The best plants to grow with peas will help them stay healthy, keep pests away, and make the most of your garden space. Companion planting is a technique where different plant species are planted close together to help one another thrive. This may mean choosing plants that will not compete with each other for nutrients. Strategic companion planting is especially important in small gardens or wherever careful space planning is needed.
Other legumes, like beans and lentils, grow well with peas because they make more nitrogen available in the soil. And large variety of vegetable types grow better if they have peas and other legumes as close neighbors.
Sweet peas are easily one of the most beloved old-fashioned annuals Their incredibly fragrant, colorful blooms lend vintage charm to any garden However, maximizing their growth, vigor, and prolific flowering can be a challenge. The good news is that selecting the right companion plants to grow alongside sweet peas can naturally optimize their success.
Strategic companion planting allows different plants to help each other thrive By pairing sweet peas with beneficial friends, you can boost their performance and overcome potential issues. Here are 7 of the best companion options for robust, vibrant sweet peas
1. Marigolds
Popular marigolds are a must-have companion for sweet peas. Several aspects make them an ideal pairing. Firstly, marigolds help deter pests that may plague sweet peas, like aphids, slugs, snails, and whiteflies. The strong scent of marigolds helps mask and confuse these insects.
Marigolds also help enrich the soil. As they grow, their roots secrete compounds that fight off nematodes and other parasitic roundworms. And once the flowers die back, they leave behind organic matter to nourish sweet peas.
For best results, opt for tall marigolds like ‘Crackerjack Mix’ to grow amidst sweet pea vines. The bold colors will nicely complement sweet pea blooms.
2. Nasturtiums
Few flowers can match the vibrant intensity of nasturtiums. Planting nasturtiums near sweet peas serves several beneficial purposes. For one, the peppery scent of nasturtiums helps deter aphids, whiteflies, and other sweet pea pests.
Plus, nasturtiums are wildly attractive to bees, hummingbirds, and other important pollinators. By luring pollinators close by, they can increase pollination (and thus fruit set) in sweet peas. The edible nasturtium flowers and leaves also make a lovely, peppery salad garnish.
Let nasturtiums freely ramble at the base of sweet pea supports. Choose compact or trailing varieties like ‘Phoenix’ or ‘Empress of India’. Their bright colors will contrast nicely with sweet peas.
3. Lavender
The relaxing fragrance of lavender is heaven to humans but disgusting to many insect pests. Interplanting lavender near sweet peas can help deter aphids, whiteflies, cabbage moths, and flea beetles that may plague your vines.
Lavender also provides plenty of pollen and nectar to attract beneficial pollinators. Bumble bees simply cannot resist its flowers. Just a few strategically placed lavender plants will lend a hand to your sweet peas. Opt for compact varieties like ‘Munstead’ for easy incorporation.
4. Onions & Chives
Let onions and chives lend a hand in protecting your sweet peas from pests. The strong scent emitted by onions and chives help confuse and deter many insects, especially cabbage loopers, slugs, and aphids.
Simply intersperse onions and chives along the bases of your sweet pea rows or supports. Choose compact, ornamental onion varieties like ‘Ailsa Craig’ or ‘French Pink’. Garlic chives add attractive edible white flowers. The vegetables will nicely complement sweet pea blooms.
5. Borage
The cheery blue borage flower nicely complements sweet peas in both form and function. Its cucumber-like fragrance helps confuse pests, deterring many insects that bother sweet peas. Borage also attracts plenty of beneficial pollinators to your garden beds.
In addition, borage accumulates potassium in its leaves. As the plants die back, this potassium is released into the soil, right where sweet pea roots can access it. Generous potassium intake promotes vigorous vines and abundant blooms.
6. Radishes
Quick-growing radishes sown alongside sweet peas can provide multiple benefits. As radishes grow, they help break up and aerate the soil with their fleshy roots. This improves drainage and creates a hospitable environment where sweet pea roots can more easily spread and flourish.
Once harvested, the empty space left by radishes allows ample air circulation around maturing sweet peas. Increased air flow helps prevent fungus issues like powdery mildew. Just be sure to harvest radishes promptly, before they compete with vines.
