Radish is a fast-growing vegetable capable of producing yield within just 3 to 4 weeks during the spring. Many gardeners are fond of growing radishes as aside from being easy to grow, it also has plenty of essential vitamins and antioxidants.
Moreover, this root vegetable is a versatile kitchen ingredient. You can do a lot of things with it, including baking, roasting, and sautéing. It is also possible to enjoy these veggies while they are still raw.
It is also perfect for companion planting. Let’s get to know about radish companion plants through this article.
In This Article
Benefits of Companion Planting for Radishes
Growing radish alone is actually easy. However, take note that there are also benefits of companion planting for radishes. This means that you can grow it along with the right radish companion plants and enjoy a couple of benefits from doing so.
For one, having good companion plants to grow with radish can help increase the yield. It can also improve the plant’s growth behavior overall. The reason is that the presence of good companion plants aids in deterring pests, improving the garden conditions, and providing shade.
Moreover, they can help in attracting pollinators and improving the taste or flavor of the radish once it’s time for harvest. Just make sure to spend time studying the good radish companion plants to enjoy the benefits of companion planting in general, including:
Attracts beneficial insects
The beneficial insects we are talking about here include pollinators, such as ladybugs and bees. Encourage them to come into your vegetable garden so they can pollinate your crops by adding companion plants.
In most cases, gardeners also grow appealing plants, such as borage flowers, to entice beneficial insects and pollinators to come. Apart from attracting beneficial insects, you can also use good companion plants in repelling pests and unwanted insects. Among them are cucumber beetles, carrot flies, cabbage worms, and moths that may plague your garden.
Supplies sufficient ground cover
Expect the plants spreading low across grounds, such as oregano, to act as an effective blanket over your garden. This is a big help as it keeps it protected from the possible harsh effects of the sun. The sufficient ground cover that companion plants offer can also retain the coolness of plants that require it.
Improves the nutrients in the soil
During the growth of crops, there is a high chance for them to consume a lot of essential nutrients from the soil. This may cause the need for you to exert a lot of effort once the season ends.
Fortunately, you can solve that with some companion plants, such as pole beans and bush beans. The reason is that they are capable of reintegrating nutrients, such as nitrogen, into the soil. With that, expect your other plants to remain well-fed and healthy.
Best Radish Companion Plants
Now that you know the specific benefits you can avail of when doing companion planting, it is time to learn about the best companion plants that are compatible with radishes. Here are your options for radish companion planting:
Tomatoes
Planting tomatoes together with some plants may not produce favorable results all the time. The reason is that tomatoes have the tendency of causing soil contamination. Tomatoes may cause the soil to get contaminated with certain fungal diseases, such as blight.
Note, though, that despite the mentioned issue, tomatoes seem to be an incredible companion for radishes. One benefit of companion planting tomatoes is that they can improve the quality of soil for the radish, making it more suitable for its healthy growth.
Radish can also benefit tomatoes as it can prevent and eliminate flea beetles that may only destroy the plants in your garden. Protect the tomatoes by positioning the radish next to them.
Beans
Your radish can also benefit greatly when grown along with beans. Note that it can consume too much soil nutrients, which makes it necessary to have another plant (among the best examples are beans) that will replenish the soil by supplying it with essential nutrients again.
Pole beans can fix the soil by adding more nitrogen. These beans also work in supplying radish with nutrients continuously. Moreover, pole beans serve as mulch or shade that you can use when planting radishes.
Lettuce
Lettuce is also another amazing radish companion plant. What’s great about lettuce is that it immediately works as a ground cover. Lettuce also offers the advantage of conserving the moisture and nutrients in the soil.
Note that radish needs plenty of nutrients for its successful and healthy growth and survival, and the plant can receive that through the lettuce. You can grow the lettuce along with radishes to ensure that the nutrients in the soil will not get depleted.
Brassica
Surprisingly, Brassicas are amazing companions for your radish. One thing to note about brassicas is that they are heavy feeders, meaning that they may not be good companions for certain plants.
Note, though, that they can still benefit the plant as they can transform the soil into one that’s suitable or appropriate for growing radish. Instead of fighting for nutrients together with the radish plants, Brassicas are so impressive as they help supply nutrients to feed the radish and ensure their proper growth.
Chives
Undeniably, chives are among the tastiest ingredients in soups and salads. You can also grow them as companion plants together with radish. What’s great about chives is that they are effective in repelling several unwanted insects and pests, including cabbage worms, beetles, aphids, and slugs. Chives also work in enhancing the flavor of tomatoes that are close by.
Onions
With the exception of beans and several other plants, you can expect onions to be great companions for other crops and plants grown in your garden. The strong scent of onions works in repelling the most harmful pests for radishes. With this specific benefit provided by onions, you can prevent pests, including beetles, from ever coming near your radish plant.
