What Not To Plant with Peppers? And What’s Worth Trying?

Do not plant peppers with cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, fennel, or cabbage to avoid nutrient competition and attracting pests.

If you’re eyeing your garden space and thinking of planting peppers, you’re in for a treat. Expanding beyond peppers to include companion plants like herbs and flowers can transform your garden from just functional to visually appealing.

what not to plant with peppers
Green Peppers Hanging on the Pepper Seedling

We’ll share insights on the best and worst companions for peppers, aiming to make your garden both bountiful and beautiful. Ready to enrich your garden’s diversity?

Key Takeaways

  • Avoid planting peppers with cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, fennel, or cabbage to prevent nutrient competition and pest issues.
  • Marigolds, eggplants, carrots, basil, and chives are beneficial companions for peppers, promoting growth and deterring pests.
  • Proper spacing is crucial for peppers to avoid overcrowding and disease.
  • Marigolds protect peppers from pests and excessive sun, enhancing garden aesthetics.

What Not to Plant with Peppers?

When you already plant the peppers and the garden space is still available to plant the others, then, you have to avoid these plants unless you want to experience failure when the harvest time is on your eyes.

Check out the reason behind and see what’s worth trying as the great companion plants.

1. Cauliflower

what not to plant with peppers
Cauliflower

The cauliflower or Brassica Oleracea var. Botrytis, needs the same nutrient as the peppers do. Yes, cauliflower is one of Brassica family. So, if you plant them together in the same area, it is pretty sure it will leave bad impacts for both plants.

Cauliflower and pepper plants will compete for food, and if you think you can do more feeding and watering, it might cause overeating as well for one of the plants.

So, it is better if you just choose between pepper or cauliflower to be planted in your garden.

2. Broccoli

Broccoli
Brassica Oleracea var. Italica

If you wonder the reason you cannot plant broccoli with pepper, it is because broccoli or Brassica Oleracea var. Italica, cannot respond well alongside the peppers. Peppers are the nightshade family, and broccoli is one of the Brassica family.

Those two will compete for the food because they are heavy feeders. Having them together is like creating the arena to see which one will lose and which one will thrive.

3. Brussels Sprouts

what not to plant with peppers
Brussels Sprouts (Brassica Oleracea var. Gemmifera)

Another cabbage family that will not go along well with the peppers. Yes, Brussels sprouts will fight for the food against the pepper if you still insist on planting them together in the garden.

Planting peppers will require the nutrients that are the same as planting Brussel sprouts or Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera. So, it is better for you to not plant them together.

4. Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)

what not to plant with peppers
Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare)

Yes, fennel is famous as the plant that you should avoid planting together. This plant not only competes for the food with the pepper, but also gives off the chemical for the other nearby plants.

So, if you don’t want to let your peppers die, then, never ever try to get fennels in your pepper garden.

5. Cabbage

what not to plant with peppers
Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea var. Capitata)

This fresh cabbage is one of Brassica families. Therefore, you should avoid planting peppers together with this crisp veggie. Planting pepper and cabbage as we mentioned before, will compete for food since they need the same nutrients. They tend to be aggressive as well.

So, to avoid overeating and overfeed, it is better to separate the area for planting cabbage and pepper plants.


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Best Companion Plant with Peppers

Time to get the seeds of these kinds of plants since below are the best pepper plant companions. Those plants not only support the pepper growth, but also leave a good impact for the companion.

Hence, it is not only good for one plant, but for the companion plant too. Your garden will be full of beneficial plants and the harvest time will be the moment you are waiting for.

1. Marigold (Tagetes)

Companion Plant with Peppers
Marigold

Nematodes are the famous pest that often harm the pepper. But it won’t happen anymore since French marigolds can repel pests, such as nematodes, aphids and many more.

Instead of just repelling the pests, growing marigold aside with peppers also helps to stimulate the growth.

Hence, you can get plenty of pepper crops when it is harvesting time. Also, marigolds can thrive under the full sun, you will have this beauty during summer in your garden, and it will protect pepper from too much sun exposure.

