Spinach is a cool weather crop that is fast growing and nutrient dense It can be harvested multiple times throughout the season by pinching off outer leaves, making it a productive addition to any vegetable garden. While spinach itself is relatively easy to grow, you can boost yields and get even more out of your garden space by companion planting
According to how they grow and how much they help spinach grow, some vegetables, herbs, and flowers go well with it. If you want to grow spinach with other plants, here are some suggestions and how they work together.
Vegetables that Grow Well with Spinach
Several vegetable companions can maximize the productivity of your garden beds by utilizing vertical and horizontal space efficiently
Peas
Planting peas near spinach is mutually beneficial. As a legume, peas fix nitrogen in the soil which gives spinach an extra growth boost. The vining growth habit of peas also provides dappled shade that protects spinach from late spring heat and prevents bolting.
Lettuce
It’s best to plant lettuce and spinach next to each other because they need the same amount of light, soil, and water. Their shallow root systems don’t compete for resources either. For an extra early spring or fall harvest, you can plant them next to each other.
Radishes
Quick growing radishes help break up compacted soil and improve aeration around spinach roots. Their rapid growth also allows you to make use of space while waiting for the spinach to mature.
Beets
You can plant beets and spinach at the same time in early spring or fall, since they both like cool weather and moist soil. Their leaves stay the same height and don’t fight for light or space for roots.
Broccoli
When broccoli transplants are still small in the spring, they make a lot of room for spinach seeds to grow nearby. The spinach will be ready to pick when the broccoli gets big.
Kale
Kale and spinach are both cold hardy plants that don’t compete for resources. Kale leaves also provide shade to keep soil cool and moist for spinach during warmer weather.
Herbs for Companion Planting with Spinach
Herbs that complement spinach can be harvested fresh for kitchen use while also repelling pests and attracting pollinators.
Dill
Dill has a reputation for improving the vigor and enhancing the flavor of its companions. It also attracts predatory insects that help control spinach pests.
Cilantro
Cilantro germinates well in cool weather and its flowers support beneficial predator insects. It adds a fresh flavor when paired with spinach in recipes too.
Chives
Onions and chives ward off insects with their strong scent. Chives also have an ornamental quality and make a pretty border planting.
Borage
The star-shaped flowers of borage attract pollinators while repelling pests like worms and slugs that can damage spinach.
Parsley
The moderate height of parsley complements spinach without shading it out. Its aroma masks the scent of spinach to pests.
Flowers to Grow with Spinach
Blooming companion plants beautify the spinach garden while providing ecological services like pest control.
Marigolds
Marigolds have natural nematicide activity in their roots which protects against parasitic roundworms that affect spinach roots.
Nasturtiums
With their trailing habit, nasturtiums are ideal for planting along the border of spinach beds. Their pungent aroma deters aphids and whiteflies.
Calendula
The bright orange blossoms of calendula repel rabbits, aphids, and flea beetles that can plague spinach plantings.
Sweet Alyssum
Alyssum attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies and other beneficial insects that prey on spinach pests like aphids.
Sunflowers
Low growing sunflowers provide afternoon shade for spinach during hot spells, helping prevent bolting.
What to Avoid Planting with Spinach
While most garden plants can be successfully combined with spinach through proper spacing and timing, there are a few exceptions that are best avoided:
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Strawberries – These prefer more acidic soil compared to spinach’s preference for slightly alkaline conditions.
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Potatoes – As heavy feeders, potatoes can deprive spinach of nutrients.
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Legumes like beans – Too much soil nitrogen from legumes leads to leafy growth over root development in spinach.
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Corn – Being a heavy feeder, corn competes with spinach for soil resources.
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Mint – Invasive mint roots will take over space meant for spinach.
By understanding the ideal growing conditions for spinach and selecting companion plants that enhance those, you can create a productive polyculture garden. Thoughtful companion planting boosts yields, improves pest management, and allows you to make the most of your planting space when growing spinach.
What Is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a simple gardening technique where you plant plants that support each other’s growth close together. Some companion plants can keep pests away or bring in predatory insects that eat harmful bugs. Other plants can provide shade, attract pollinators, or do other useful things.
If you want your spinach plants to be healthier and produce more, try following these plant pairs.
- 01 of 15 Strawberries Picture: Westend61 / Getty s. Strawberries and spinach go well together in salads, but they may also work well together in the garden. These plants do best in cool weather and rich soil. Strawberry flowers bring in hoverflies that eat pests that eat spinach. If you want more gardening tips, you can sign up for our free gardening newsletter. It has our best growing tips, way to fix problems, and more.
- Two of fifteen: legumes. Photo: Jenny Dettrick/Getty Images. Beans, peas, and other legumes are known for having nitrogen-fixing roots that make soils better naturally. Putting these plants near spinach can help it get more nutrients, and trellised beans may also help protect heat-sensitive spinach from direct sunlight.
- 03 of 15 Oregano Credit: annick vanderschelden photography / Getty s Strongly scented oregano plants can keep pests away from spinach, and oregano flowers are also very appealing to bugs that eat plants. If you’ve had problems with bugs like aphids in the past, planting spinach next to oregano might help.