7. Petunias
Petunias may seem like an unlikely companion for sweet peas at first. But incorporating these fragrant classics can actually deter a range of sweet pea pests. Petunias release a natural substance called solanacin that repels aphids, leafhoppers, asparagus beetles, and other bugs.
TheWave series offers an array of compact, mounding petunias that pair nicely with sweet peas. Try mixing ‘Purple Wave’ and ‘Blue Wave’ petunias to complement sweet pea colors. Their profuse blooms will attract pollinators and enhance your display.
Synergistic Companion Planting
Strategically incorporating the right companion plants with sweet peas allows them to overcome challenges and perform their best. Combining marigolds, nasturtiums, onions, borage, and other beneficial friends deters pests, attracts pollinators, enriches soil, and improves vigor.
A bit of thoughtful companion planting allows your sweet peas to grow abundantly and yield maximum fragrant flowers. Pair them with any of these helpful allies and you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous, hearty sweet pea harvest.
Worst Companion Plants for Peas
There are plants like onions and garlic that don’t do well with peas because they slow their growth. Avoid planting these plants near peas:
- Onions
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Shallots
- Scallions
- Chives
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Best Companion Plants for Peas
When it comes to peas, the best companion plants are those that help them grow, share their care needs, and make better use of your garden space. Harvest time does not need to be the same. These can be other vegetables, herbs, or even flowers. Options for companion plants include:
- Basil: This herb can keep thrips away, which are a common pea pest.
- Beans: Beans will add nitrogen to the soil so peas can grow, and they both need the same amount of light and water.
- Beets: Beets help break up the soil around the peas’ bases, which lets more water soak in and lets air flow better.
- Carrots: Carrots are another plant that will help the peas get more air because they aerate the soil.
- Celery: Peas and celery grow well together because they both need nitrogen-fixing plants and can do it.
- Corn: Crops of corn give peas that were planted late in the summer shade and help them climb.
- Cucumbers: Cucumbers need the same growing conditions as peas because they get their nitrogen from them.
- Early potatoes: Mexican bean beetles can damage peas and other legumes, but potatoes keep them away.
- Eggplant: To make the most of your garden space, grow peas on a trellis behind the eggplant. A lot of the nitrogen that pea plants add to the soil is used by eggplant.
- Lettuce: Climbing peas can take up space under lettuce plants, which will make the garden more productive.
- Many people like marigolds because they look nice and keep bugs away. They are useful in any garden.
- Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums strong scent repels various pests. They also keep aphids and flea beetles away from peas by acting as trap crops.
- Peppers: Peppers and peas need a lot of the same things to grow well, and they both need nitrogen from the air to grow.
- Radishes: Radish plants make good pest deterrents in any garden.
- Climbing peas use spinach leaves to protect the soil below them, and weeds can grow where the spinach leaves are.
- Beans: Bean plants do best in the warmer months, so when they need more space, it’s time to pick your peas. This lets you use your garden space efficiently.
- Turnips: Turnips break up the soil and let air flow through it. They do this best when it’s cooler outside.
Best Companion Planting Flowers for the Vegetable Garden
What plants go well with peas?
Companion planting with peas offers benefits such as decreased reliance on nitrogen fertilizer, the encouragement of beneficial insects, and the utilization of natural shade. Plants that make good companions for peas include beets, turnips, lettuce, kale, spinach, sweet alyssum, carrots, and corn.
Are sweet peas good for vegetables?
Sweet peas make fantastic companions for many vegetables. Like all legumes, they add nitrogen to the soil, a much-needed nutrient for many types of plants. They also have extensive root systems, which can help to break up compacted soil and help aerate the ground for the roots of other plants.
Are sweet peas good companion plants?
In conclusion, companion planting with sweet peas can benefit both the plants and the garden as a whole. By planting these complementary flowers and herbs, you can attract beneficial insects, repel pests, and add beauty and interest to your garden. Happy planting! What are sweet pea companion plants?
What flowers go with sweet peas?
Some of the best vine companions for sweet peas include jasmine, clematis, climbing roses, and honeysuckle. But these flowers can also be paired with ornamentals like catmint, marigolds, pansies, and sweet alyssum or vegetable plants like cucumbers, beans, lettuce, or spinach.