Want a More Abundant Crop of Carrots This Year? You Need These Companion Plants (2024)

Gardening

Vegetables

• 01 of 18

  Lettuce

  

  Carrots break up the soil for lettuce's shallow roots, making these two perfect companions for a salad-ready garden. Carrots also attract lacewings and ladybugs, both of which eat the aphids that attack lettuce.

  • Name:Lettuce, garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones:2-11
  • Light:Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil:Loamy, rich, well-drained

• 02 of 18

  Onions

  

  Onions deter many of the pests that threaten carrots, including the aptly named carrot fly. The two are both root vegetables, but they won't compete for soil nutrients or space.

  • Name: Onion (Alliumcepa)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, well-drained, neutral

• 03 of 18

  Marigolds

  

  If you want sweeter, more delicious carrots, then marigolds will do the trick. Planting these two together increases the sugar and carotenoid in carrots. Plus, marigolds will repel carrot rust flies and carrot psyllids.

  • Name: Marigold (Tagetes spp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Moist, well-drained

  See Also

  9 Great Carrot Companion Plants & 3 Plants To Keep ClearCarrot Companion Plants: 17 Plants to Grow With CarrotsCarrot companion planting – the best plants to grow with carrotsCarrot Companion Plants: 30 Companions to Help Carrots Grow

• 04 of 18

  Peppers

  

  Carrots need shade during the heat of summer, and, with the help of leafy bell peppers, they can find that relief from the sun. It's a mutually beneficial relationship, because carrots help loosen the soil for pepper's roots to take hold.

  • Name: Zucchini (Capsicum annuum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Fertile loam, neutral

  Continue to 5 of 18 below

• 05 of 18

  Oregano

  

  Humans may love the savory smell of oregano, but bugs don't feel the same way. Oregano's herbal odor repels nematodes, carrot root flies, and rust flies, all of which will attack carrots if given the opportunity.

  • Name: Oregano (Origanum spp.)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Well-drained

• 06 of 18

  Tomatoes

  

  Carrots' deep roots break up the soil as they make their way below the surface, and they lead the way for tomatoes. This helps nutrients and water make their way through the loosened up soil, encouraging tomato roots to deepen and grow.

  • Name: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, well-drained, neutral to acidic

• 07 of 18

  Cilantro

  

  While many gardeners don't want their cilantro to bloom, it makes an excellent companion plant for carrots when it's allowed to flower. Its delicate white flowers will attract insects, including ladybugs, that will prey on carrot rust fly, aphids, nematodes, and carrot psyllids.

  • Name: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun to partial sun
  • Soil: Loamy, moist, well-drained, acidic
    

• 08 of 18

  Rosemary

  

  Rosemary's strong herbaceous smell will repel carrot flies and other pests from your garden, while carrots will help loosen the soil so rosemary's roots can take hold easily in your garden.

  • Name: Rosemary (Salviarosmarinus)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-10
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Sandy, loamy, well-drained, acidic to neutral
    

  Continue to 9 of 18 below

• 09 of 18

  Chives

  

  See Also

  The Best and Worst Carrot Companion Plants — Meadowlark Journal

  Planting chives near carrots is a win-win for the crunchy root vegetable. Chives will enhance both the texture and taste of carrots while also repelling pests with their pungent onion smell.

  • Name: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
  • Light: Full sun, light shade
  • Soil: Loamy, sandy

• 10 of 18

  Leeks

  

  Leeks and carrots are both looking out for each other in the garden, with leeks repelling carrot flies, and carrots repelling leek moths.

  • Name: Leek (Allium ampeloprasum)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, well-drained

• 11 of 18

  Radish

  

  Radishes are faster growing than carrots, which makes them one of the few vegetables that actually loosens the soil for carrots rather than the other way around. These two root vegetables make excellent companion plants all summer long.

  • Name: Radish (Raphanus sativus)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, sandy, moist, well-drained, acidic, neutral
    

• 12 of 18

  Beets

  

  Beets and carrots grow together like two peas in a pod. These two root vegetables can both thrive in containers, making them an excellent choice for a small space gardener, especially since they have similar light, water, and soil requirements.

  • Name: Beet (Beta vulgaris)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun to partial sun
  • Soil: Loamy, sandy, silt, moist, well-drained, neutral
    

  Continue to 13 of 18 below

• 13 of 18

  Bush Beans

  

  Bush beans are low maintenance plants that won't infringe on carrot's growth and will actually help it. They help add organic nutrients into the soil, creating a richer environment for carrots.

  • Name: Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, slightly acidic to neutral

• 14 of 18

  Turnips

  

  Turnips do well in the same partial shade, cooler conditions where carrots thrive, and the spicy fragrance of their leaves can help keep pests at bay.

  • Name: Turnip (Brassica rapa)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Rich, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral

• 15 of 18

  Cabbage

  

  Carrots and cabbage have a preference for cooler temperatures in common, yet their growing patterns are completely different, which is why they're great companions. Cabbage's shallow roots are an ideal match for carrot's deep roots, and they don't attract the same pests.

  • Name: Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, well-drained, acidic to neutral

• 16 of 18

  Spinach

  

  Spinach is another plant with a more shallow root system that is an excellent accompaniment to carrots in the garden. Spinach also grows well in containers, so if you have a large container you'd like to turn into a vegetable garden, carrots and spinach are a good place to start.

  • Name: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun, partial sun
  • Soil: Loamy, moist, well-drained

  Continue to 17 of 18 below

• 17 of 18

  Sage

  

  The woody, earthy aroma of sage is delicious with carrots in fall, but it's also a perfect pairing in the garden. The smell of sage will deter pesky and destructive carrot rust flies.

  • Name: Sage (Salvia officinalis)
    
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Loamy, sandy, well-drained, acidic, neutral
    

• 18 of 18

  Cucumber

  

  Cucumbers take up a lot of space in the garden, but they also leave a lot of space, particularly as their vines reach upwards. Pairing them with low-growing carrots helps cover ground area and prevent weeds from taking over.

  • Name: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
  • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11
  • Light: Full sun
  • Soil: Moist, well-drained