Learn about companion planting for herbs.  These herbs grow well together either because they like the same soil, light, and water conditions or because they have other benefits.  Some herbs can even modify the taste of some vegetables.  Once you learn which herbs can be grown together, you'll save space and time and, hopefully, enjoy a better yield.

I used to plant all of my herbs in their own posts.  I never put them in the garden because I liked them on the patio where I can keep an eye on them for harvesting.

The pots I was using eventually started getting old and broken, so I switched to a vertical tiered garden.  I love it for its aesthetics, but then I had to figure out companion planting herb garden basics.

Generally, you can plant herbs together and with few exceptions they will grow well.  However, knowing which herbs grow well together can help reduce your maintenance efforts and possibly even increase yield.

Companion Planting for Herbs

What is Companion Planting?

Companion planting means planting different types of plants together.  The plants have certain benefits that help the other plant by either offering physical protection or improving the health of the other plant.

Some companion herbs to grow together like the same growing conditions.  For example, my new planter has a long trough.  I need to grow two or three different herbs in each container, so I need to choose plants that like the same water levels and amount of sunlight.

Some companion planting for herbs tips includes planting herbs with other vegetables.  I don't do this just because my main vegetable garden isn't close to the house.  

We also have a lot of deer and rabbits that like to eat the veggies in the garden.  My herbs would be a buffet for them.

Check out my easy herbs to grow at home for ideas on what to plant.

Garden Planner

Planning a garden this year?  Then you need this printable gardening planner.  It has 15 sheets that you can print and create your own binder.  You can print them year after year so you can keep track of notes for a better yield each year.

Since it's printable, you can print the pages you need as many times as you want to create a custom planner.

Chives

Chives can grow well with just about every other herb.  If you grow roses, chives can naturally repel Japanese beetles while helping to promote better growth for your roses.

Chives attract pollinators like bees and other insects.  These can help increase the yield of other fruit and vegetable plants. 

They also repel aphids in the garden.  They are especially useful to plant next to plants that are prone to aphid attacks, such as celery, lettuce, and peas.

The onion smell of chives repels the cucumber beetle, which is a beetle that can destroy your cucumber plants quickly.  Plant chives next to cucumbers to protect them from this beetle.

Chives can also enhance the flavor of tomatoes and carrots while naturally deterring pests.

Basil

Basil's strong aroma can repel aphids, white flies, tomato horn works, and aphids.  When it flowers, it attracts pollinators that can also pollinate other plants in your garden.

Basil likes to be planted next to vegetables and not with the herbs, but oregano and chamomile are herbs that grow well together with basil.  However, do not plant basil near sage.  

Tomatoes and basil work well together because each will enhance the flavor of the other one.

Basil can also be planted next to beets, potatoes, cabbage, beans, eggplant, asparagus, and bell peppers.  

If you use marigolds to repel pests in the garden, marigolds and basil herbs grow well together and work together to repel bugs.  

Cilantro 

Cilantro helps repel bugs like potato beetles, spider mites, and aphids.  It also encourages good bugs like hoverflies to come to the garden.

Cilantro also adds nitrogen to the soil.  When looking for herbs to grow together, look for plants that like higher levels of nitrogen.

What herbs grow well together with cilantro?  Try planting it with spinach, asparagus, basil, mind, tansy, lavender, or dill.  Cilantro can make tomato leaves grow, but it will make the tomatoes themselves grow smaller. 

Do not plant cilantro next to fennel because they will compete.

Tarragon

Tarragon is what is known as a nurse plant.  For companion planting for herbs, tarragon will improve the flavor and help other herbs grow larger.  For this reason, it's one of the few herbs that be put anywhere in a companion planting herb garden.

Tarragon repels several different kinds of pests.  It can be used to create a sort of barrier to divide your garden into sections.  

Tarragon likes eggplant, and the scent of tarragon repels the bugs that would attack the eggplant.  

Mint

Mint can quickly take over wherever it's planted.  It will crowd out other plants, so it's best planted in pots and not in beds.

Mint's strong smell can repel flea beetles and aphids.  Plant it near carrots to keep carrot flies away.  It also repels onion flies from onions.  

Mint can repel aphis from tomato plants.  It's also good to plant near bell peppers, squash, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and radishes. 

Oregano

Oregano is one of that herbs that can grow together with most other plants.  Oregano likes a soil that drains well and to be slightly dry.  Therefore, it goes best with asparagus, corn, tomatoes, and cabbage.

Oregano gets small flowers that attract bees and other pollinators to your flower bed.  These help pollinate other nearby plants for a better yield.

Learn how to make a bee house DIY to attract bees to pollinate your garden.

Parsley

Parsley attracts good insects and bugs to your garden.  Some butterflies lay their eggs on parsley leaves, so it attracts butterflies and other pollinators.  

Parsley can also repel some beetles, including the beetles that attack asparagus plants.  For companion planting for herbs, try planting parsley next to your asparagus.

Parsley can also be planted next to bell peppers, onions, chives, carrots, peas, and tomatoes.

Dill

Dill is a versatile herb for companion planting herb garden.  It attracts ladybugs, bees, wasps, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden.  It also repels aphids, some mites, and other harmful insects.

For companion planting for herbs, plant dill near asparagus, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and broccoli.  

Don't plant dill next to bell peppers, carrots, eggplant, potatoes, or lavender.

Rosemary

Rosemary is great for companion planting herb garden due to its strong aroma.  It can repel several harmful insects to protect other nearby plants.  

Plant rosemary next to cabbage and carrots to repel bugs that like to attack these plants.  

For herbs to grow together, plant rosemary next to sage because they have similar growing needs.  Other herbs don't like sage as much, so don't plant it in your herb garden next to anything but sage.

Sage

Sage is one of the picky herbs to grow together.  It prefers to grow with vegetables, but it will work well with rosemary in an herb garden.

Sage repels some insects that can feast on your vegetables.  It's best planted near strawberries, but it also works well near cabbage, carrots, and tomatoes.  

Sage is supposed to help grapevines, but I have not tried it.

Garlic

Garlic is a great plant to grow.  It's strong odor repels deer and small animals that come to your garden to feast.  It's also resistant to mold and fungus.

Garlic is one of the best companion planting for herbs because it grows well next to most other plants.  However, don't plant garlic next to parsley, sage, beans, peas, or asparagus.

Catnip

If you have cats, then you likely grow catnip in your herb garden.  Catnip helps to attract bees to your garden.  

The scent of catnip repels harmful bugs like ants, aphids, and beetles.  It even repels small animals like mice and weevils.  

Plant catnip around the perimeter of your garden to keep pests and small critters out.

Thyme

Like other herbs, thyme can repel several types of insects.  It can help repel cabbage works, tomato hornworms, and some beetles.

Thyme also attracts some insects to your garden that eat aphids and other pests.   

If thyme goes to flower, it attracts pollinators that can help with the rest of your garden.

Now you know about herbs that can grow together.  Most of these herbs  are companions for your vegetable garden.  

Since I grow my herbs separately, I try to group them by growing conditions to make caring for them easier.  

Learn how to make a mini greenhouse if you start your herbs from seeds.  Also check out my gardening hacks for beginners if you are new to gardening.  These frugal gardening tips and tricks will help you save money gardening.

If you want to grow your herbs in pots, learn more about growing herbs in containers.

To preserve your herbs, learn how to dry herbs to store them for several months.

If you want to learn more about using herbs for food, tea, or wellness, I highly recommend the Herbal Academy's Introductory Herbalism course.  It's self-paced, so you can learn at your own pace.

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