials (grown as annuals) that can reach 3 to 10 feet in height, featuring fuzzy, serrated green leaves and small yellow flowers that produce red, orange, or yellow fruits. Basil is a great companion plant for this vegetable because it is believed to enhance the sweet taste and overall growth and flavor of both the basil plant and the tomatoes themselves. Furthermore, the strong aroma of basil helps keep away the tomato hornworms and whiteflies that often threaten basil and tomato crops. To care for them, provide rich, well-draining soil, consistent moisture at the base to avoid wetting leaves, and at least 6 to 8 hours of full sun daily in temperatures between 21°C and 29°C. This combination is highly recommended for the Culinary Gardener who wants a "pizza garden" in one plot.
Originating from Central and South America, marigolds are one of the best companion plants for basil when natural pest control is a priority. These hardy garden plants are famous for their pungent scent and vibrant blooms in orange, yellow, or red, and they are typically compact to medium-sized, reaching 6 inches to 2 feet tall with deeply green, fern-like foliage. Marigolds are a great companion plant because they release compounds into the soil that deter nematodes and help repel aphids and other garden pest varieties. They also attract beneficial insects like pollinators and predatory insects, creating a healthier ecosystem around your basil plant. For care, they require full sun and well-draining, moderately fertile soil, with moderate watering as they are drought-tolerant once established in temperatures between 18°C and 29°C. They are perfect for the Low-Maintenance Gardener.
Basil and asparagus have a unique symbiotic relationship where the annual herb protects the perennial vegetable. Asparagus is a perennial plant that produces tall, feathery, fern-like foliage that can reach up to 5 feet in height, yielding the familiar edible green spears in the early spring. Basil is a great companion plant for asparagus because it produces chemical compounds that repel pests like the asparagus beetle, while the asparagus provides a structural backdrop and slight afternoon shade for the basil. They thrive in sandy, loamy, and highly fertile soil that is kept consistently moist under full sun in temperatures between 15°C and 21°C. Because asparagus is a long-term crop that remains in the ground for years, this is highly recommended for the Patient Perennial Gardener.
Both bell and chili peppers are excellent plants to grow with basil because they share tropical origins and an intense love for high-heat environments. These upright garden plants feature glossy, pointed green leaves and small star-shaped white flowers, typically reaching a height of 2 to 4 feet depending on the specific variety. Basil acts as a functional "living mulch" for peppers, providing a thick leaf canopy that helps retain soil moisture and increases the localized humidity around the base of the pepper stalks. Furthermore, the basil plant helps deter pests such as aphids and spider mites that frequently threaten basil and pepper crops alike. These are best grown in well-drained soil rich in organic matter, requiring deep watering twice a week and full sun in warm temperatures ranging from 21°C to 32°C. I recommend this pairing to the Salsa Gardener who enjoys cultivating high-heat, vibrant crops.
Discover the top companion plants that help lettuce thrive and improve your garden’s overall growth and health.
Herbs like oregano are classic aromatic herbs that thrive in the same rugged, Mediterranean conditions as the basil plant. Oregano is a low-growing, spreading perennial that reaches about 1 to 2 feet in height, characterized by tiny, round, flavorful green leaves and delicate clusters of purple or white flowers that attract pollinators. Oregano serves as a magnificent ground cover, which helps keep the basil root system cool and maintains soil moisture during peak heat. As a companion plant, oregano’s high essential oil content is incredibly potent, acting to insect repel many flying pests that would otherwise attack basil. They prefer gritty, well-draining soil and are highly drought-tolerant, needing water only when the soil is completely dry under full sun in temperatures from 15°C to 27°C. This is the best choice for the Drought-Conscious Gardener looking for a hardy herb garden.
