The Ultimate Companion Planting Cheat Sheet: Grow Healthier Gardens, Naturally

Companion gardening turns beds into living ecosystems that feed, shield, and supercharge each crop. This companion planting cheat sheet distills the science and tradition behind smart plant pairings into a step-by-step, season-by-season system you can use in raised beds, containers, or in-ground plots. Whether you’re stacking tomatoes with basil and marigold for pest control, building the classic Three Sisters guild, or weaving herbs through borders, your companion planting cheat sheet is your blueprint for bigger harvests with fewer problems.

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As you use this companion planting cheat sheet, remember the goal isn’t “magic pairings”—it’s synergy. You’ll lean on plant guilds that balance light, root depth, timing, nutrients, and pest pressure. You’ll map intercropping pockets that bank nitrogen, attract pollinators, confound pests, and hold moisture with living mulch. And you’ll use small tweaks—like adding alyssum under peppers or nasturtiums at bed edges—to transform results without adding work.

Before we dive into the crop-by-crop companion planting cheat sheet, bookmark your internal resources for planning and season-to-season refreshers. If you’re just starting bed layout or working with limited space, a primer on raised beds and space-saving vertical supports on Garden Bloom Vibes will help you apply this companion planting cheat sheet to your unique garden.

Companion Planting Cheat Sheet Foundations: How and Why It Works

Companion growing isn’t superstition—it’s a practical framework. Here’s how this companion planting cheat sheet translates ecology into actionable beds.

• Resource stacking: Mix heights and root depths so canopies share sun and roots partition soil. Example: tall corn, climbing beans, and sprawling squash.
• Nutrient cycling: Legumes fix nitrogen via root nodules; heavy feeders like corn and brassicas follow.
• Biological pest control: Flowers and herbs recruit beneficial insects (hoverflies, lacewings, parasitic wasps) and confuse pests with scents and shapes.
• Allelopathy awareness: Some plants release chemicals that inhibit neighbors (e.g., black walnut, fennel). Your companion planting cheat sheet highlights red-flag combos to avoid.
• Microclimate building: Dense polycultures moderate soil temperature, reduce evaporation, and buffer wind.

Core principles in this companion planting cheat sheet:

• Match growth speeds: Pair quick radishes with slower carrots; interplant lettuce under taller tomatoes while the canopy is open.
• Layer roots: Taproot (carrots, parsnips) + fibrous (lettuce, alliums) + nitrogen-fixer (beans, clover).
• Stack scents: Use basil, thyme, and chives to confuse sap-suckers and beetles.
• Plant for pollinators: Alyssum, calendula, borage, and dill increase fruit set for cucurbits, tomatoes, peppers, and berries.
• Rotate guilds: A companion planting cheat sheet is also a rotation map—alternate heavy feeders, light feeders, and nitrogen fixers to keep soil in balance.

Starter guilds at a glance:

• Tomatoes + basil + marigold + borage + chives: pollination, pest deterrence, better flavor, reduced hornworm damage.
• Brassicas + dill + nasturtium + alliums: dill attracts wasps that parasitize caterpillars; nasturtiums lure aphids away; onions mask brassicas.
• Carrots + onions + rosemary: onion scent deters carrot fly; rosemary supports predators.
• Lettuce + peas + radish + alyssum: living mulch cools soil; alyssum attracts hoverflies for aphids; peas share nitrogen.

This companion planting cheat sheet makes every plant “do a job.” In small beds, think in 12-inch zones—each square gets a main crop and one or two helpers.

If you’re still designing beds, map your garden with a quick outline of sun angles, wind, and water access. Then layer the companion planting cheat sheet across that map. For raised bed layout tips and simple spacing guides, see the planning and layout resources on Garden Bloom Vibes.

The Three Sisters and Beyond: Guilds That Anchor Your Garden

The most famous companion planting cheat sheet trio is the Three Sisters: corn, beans, and squash. Corn provides the trellis. Climbing pole beans fix nitrogen and stabilize stalks. Squash sprawls as a living mulch, shading soil and deterring weeds. Augment the trio with a fourth sister: sunflower as a windbreak or trap crop for leaf-footed bugs, or with marigolds at edges to deter nematodes and mask scent.

