Any lettuce harvest can be ruined by picking leaf after leaf riddled with holes from hungry pests. That nightmare scenario can be avoided by using lettuce companion plants to deter a host of potential pests that may otherwise feast on your crop.
It is not just against pests that lettuce companion plants offer benefits. They can also provide shade for lettuce and companion planting allows you to grow crops closer together by taking advantage of their growth habits and rooting depths.
Why not unlock a wealth of advantages from companion planting when growing lettuce? With such a wide array of lettuce companion plants to pick from, there is bound to be a combination that works for you.
Why grow lettuce companion plants?
Lettuce companion planting is a hugely beneficial way of protecting your crops and ensuring you get the best lettuce harvest. This guide looks at what grows well with lettuce, including the vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit that pair successfully to help you decide where to plant lettuce in your vegetable garden.
Vegetables as lettuce companion plants
Root crops such as beets, carrots, parsnips, and radishes are great companion plants for lettuce. Lettuce is a very shallow-rooting crop and doesn’t compete for nutrients with root crops that venture deeper in search of water and food. The two do not interfere with each other as they grow, plus they can be planted close to each other due to their different growing habits.
Allium crops are great lettuce companion plants as they help repel pests that commonly trouble lettuce. Planting the likes of onions, shallots, leeks, or garlic with lettuce can help to deter aphids, slugs, and snails to ensure your lettuce is free from imperfections. The strong smell emitted by allium plants is beneficial at repelling a wide range of unwanted insects from munching on your lettuce leaves.
Growing taller crops can shade the lettuce from the sun, helping prevent water loss and stopping plants from bolting in the summer. Growing tomatoes, cucumber, or eggplant as lettuce companion plants give beneficial shade to lower-growing lettuces during the warmer months.
A heirloom variety that produced round 3" beets with dark red flesh and a deep, sweet flavor.
A short-day heirloom red onion renowned for having pungent purple-red flesh.
A historic heirloom variety of eggplant that was introduced in 1902 and reliably produces large, black fruits.
Herbs as lettuce companion plants
Don’t just keep plants confined to a herb garden. Herbs offer fantastic properties as companion plants to lettuce and other kitchen garden crops.
Some herbs are great at repelling pests. For example, chervil and mint repulse slugs and snails, while the pungent aroma of chives wards off many lettuce pests.
Other aromatic herbs attract beneficial insects that can eat aphids and other pests that commonly nibble on lettuce leaves. Dill is known to attract ladybugs and lacewings and cilantro can encourage parasitic wasps.
A unique variety of chives with a a flavor midway between garlic and onion.
Curled chervil has fern-like fine dark green leaves and a delicate aniseed taste.
A dwarf variety of dill that has ornamental ferny leaves and a tangy scent and flavor.
Flowers as lettuce companion plants
A lovely selection of edible flowers can be used as lettuce companion plants. These plants will look beautiful and benefit lettuce against insects, but also provide a crop of flowers.
- Nasturtiums attract aphids away from lettuces and attract predatory insects to eat unwanted pests.
- Calendula can be used as trap crops to attract slugs and snails away from lettuces.
- Marigolds protect against the likes of aphids, nematodes, and beetles.
A beautiful nasturtium which has gold, orange, salmon, and mahogany flowers with variegated foliage.
A fast-growing calendula variety that produces yellow cactus-shaped flowers.
A unique marigold variety that produces blooms in shades of yellow, orange, and red.
Fruit as lettuce companion plants
It may be surprising to discover that strawberries are a great companion plant for lettuce. The crop is a good strawberry companion plant as the two enjoy the same growing conditions and have roots at different depths - so will not compete. Growing strawberries attracts predatory mites and parasitic wasps to feed on pests that may otherwise trouble the lettuce.
Bad companion plants for lettuce
Where there are good partners, there must also be bad. So avoid the companion planting mistake of pairing up any of the following crops as lettuce companion plants.
Any crop in the cabbage family actively prevents lettuce seeds from germinating due to a chemical compound emitted from their roots. That means never growing broccoli, kale, cauliflower, or cabbage near lettuce plants.
Another crop that can actively harm lettuce is fennel. The herb produces a chemical that actively slows down the growth of plants nearby. It will severely stunt the development of any lettuce plants.
FAQs
Can basil and lettuce be grown together?
Basil can be planted with lettuce and it is commonly thought that the crop can enhance the flavor of lettuce. Basil can also repel thrips and aphids, making it a beneficial lettuce companion plant.
Can you plant lettuce next to peppers?
Lettuce can be planted with peppers, whether you are growing chili peppers or bell peppers. The two have different growth habits and the pepper plants can provide shade to lettuce plants as they grow upwards.
Lettuce companion planting is not limited to crops growing in the ground. There is still scope for companion plants even if you grow lettuce in pots. Add smaller plants like radishes, scallions, or calendula to containers to protect lettuces from pests and keep your leaves unblemished.
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