Take a look at our article on onion companion plants here.
Garlic
Garlic and radish also seem to work together as the two can benefit each other. Radish, for instance, can help in promoting the stable growth of garlic. With that, expect the bulbs of garlic to sprout quickly.
What’s even better is that the quick-sprouting garlic bowls tend to have a rich taste or flavor. Moreover, expect radish to grow steadily with the garlic around, so it is definitely a great decision to plant the two next to each other.
Peas
Peas are also great additions to your garden. The reason is that the peas can add more nitrogen to the garden soil. The additional nitrogen from peas can aid in the survival of your radish.
Squash
Squash is also another plant that you can grow near radish. The reason is that it has a higher chance of developing squash borers. This may destroy the stem of the squash and cause stunted growth. You can prevent that problem by growing radish and squash in a similar patch.
Dill
If you are looking for herbs to grow along with radish and fight pests, then dill is an amazing option. Dill is a great companion plant as it helps in attracting parasitic wasps, the ones eating those pests that tend to attack and damage radish. Dill is also effective when it comes to attracting pollinators.
Cucumber
Your radish plant can also benefit from growing close to cucumbers. One advantage of cucumbers is they can help in deterring those pests, like cucumber beetles, that commonly attack it. Cucumbers provide such a benefit by making several radishes blossom and grow around a mound of them.
Oregano
Oregano is also one of the best companion herbs for radishes. Expect the oregano to have a strong and powerful scent that prevents unwanted pests, such as cabbage moths, from penetrating your plant.
The good thing about oregano is that you can easily grow it so expect it to be unable to cause problems when used as a companion for your radish.
Chervil
Also referred to as French parsley, chervil is also a great addition to your garden alongside radish. Aside from helping improve the flavor of this plant, it also works in chasing away unwanted and damaging pests.
Mint
Just like the French parsley or chervil and dill, mint is also an effective deterrent for pests and insects, like flies and beetles. You can grow mint herbs along with radish as such can help make it even more flavorful. Growing mint can also prevent grazing animals from approaching your plants.
Nasturtium
Another of the best plants to grow with radish is the nasturtium. Similar to other flowers, nasturtium repels pests that approach your radish.
You can also use it as a trap crop, which means you can plant nasturtium a few meters from radish so it can attract aphids. It is an effective method when trying to prevent your radish from being attacked by aphids.
Spinach
Spinach is also another of those vegetables that’s effective in playing the role of a protective cover. Moreover, spinach can help conserve the moisture present in the soil.
Bad Companion Plants for Radish
You also have to know about the different plants that may serve as bad companions for radish. Among those that you should avoid planting along with radish are the following:
- Cabbage – Cabbage may not be a great companion plant for radish as it needs plenty of nutrients for proper growth. This means that if you cultivate it together with radish, the two may only be competing for nourishment.
- Corn – Corn is not also compatible with radish. While corn tends to go well with other plants, it may not produce favorable results when planted along with radish. The reason is that corn may deprive radish of sufficient sunlight. Note that radish requires around 6 to 8 hours of sunlight exposure. There is a high chance for corn to compete with it to get such nourishment from sunlight.
- Potatoes – You should also avoid growing potatoes together with radishes. The reason is that potatoes may only experience stunted growth when you grow them along with the plant.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What can you not plant next to radishes?
While there are several plants, flowers, and herbs that you can care for and grow next to radishes, like peas, tomatoes, and cucumbers, there are also those you have to avoid. Some of those that you should not grow along with radish are pumpkin, cabbage, hyssop, corn, turnips, and potatoes.
The reason is that they can only produce negative effects on the growth of the radish.
Can you plant tomatoes and radishes together?
Yes, it is favorable for your radish to plant and grow it along with tomatoes. The reason is that tomatoes can improve the quality of the soil. Moreover, you can also intercrop them with the earlier harvest and growing season of radish.
Can you plant carrots and radishes together?
Yes, you can. It is mainly because both carrots and radishes are root crops needing the same growing conditions. One thing to note when companion planting the two is that radishes have a quicker germination period, which means that they can also make room for the carrots that tend to develop later.
Check out more information about carrot companion plants gardening here.
Are radishes and peppers companion plants?
Yes, several varieties of pepper make fantastic companion plants for the radish. You can use bell and hot peppers because of their incredible space-saving ability. Peppers also serve as effective ground cover for radishes planted and grown in open spaces and any vegetable garden.
Conclusion
Companion planting can definitely make your radish thrive better in your garden. Again, choose the right companion plants to ensure that your radish will greatly benefit from them. Expect your vegetable garden to thrive and produce amazing yields by planting and growing correct plants and crops together.
