There is nothing more satisfying than watching the green leaves of bean plants fill up your garden. Beans are my favorite crop to use succession planting on. I also am a pretty big fan of using them in companion planting. Beans mostly give a lot to other plants…they are givers, they can’t help themselves. There are a couple of plants, though, that beans can benefit from. Here’s a handy dandy bean companion list for your garden planning:
- Beets. Beets give the soil magnesium. Beans love magnesium–see how the math just adds up? Beets do NOT do well with Pole Beans, though. FYI.
- Summer savory. Savory deters bean beetles. Bean beetles is fun to say.
- Potatoes. Potatoes also deter bean beetles.
- Marigolds. I shouldn’t even really have to sell these at this point. Just plant them everywhere.
- Corn. Corn and bush beans both balance out the soil. After the crop has died back, the nitrogen the corn has consumed, the beans will give back.
There are other plants that make good neighbors, depending on what type of bean you plant {bush vs. pole}, but the ones above actually provide a little something, something to both varieties.
What do YOU plant with your beans?
~Mavis
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Rebecca W says
Hi Mavis,
Thanks for this information on companion plants for bush beans. Last year I had a problem with the dreaded Japanese beetle attacking my bush beans. Any tips for deterring them?
Suzetta says
What is your favorite pole bean. I’m up in Bellingham so probably colder than you, but only a week or two behind.
Mavis Butterfield says
Kentucky Pole Beans!
Carrie says
Plant marigolds everywhere UNLESS you get spider mites. They attract spider mites. Spider mites are the worst garden pest I have ever encountered.