Planting steps for this companion planting cheat sheet staple:

1. Mound formation: Create 3–4-foot mounds or hills to warm soil and improve drainage.
2. Corn first: Sow corn in a tight block (not a single row) for proper pollination.
3. Beans two weeks later: Once corn is 6–8 inches high, direct-sow pole beans around each stalk.
4. Squash last: Plant 2–3 squash seeds at mound edges, thinning to one strong plant.
5. Edge support: Ring the bed with nasturtium and marigold to lure aphids and discourage nematodes.

Variations in this companion planting cheat sheet:

• Dry-climate version: Choose drought-tolerant winter squash, mulch heavily with straw or chopped leaves, and use drip lines beneath mulch.
• Small-bed version: Replace corn with sturdy trellises; use yardlong or runner beans and compact squash varieties.
• Pest-heavy version: Add tansy or calendula for generalist predator support, and intersperse dill for swallowtails and parasitic wasps.

Troubleshooting the Three Sisters:

• Corn lodging from wind: Plant a tighter block, add sunflower support rows, and hill soil around stalk bases.
• Beans overwhelming corn: Delay bean sowing by another week, choose less vigorous climbers, or prune tendrils lightly.
• Powdery mildew on squash: Increase airflow, prune a few older leaves, add milk spray (1:10 milk:water), and integrate calendula and chives from your companion planting cheat sheet to attract beneficials.

Use the companion planting cheat sheet to cascade yields: follow the Three Sisters with a cool-season mix (peas or favas + spinach + radish + alyssum) to restore nitrogen and keep the soil covered.

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Tomato Power: A Companion Planting Cheat Sheet for Your Most-Loved Crop

Tomatoes reward good companions more than almost any crop. This companion planting cheat sheet centers tomatoes in a resilient guild that supports fruiting, reduces pests, and saves space.

Anchor companions:

• Basil: Deters thrips and whiteflies, may improve tomato flavor.
• Marigold (Tagetes): Root exudates deter nematodes; flowers confuse pests.
• Borage: Attracts bees, adds trace minerals, helps deter tomato hornworms.
• Chives and onions: Scent barrier against aphids; mild antifungal effect.
• Nasturtium: Trap crop for aphids and flea beetles, excellent along edges.
• Parsley and thyme: Ground-layer herbs that host beneficial insects.

What to avoid near tomatoes (critical in your companion planting cheat sheet):

• Fennel: Allelopathic; suppresses growth.
• Potatoes: Share late blight risk; don’t cluster nightshades.
• Brassicas in tight quarters: Compete for nitrogen; separate with a row of herbs or flowers.
• Corn: Shares corn earworm/tomato fruitworm pest; keep apart to break pest cycles.

Bed layout example:

• Center: Indeterminate tomatoes on a single- or double-leader trellis.
• Understory: Basil every 12–18 inches; alternating with dwarf marigold.
• Edge: Nasturtium tumbling over sides; a strip of alyssum every 24 inches.
• Pollinator posts: Borage or calendula every 3–4 feet.

Practical care from this companion planting cheat sheet:

• Prune lower tomato leaves up to the first flower cluster to increase airflow above basil and marigolds.
• Water at soil level, not overhead, to keep understory healthy and mildew-free.
• Mulch with chopped leaves or straw to buffer soil temperature and suppress weeds.

If marigolds seem to stunt growth, choose French marigold (Tagetes patula) and avoid over-planting—two per tomato is enough. For hornworms, hand-pick at dusk and rely on borage, dill, and parasitic wasps. For blossom end rot, maintain consistent moisture and add crushed eggshells or a balanced organic fertilizer—companions can’t fix calcium deficits alone.

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Planning your tomato-heavy bed? Review layout posts and seasonal transitions on Garden Bloom Vibes to adapt this companion planting cheat sheet to your microclimate.

Herbs That Harmonize (and Herbs That Clash): Your Herb-Focused Companion Planting Cheat Sheet

Herbs are the scent engine of companion systems. They attract pollinators, host predator insects, suppress disease, and create living mulch. This herb-centric companion planting cheat sheet gives you fast “plant-or-pass” guidance.

