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Bell peppers are among the most popular vegetables grown in home gardens due to their sweet flavor, crunchy texture, and bright colors.
Certain plants can enhance the growth of bell peppers, leading to a more abundant harvest and healthier plants. These companion plants can also help deter pests and enrich the biodiversity of your garden. Gardeners can cultivate a productive and attractive garden by choosing the right companions.
If you plan to grow bell peppers, here are 15 companion plants to consider.
Chives
Chives are a delicious herb with a mild onion-like smell that repels aphids. Planting small clumps of chives among bell peppers is a good way to keep pests at bay. The large pom-pom flowers of chive plants will also attract pollinators to your bell plants.
Marigolds
This companion pairing is a favorite among gardeners and homesteaders. Cheerful marigolds planted among peppers will benefit your garden all season long.
Marigolds have vibrant red, orange, and yellow flowers that attract a host of beneficial insects to the garden, from pollinating bees to pest-destroying wasps and butterflies.
Onions
Growing onions near bell peppers is highly beneficial. Like chives, the scent of onions helps keep away pests that usually target bell peppers. As members of the allium family, onions have a growth habit similar to chives, so they won’t overshadow your bell peppers or compete for water. This makes onions an excellent companion for co-planting.
Calendula
Calendula has a distinctive musky fragrance that repels hornworms, aphids, and flea beetles from your vegetable plot. It is easy to grow and perfect for your vegetable garden.
Dill
Dill is a good bell pepper companion. When it flowers, it attracts beneficial insects that feed on thrips and aphids.
Spinach
Spinach is a great companion for bell peppers. It produces saponins, natural compounds that repel various garden pests. Additionally, spinach is a low-growing plant that complements bell peppers well, allowing you to harvest more from a limited space without competing for resources. Planting spinach also helps retain soil moisture.
Basil
One interesting aspect of companion planting is that many crops that pair well in the kitchen thrive together in the garden. For example, basil is one of the best companion plants for bell peppers, and they also taste great together!
Basil is a leafy herb that enjoys the shady spots under taller bell peppers. In exchange for this shade, basil repels aphids and other bugs and attracts pollinating insects. Basil also helps to improve the flavor of bell peppers.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are fast-growing annual flowering plants that attract parasitoid wasps—tiny flying insects that feed on aphids. They can also be grown as a trap crop, luring aphids away from your vegetable crops. Plant nasturtiums around or among peppers to fill space and repel aphids and other destructive bugs.
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Parsley
When used as a companion plant in the summer, it produces an abundance of tiny flowers that attract ladybugs, a major predator of aphids and hornworms.
Carrots
Carrots grow deep into the ground, helping to aerate the soil and boost the health of bell peppers. These two plants work well as companions as they have differing nutrient needs, avoiding any competition. Additionally, carrots attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings.
Borage
Borage is beneficial for bell peppers as it helps prevent worm attacks and attracts predator insects. Bees and butterflies are drawn to borage’s nectar, which aids in pollination.
Cilantro
Cilantro is a fast-growing annual herb that attracts parasitoid wasps, tiny insects that feed on hornworms. They are also excellent at attracting beneficial insects like ladybugs.
Petunia
Petunias are prolific bloomers, offering a range of trumpet-shaped flowers in purple, pink, white, and red. Their stunning display makes petunias a garden favorite. They are excellent for containers, hanging baskets, and rock gardens, blooming continuously with regular deadheading.
In addition to bringing vibrant color to the garden, petunias are highly effective at deterring pests. They repel leafhoppers, aphids, hornworms, and other common vegetable pests. Interplanting petunias among peppers helps reduce pest damage and increases flowering and fruit production.
Sweet Alyssum
It is a tried-and-true flower that attracts beneficial insects and predators to your garden. In addition, it protects your bell peppers from pest attacks.
Garlic
Garlic is highly effective in the garden due to its strong aroma, which repels many pests and makes it a great companion for bell peppers. Beyond its well-known culinary uses,
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