- 04 of 15 Alliums Photo: DaveAlan/Getty s Like oregano, alliums keep a lot of pests away from spinach, like hungry slugs that eat the leaves. Also, leeks, onions, chives, garlic, and scallions are picked after spinach, so planting alliums between spinach can make the most of garden space. Continue to 5 of 15 below .
- 05 of 15 Root Vegetables Many Color Carrots. Vegetables like spinach, beets, parsnips, and carrots do best in cool weather and rich soil. They do best in the spring or fall. Also, root vegetables grow mostly underground, so they won’t have to fight with spinach for light or space.
- Photograph 06 of 15 Marigolds Credit: Lex20 / iStock / Getty s Marigolds are often grown to keep pests away, but they’re even better at bringing in hoverflies and other good bugs. On top of that, marigolds add color to vegetable gardens and do well in both pots and larger beds.
- Spinach doesn’t like it when it’s hot, and it starts to bolt as soon as the weather gets warmer in the summer. Instead, plant heat-tolerant tomatoes right after the spinach. This way, you can get more vegetables from your garden and keep the soil from sitting empty.
- 08 of 15 Cilantro – Credit: Nungning20 / Getty s Cilantro grows best in cool weather and needs to be watered often, just like spinach. You can plant a second crop of spinach and cilantro in late summer and harvest these hardy plants into fall, even though they both bolt in the summer. Continue to 9 of 15 below .
- 09 of 15 Nasturtiums (Nadya So/Getty Images): Nasturtiums are another flower that keeps pests away. They confuse aphids and whiteflies and attract insects that eat garden plants. When planting with other plants, mounding nasturtiums work best, while trailing nasturtiums may make it hard for spinach to grow.
- Pictures 10 through 15: Brassicas (Cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, radishes, and kale are some brassicas that grow well with spinach). All brassicas do best in cool weather and rich, moist soil. They are often grown under row covers, which can also keep pests away from spinach plants, making them great friends.
- 11 of 15 Eggplants (Credit: RuudMorijn / Getty s): Like tomatoes, eggplants grow most in the summer. To get more vegetables from your garden, plant them after spinach. Planting spinach under eggplants that are taller should also give the spinach some shade and keep it from bolting.
- 12 of 15 Rosemary Picture: Jasenka Arbanas / Getty s Slugs and other garden pests hate the smell of rosemary. Planting this fragrant herb next to spinach will keep pests away from the spinach leaves. But rosemary does better in dry soil than spinach, so you might want to grow it in pots next to your vegetable beds. Continue to 13 of 15 below .
- 13 of 15: Lettuce (Kodiak Greenwood/Getty Images): Most types of lettuce do best in cool weather and need the same things spinach does. It’s easy to add more color to your garden and get a variety of tasty greens for salads by growing these two plants together.
- 14 of 15: Dill (Oxana Medvedeva/Getty): Dill grows best in cooler weather and is usually planted in the spring or fall, like spinach. Dill plants also like it when the soil is damp, and they don’t need as much food as spinach does.
- Image 15 of 15: Cosmos. Photo credit: The Spruce/Lecia Almeida. Plant cosmos next to spinach to add color and invite good bugs to your garden. Pollinators and predatory insects like lacewings and parasitic wasps are very interested in cosms.
Spinach Growing Tips Garden Quickie Episode 149
FAQ
What is a good companion plant for spinach?
By far, the best companion plants for spinach are peas and beans. When grown on a trellis, these plants can provide shade that helps delay bolting in spinach. In addition, these legumes fix nitrogen from the air, making it available to the spinach to ensure a dark green color and fast growth. Other good companions for spinach include:
What plants help spinach grow?
These plants share nutrients and keep the soil healthy. Flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums, and calendula protect spinach from pests while making your garden pretty. Herbs like chives, dill, and parsley not only keep bugs away, but they also bring in good bugs that help spinach grow.
Do some plants get along with spinach?
Some plants don’t do well with spinach, such as: Companion planting is a fun way to make your garden look different, get more crops from small areas, and keep your spinach from having problems. Remember that spinach needs a lot of room and light to grow to its full size.
What plants can be planted next to spinach?
Growing some plants next to spinach helps keep away harmful bugs. Garlic acts as a ground cover and keeps pests out. Radishes fight off flea beetles that harm spinach leaves. Marigolds send root-knot nematodes, aphids, and rabbits running the other way. Nasturtium deters both aphids and mites from bothering nearby plants.
Should you plant spinach with other vegetables?
If you’re planning on growing spinach, consider planting it alongside these vegetable companions: Lettuce is a great companion for spinach because it shares similar nutrient needs. Both plants require plenty of nitrogen to grow, and lettuce can help provide this nutrient when planted together.
What vegetables grow well with spinach?
Root vegetables like carrots, radishes, and beets are great companions for spinach since these veggies are cold-tolerant and can be planted together early in the season. They help loosen the soil as they grow, making it easier for spinach roots to spread.