Great mixers:

• Basil: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant; mild deterrent to thrips and whiteflies.
• Dill: Brassicas; beneficials magnet; plant near, not among, carrots (it can stunt them if crowded).
• Cilantro/coriander: Attracts hoverflies and tiny wasps; pair near lettuce, brassicas, and peppers.
• Chives/garlic/scallions: Carrots, strawberries, lettuce; general antifungal and pest masking.
• Thyme/oregano/marjoram: Low, woody, drought-tolerant living mulch under tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
• Mint: Use only in containers; place container among brassicas to frustrate cabbage moths without the spread.

What herbs cannot be planted next to each other?

• Strong allelopathic or growth-competitive pairings to avoid:
  • Fennel with almost anything edible; it inhibits growth—give fennel its own bed.
  • Dill dense with carrots; feels like a cousin but can stunt carrots when crowded—keep slight spacing or separate rows.
  • Rue with basil and sage; can inhibit growth and flavor development.
  • Mint with thyme/oregano in the same soil; mint outcompetes—keep mint containerized.
• Mediterranean woody herbs (rosemary, lavender, sage) prefer drier, leaner soils. Keep them away from moisture-loving basil and cilantro in the same pocket.

Herb layering in this companion planting cheat sheet:

• Upper layer: Dill, fennel (in its own corner), and flowering cilantro for pollinators.
• Middle layer: Basil, parsley, cilantro before bolt; chives along crop rows.
• Ground layer: Thyme and oregano spilling under warm-season crops.

Tactical uses:

• Carrot fly pressure? Border carrot beds with chives and scatter rosemary sprigs as a scent barrier.
• Aphids on peppers? Introduce alyssum and cilantro bolting stems; predators arrive in days.
• Powdery mildew on squash? Increase airflow and add thyme/oregano as dry-loving ground cover to reduce splash and humidity zones.

Anchor this herb-focused companion planting cheat sheet to your seasonal timeline: sow cool-season cilantro and dill early and late; keep basil, thyme, and marjoram thriving through warm months; trim woody herbs to promote flowering for beneficials in early summer.

Flowers and Trap Crops That Do Real Work: Companion Planting Cheat Sheet Essentials

Edible flowers and ornamentals aren’t just pretty—they’re the backbone of your pest management strategy. This companion planting cheat sheet prioritizes multifunctional blooms that lure pollinators, feed beneficials, and draw pests away from crops.

Key flowers:

• Marigold (Tagetes): Nematode deterrent, scent masking, continuous bloom.
• Nasturtium: Trap crop for aphids and flea beetles; great around brassicas and cucurbits.
• Calendula: Pollinator attractor, petals are edible, blooms heavily in cool temperatures.
• Sweet alyssum: Compact beneficial magnet; excellent under tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce.
• Borage: Bee magnet, assists cucurbits and strawberries; leaves can be chop-and-dropped.
• Cosmos and zinnia: Summer-long bloomers that draw in lacewings and parasitic wasps.

What should not be planted next to marigolds?

• Avoid heavy marigold density immediately next to beans and peas; some gardeners report growth reduction due to root interactions—keep a slight separation (6–12 inches).
• Do not interplant marigolds wall-to-wall with onions or garlic in very small beds; intense scent layers may deter pollinators needed for nearby fruiting crops.
• Be mindful that tall marigold varieties can shade low crops—use dwarf types near sun-hungry plants.

Trap crop tactics from this companion planting cheat sheet:

• Aphids and flea beetles: Plant nasturtiums along edges of brassica and pepper beds to “catch” pests.
• Squash vine borer pressure: Use timing and row covers first; support with borage and calendula to recruit predators; add moth-deterring companions like tansy at perimeter.
• Cucumber beetles: Pair cucumbers with nasturtium and dill; interplant radishes as a sacrificial draw.
• Leaf miners in chard/beets: Border with calendula and intersperse dill; remove mined leaves early.

Design a flower backbone:

• Every 2–3 feet, place a flowering “beacon” (alyssum, calendula, cosmos) to concentrate predator activity.
• Edge every bed with a low grower (nasturtium, alyssum, thyme) and add 2–3 taller attractors per 4×8 bed (borage, cosmos, zinnia).
• Keep blooms rolling: mix early (calendula/alyssum), mid (cosmos/zinnia), and late (borage) to maintain beneficials all season.

