Companion Planting for Autumn Garden Favourites

Companion planting is the process of planting different varieties together in a garden bed that complement or enhance each other, be it by improving the performance of other crops or for warding off pests and diseases.

Here are our top picks for the Autumn vegetable patch.

Silverbeet

Radish is a great friend to silverbeet. It breaks up hard soil to allow the silverbeet roots to make their way through easily. It also is fast to harvest and doesn’t compete for space with silverbeet.

Broccoli / Cauliflower

Brassicas are the Cabbage White Butterfly’s favourite host. Nasturtium is an excellent trap crop for this common pest. Plant Nasturtiums amongst your Cauliflower and Broccoli plants. The butterflies lay their eggs on the nasturtium and devour their leaves, leaving your crop camouflaged from their attack. Nasturtiums are vigorous growers and survive the caterpillar munching whereas slower-growing brassicas don’t stand a chance!

Cabbage

Another companion for preventing Cabbage White Butterfly attack is to plant White sage. The fragrant herb is known to deter these pests.

Carrot

Carrot fly is a nasty pest whose grubs decimate the tap root of carrots, parsnip, celery, and parsley. Onion is a known companion plant to repel these pests. Plant them amongst your crop for the best effect as it can also stop the spread from one patch to another.

Leek

Strawberries are a good companion for leeks. Their low-growing foliage shades the roots giving you more of the tender white part of a leek. Leeks give back to the strawberries by deterring pests. They match well as the leek's strong stems can grow through strawberry foliage easily.

Lettuce

Having a trellis of Peas planted beside your lettuce can lengthen your harvest time. The peas provide shade and protection for the tender lettuce, reducing its chance of bolting.

Asian Greens

Pak Choy, Buk Choy, and other popular Asian greens grow well with borage. Borage is an excellent companion plant overall as it attracts beneficial insects.

Peas

Coriander is said to improve the flavour of peas. While this is hard to prove, it still is a great companion plant.  The peas provide protection for the soft-leafed coriander, giving you a longer harvest period.

Want to learn more about Companion Planting? Check out our Full Companion Planting Guide here.