2. Eggplant (Solanum Melongena)

Eggplant (Solanum Melongena)
Eggplant (Solanum Melongena)

The crunchy eggplants you can grow alongside peppers, because this veggie needs the same soil type as pepper plants.

Just make sure you make a space when planting the eggplants and peppers. Because by seeing its shape, they need the space to let them grow properly with beautiful size the time it is ready to harvest. 

Moreover, having those two in your garden will help you cook the best meal for your family. You can make stir-fried pepper and eggplant. Sounds delicious?

3. Carrot (Daucus Carota)

Companion Plant with Peppers
Carrot (Daucus Carota)

The best companion plant that grows alongside peppers well is carrot. Yes, if you want to improve your pepper quality, then you can start planting carrots nearby.

This orange and crunchy veggie will create living mulch which is good for the peppers, because it will reduce the weed growth.

As for the carrots, peppers will give the proper shade. It is like a win-win solution. Your vegetable garden will have beautiful veggies that can be harvested with good results.

4. Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)

Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)
Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)

If you want to plant basil together with pepper plants, it is such an excellent idea. Because this herb can deter pests. For instance, aphids, spider mites, and thrips. So that you do not have to worry anymore about the pest that may harm your pepper.

Moreover, planting basil as the pepper plant companion in your vegetable garden might add the flavor to your pepper once you harvest it.

5. Chives

Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum)
Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum)

If you like some flavorful meals by adding chives and pepper to it together, why don’t you plant pepper and chives in the same garden as well? Yes, chives are one the great companion plants for pepper.

Planting chives can help you repel aphids and other pests, so your peppers will be safe from the pests.

Moreover, having this perennial in your vegetable garden is not only beneficial for your kitchen, but also the view. Because you can see how beautiful the flower buds that bloom are.

Does Companion Planting Really Work?

Yes, companion planting really works if you know about what plants are great as companion plants. In this case, we have to know what is suitable to grow together with pepper plants.

For instance, we have to consider pest repellent plants since pepper often gets caught by harmful pests.

what not to plant with peppers
Taking Care of Pepper Seedling

Also, you have to see the soil type, sun exposure, time for planting and the space. Even as simple as you plant, using containers or not should be decided beforehand.

Companion planting is really beneficial for some gardeners because you can harvest together at one time and if you find the best companion plants for peppers, you worry less about the disease and the pest.

The Bottom Line on Companion Planting

what not to plant with peppers
The Bottom Line on Companion Planting

As long as you do companion planting with the right plants, then there will be no bad effect for the plant health.

They can grow well together and some gardeners also believe there are many beneficial insects or attract pollinators that come to help you have a good warm season crop.

Although the soil structure will not change, companion planting allows you to have different root systems throughout your garden.

Final Thought

Exploring companion planting with peppers enriches your garden, blending beauty with yield. Understanding which plants like marigolds and basil enhance growth, versus those like cauliflower and fennel that hinder it, is key to a thriving garden.

Ready for a lush, productive garden? Start companion planting with peppers to unlock a vibrant ecosystem. Plan your garden’s companions today for a flourishing tomorrow.


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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Can I plant tomatoes and peppers together?

You can plant peppers together with tomatoes. Because yes, they are good companion plants. Both of them love full sun, so you can give a direct sun exposure for at least 6 hours per day.

Although tomatoes can attract many pests, peppers have less impact because of it.

Do peppers like to be planted together?

Yes, peppers can and like to be planted together. Companion plants that have no issues when you plant together are marigold, eggplants, tomatoes, basil, chives and many more.

They are some samples of companion plants for peppers in your garden. But, the most important thing is you have enough space and soil to plant pepper together with other plants.

What happens if you plant pepper plants too close together?

The pepper will not grow properly since they need space to breathe. Planting pepper too close together will cause disease and the size will come small. Which means it is not as good as the result.

If you plan to have peppers in a container plant, you can do one pepper for one container to get the best result when you harvest the pepper later.

Can you plant marigolds with peppers?

Yes, you can plant marigolds together with peppers. That beautiful flower will deter pests and protect the peppers from direct sun exposure. Moreover, you can have a stunning view as well once Marigolds bloom. 

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