Soil, Microbes, and Living Mulch: The Subsurface Companion Planting Cheat Sheet

Healthy soil makes every companion pairing more effective. The companion planting cheat sheet below turns your beds into living systems that harvest nitrogen, lock in carbon, and buffer moisture.

Nitrogen managers:

• Legumes: Bush beans between corn rows; peas pre-load beds before tomatoes; clover as an off-season cover.
• Follow-through: After legumes, plant heavy feeders (corn, cabbage, tomatoes) to leverage that nitrogen pulse.

Living mulches:

• Low-growing thyme, oregano, and chamomile under tall crops; white clover in pathways or off-season to suppress weeds and host beneficials.
• Straw and leaf mulch: Top up after seedlings establish to prevent slug havens. Mulch reduces splash-borne disease on tomatoes and brassicas.

Root architecture:

• Mix deep taproots (carrot, daikon) with shallow feeders (lettuce, onions) and mid-depth roots (beans). This prevents competition and opens soil channels.
• Include bio-drillers like daikon radish in fall to break compaction; chop-and-drop in place for spring planting.

Microbial allies:

• Compost: Add 1–2 inches annually; top-dress rows mid-season.
• Aerated compost tea or worm tea: Foliar-spray after transplant, pre-bloom, and post-harvest to boost leaf microbiome.
• Mycorrhizae: Dust transplants; tomatoes, peppers, and corn especially benefit in companion systems with reduced synthetic inputs.

Hardscape that supports the companion planting cheat sheet:

• Build simple trellises and vertical supports to create light tiers and air flow.
• Raise beds for drainage and warmth; define distinct zones for rotating guilds.

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Consistency checklist:

• Water deeply and less often to encourage deep roots.
• Feed the soil, not the plant: compost, mulches, and mineral amendments as needed.
• Rotate guilds each year to manage disease and nutrient balance.

Succession, Spacing, and Small Spaces: A Compact Companion Planting Cheat Sheet

Your companion planting cheat sheet shines when you plan time as carefully as space.

Succession rhythms:

• Early spring: Peas + spinach + radish + alyssum. As peas fade, drop in basil, dill, and a tomato transplant.
• Late spring to summer: Tomatoes + basil + marigold + chives + lettuce in shade pockets.
• Midsummer slot: After early carrots, sow bush beans + scallions + calendula.
• Fall: Brassicas + dill + nasturtium + garlic chives. Underplant with spinach as a living mulch.

Intercrop and spacing guidelines from this companion planting cheat sheet:

• 4×8 raised bed example:
  • North row: trellised cucumbers with dill and nasturtium at feet.
  • Center: two rows of peppers on a low string trellis with basil between.
  • South edge: lettuce and alyssum alternating at 10-inch spacing.
• Carrot-onion pairing: 3 rows of carrots with two rows of scallions woven between at 6-inch spacing.

Containers and balconies:

• Tomatoes in 10–15 gallon pots with basil and dwarf marigold.
• Peppers in 7–10 gallon pots with thyme and alyssum.
• Pole beans in a half-barrel with a teepee trellis; nasturtium spilling over edges.

Vertical hacks:

• Use cattle panels arched between beds to grow cucumbers and beans overhead while lettuce enjoys dappled shade beneath.
• Add a borage every 3–4 feet to keep pollinators cruising.

Alternative water-wise systems:

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As you tighten spacing, remember airflow. The companion planting cheat sheet improves resilience, but overcrowding can invite mildew. Prune, trellis, and thin as needed.

The Pest and Disease Playbook: IPM via Your Companion Planting Cheat Sheet

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) marries observation, prevention, and targeted action. Your companion planting cheat sheet is the preventative engine.

Prevent first:

• Diversity in every bed: At least one herb and one flower per square meter.
• Mulch to prevent soil splash and preserve moisture.
• Rotate families to sidestep pathogen buildup.

Targeted plant partners:

• Aphids: Alyssum, dill, cilantro; nasturtium as a trap.
• Hornworms: Borage, dill, and habitat for parasitic wasps; hand-pick at dusk.
• Cucumber beetles: Nasturtium at edges; dill and calendula for predators.
• Squash bugs/borers: Nasturtium, tansy perimeters; row covers until flowering; remove infested stems and re-root vines.
• Cabbage loopers: Dill and yarrow for predators; intersperse alliums; use Bt only if thresholds are exceeded.

