Companion plants for peppers
What to grow next to peppers, what to keep away from them, and why. Each reason is tagged by how well it’s supported.
Good companions
Basil Garden tradition
Shares heat and water needs and fills gaps between plants.
Onions Practical reason
Upright, shallow-rooted and easy to tuck around peppers.
Carrots Practical reason
Use deeper soil than peppers and fill the edge of the bed.
Tomatoes Practical reason
Same care; peppers can grow in the light shade on the east side of tall tomatoes.
Keep apart
Fennel Garden tradition
Inhibits growth of many vegetables.
Pole beans Practical reason
Vigorous vines can shade and smother pepper plants.
Brassicas planted tight Practical reason
Large brassica leaves shade out low peppers and compete for nitrogen.
Planning the bed
Space peppers 18 inches apart (1 per square foot in square-foot gardening); the spacing calculator works out how many fit. For timing, see when to plant peppers, and the full companion planting chart compares all 16 vegetables at once.
Questions gardeners ask
What are the best companion plants for peppers?
Basil, Onions, Carrots, Tomatoes. Basil: Shares heat and water needs and fills gaps between plants.
What should you not plant with peppers?
Fennel, Pole beans, Brassicas planted tight. Fennel: Inhibits growth of many vegetables.