Companion plants for sweet corn
What to grow next to sweet corn, what to keep away from them, and why. Each reason is tagged by how well it’s supported.
Good companions
Pole beans Garden tradition
Three Sisters.
Squash and pumpkins Garden tradition
Three Sisters ground cover.
Cucumbers Practical reason
Can climb or sprawl under tall corn.
Keep apart
Tomatoes Backed by research
Share corn earworm (tomato fruitworm).
Planning the bed
Space sweet corn 12 inches apart (1 per square foot in square-foot gardening); the spacing calculator works out how many fit. For timing, see when to plant sweet corn, and the full companion planting chart compares all 16 vegetables at once.
Questions gardeners ask
What are the best companion plants for sweet corn?
Pole beans, Squash and pumpkins, Cucumbers. Pole beans: Three Sisters.
What should you not plant with sweet corn?
Tomatoes. Tomatoes: Share corn earworm (tomato fruitworm).