Fungal disease mitigations:

• Powdery mildew: Airflow via pruning; thyme/oregano underplanting; milk spray 1:10 or potassium bicarbonate.
• Early blight on tomatoes: Mulch, lower-leaf pruning, basil and chive understory; copper or biofungicides as last resort.

Observation cadence:

• Walk beds twice weekly with pruners and a bucket.
• Check the underside of leaves, inspect trap crops, and note blooms on dill/alyssum to gauge predator cycles.
• Keep a simple log; adjust next plantings using this companion planting cheat sheet.

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Ready-Made Layouts and Checklists: A Printable Companion Planting Cheat Sheet

Turn principles into quick decisions with these pre-built, mix-and-match clusters.

Tomato bed bundle:

• 2 tomatoes on a trellis, 4 basil, 2 dwarf marigolds, 2 chives, 1 borage, and edge of alyssum + nasturtium.
• Rotate next year with beans + lettuce + scallions + calendula.

Pepper pollinator lane:

• 6 peppers down the center, 4 basil between, alyssum under canopy, dill on corners, nasturtium on edges.
• If aphids spike, trim back basil a bit and let dill bloom hard.

Brassica defense grid:

• 6 kale/cabbage, 3 dill, 6 onions or garlic chives interwoven, nasturtium border.
• Row cover early; remove at flowering; maintain airflow.

Root crop matrix:

• Carrot rows with scallions between, border with chives and rosemary; calendula or alyssum every 2 feet.
• Succession every 2–3 weeks for steady harvest.

Leafy greens ribbon:

• Lettuce strip with cilantro at intervals, dwarf marigolds on sunny side, thyme on shaded side, and intermittent radishes as a quick trap/indicator crop.

Printable checklist highlights for your companion planting cheat sheet:

• Does every bed include at least one herb and one flower?
• Are root depths and canopy heights staggered?
• Do you have a nitrogen fixer planned this season or the next in rotation?
• Is there airflow around disease-prone crops?
• Are trap crops placed at edges?

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Companion Planting Cheat Sheet for Every Season: From Planning to Harvest

Winter planning:

• Map sun and wind, define beds, choose 3–5 core guilds from this companion planting cheat sheet.
• Start perennials and woody herbs in their forever spots (rosemary, sage, lavender).
• Order seed with diversity in mind: at least 4–6 flower/herb companions.

Spring execution:

• Install cool-season clusters (peas + spinach + radish + alyssum).
• Transplant tomatoes and peppers with their herb and flower underlayers.
• Sow a clover strip at bed ends or along paths for living mulch.

Summer tuning:

• Prune tomatoes for airflow; let dill, cilantro, and alyssum bloom.
• Top-dress compost around heavy feeders; add a layer of mulch.
• Replant fast crops (radish, bush beans, lettuce) into harvested pockets.

Fall closure:

• Plant brassicas with dill and nasturtium; integrate garlic and onions.
• Sow cover crops (crimson clover, winter rye) or broadfork and mulch deep.
• Record what worked in your companion planting cheat sheet journal: which flowers pulled predators fastest, which spacing improved yields.

Scaling tips:

• Start with one intensively managed bed using this companion planting cheat sheet, then replicate.
• Choose dual-purpose plants: edible flowers, teas, pest control, and pollinator magnets.
• Keep sightlines and access paths; maintenance should be easy.

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Conclusion: Print the Companion Planting Cheat Sheet and Plant With Confidence

A resilient garden is a diverse garden. This companion planting cheat sheet helps you layer heights and roots, choreograph blooms for pollinators, channel nitrogen with legumes, and interrupt pest lifecycles with trap crops and scent barriers. From tomatoes with basil and marigold to brassicas with dill and nasturtium, these living partnerships multiply your results while cutting inputs.

Use the checklists, pick two or three bed templates, and start planting. Keep notes, rotate families, and keep flowers blooming. That’s the path to healthier soil, fewer pests, and better harvests—season after season.

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FAQ: Companion Planting Cheat Sheet Essentials