Companion plants for strawberries
What to grow next to strawberries, what to keep away from them, and why. Each reason is tagged by how well it’s supported.
Good companions
Lettuce and spinach Practical reason
Shallow, quick crops fit between new strawberry plants.
Onions and chives Garden tradition
Upright and compact; a common border.
Borage Practical reason
Attracts pollinators that raise berry set.
Keep apart
Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers Backed by research
Carry Verticillium wilt, which also kills strawberries; don’t plant strawberries where they grew in the last few years.
Cabbage family Practical reason
Large leaves shade low strawberry plants.
Planning the bed
Space strawberries 18 inches apart (4 per square foot in square-foot gardening); the spacing calculator works out how many fit. For timing, see when to plant strawberries, and the full companion planting chart compares all 16 vegetables at once.
Questions gardeners ask
What are the best companion plants for strawberries?
Lettuce and spinach, Onions and chives, Borage. Lettuce and spinach: Shallow, quick crops fit between new strawberry plants.
What should you not plant with strawberries?
Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, Cabbage family. Tomatoes, potatoes, peppers: Carry Verticillium wilt, which also kills strawberries; don’t plant strawberries where they grew in the last few years.