Chive plants are among the best companion plants for basil due to their intense, onion-like scent which creates a protective aromatic barrier. They grow in dense, grass-like clumps reaching approximately 12 inches in height and produce striking, edible, globe-shaped purple flowers in late spring. The natural sulfur compounds found within chives are excellent at helping to repel pests like Japanese beetles and aphids. Additionally, their flowers are exceptionally rich in flower nectar, drawing in bees and other beneficial insects that will also help pollinate the rest of your garden. Chives require moist, fertile soil and frequent but shallow watering to prevent the thin leaves from wilting, thriving in full sun to partial shade in temperatures between 10°C and 21°C. I highly recommend this to the Edible Flower Enthusiast who values both aesthetics and utility.
Borage is a staple on any companion plants for basil chart because of its reputation as a "universal protector" in the garden. It is a large, sturdy, hairy annual that can grow up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide, featuring stunning bright blue, star-shaped flowers and large, fuzzy leaves that have a distinct cucumber aroma. Borage is a great companion plant because it attracts a massive volume of pollinators, particularly honeybees, which helps increase the overall health of nearby plants. It is also known to ward off tomato hornworms and repels these and other pests from your sweet basil while leaching trace minerals into the soil that basil can help absorb. It is very tolerant of most well-drained soils and becomes drought-tolerant once established, preferring full sun to partial shade in temperatures of 15°C to 25°C. This is the perfect addition for the Pollinator Advocate.
Basil and parsley make a formidable team in a kitchen herb garden because they are both easy to grow and share a love for similar resources. Parsley is a lush biennial with bright green, ruffled or flat-leaf varieties that grow in dense, rounded clumps about 1 foot tall. Both of these aromatic herbs love moisture and nutrient-rich soil; when planted together, they create a high-humidity microclimate that prevents the soil surface from drying out too quickly, which is vital for a tender basil plant. They need deep, loamy, moist soil and consistent watering—never let the soil dry out completely—under full sun to partial shade in temperatures ranging from 10°C to 24°C. This combination is highly recommended for the Indoor or Container Gardener who wants fresh herbs year-round.
Cilantro is a fast-growing, cool-season herb that serves as an excellent tactical partner for maintaining a healthy garden. It features delicate, lacy green leaves and thin, fragile stems, reaching 1 to 2 feet in height and producing small white or pale pink flowers when it begins to bolt. Cilantro and basil grown in the same area provide a diverse range of essential oil scents that mask the primary crop and confuse a garden pest. Furthermore, the cilantro flowers are highly attractive to predatory wasps and hoverflies that eat the aphids that might otherwise attack basil. It prefers well-drained, light soil and regular watering, requiring full sun in cooler months but needing partial shade in very hot climates to prevent premature bolting, in temperatures of 10°C to 24°C. This is an essential plant for the Herb Specialist.
Root vegetables like garlic are absolute powerhouses in the world of basil companion planting. Garlic grows from underground bulbs and produces long, vertical, strap-like green leaves that can reach 1 to 2 feet in height, culminating in a papery flower stalk if left unharvested. The intense, pungent smell of garlic acts as a natural insect repel for almost all flying and crawling pests and is even known to keep away larger intruders like rabbits and deer. Because it grows mostly underground, it does not compete with the basil root system for space or surface nutrients, making it a great companion plant for intensive setups. It requires loose, well-drained, sandy soil with even moisture during its active growth phase under full sun in temperatures between 13°C and 24°C. I recommend this for the Strategic Small-Space Gardener looking to maximize every inch of soil.
Keep bugs at bay with these natural insect-repellent plants — perfect for eco-friendly gardening!
While many companion plants will help, some can be detrimental:
The benefits of companion planting include improved growth and flavor of basil and providing a natural insect repel system for your garden. Using basil as a companion plant allows it to attract beneficial insects via taste of basil flower nectar, while its strong scent acts to basil repels many common garden pest varieties.
Yes, basil in your garden is a powerful tool to insect repel. Basil alongside other aromatic plants can basil to keep aphids and other pests like the tomato hornworm away. Additionally, basil is famous for being one of the plants that repel mosquitoes, making it a great companion plant for patios.
Yes, you should keep cucumber and sage away from basil. Cucumber can attract mildew that might attack basil, while sage prefers much drier soil than a basil plant. Also, keep herbs like basil away from rue, as it can stunt the growth and flavor of basil.
