--- title: "Companion Planting Potatoes: Tuber-Friendly Partners" description: Which plants belong with potatoes (beans, marigolds, alliums) and which to avoid (tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits). Spacing, timing, and the rotation rule explained. image: https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-potato-companions-hero.webp --- [Skip to content](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-potatoes-tuber-friendly-partners#main-content) [![GrowPerma Logo](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/icon-512.png?width=40&height=40&name=icon-512.png)](https://growperma.com/) - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [About](https://growperma.com/about) [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [About](https://growperma.com/about) [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) ![Home vegetable garden bed with potato plants surrounded by beans, marigolds, onions, and lettuce companions](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-potato-companions-hero.webp?width=1200&height=520&name=gp-0135-potato-companions-hero.webp) In This Article Table of Contents ![Peter Vogel](https://growperma.com/hubfs/Peter%20Vogel%20Portait.png) Peter Vogel Peter Vogel is the founder of GrowPerma, bringing together evidence-based gardening advice with permaculture principles. When he's not writing about companion ... [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) May 18, 2026 # Companion Planting Potatoes: Tuber-Friendly Partners You've cut your seed potatoes, prepped the bed, and you're ready to plant. The question now is what to put in the rest of the bed. Potatoes are heavy feeders, prone to a specific list of pests, and notoriously bad neighbors to a few common garden vegetables. Get the companions right and you get bigger harvests, fewer Colorado potato beetles, and less work for the season. Get them wrong and you can spread late blight from one row to the next. This guide gives you the short, evidence-backed answer: which plants belong next to your potatoes, which absolutely don't, and the spacing and timing that make it work. Most of this comes straight from university extension services and peer-reviewed entomology, with the folk-wisdom claims clearly flagged. 75% Of [Colorado potato beetle](https://growperma.com/blog/colorado-potato-beetle-timing-hand-picking-and-trap-crops) damage comes from the 4th larval stage UNH Extension 12 in Recommended spacing between potato hills Utah State Extension 100-200 lb/ac Potassium a 300 cwt potato crop pulls from the soil UMaine Extension 3-4 yrs Minimum crop rotation between potatoes and other nightshades Penn State Extension ## The Short Answer: What to Plant With Potatoes If you only have time for the headline list, here it is. **Plant with potatoes:** bush beans, peas, horseradish, onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, marigolds, and nasturtiums. **Keep away from potatoes:** tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, [squash and pumpkins](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-pumpkins-fall-harvest-combinations), sunflowers, fennel, and other potato plants for at least three years on the same ground. ![Two-column infographic showing recommended companion plants for potatoes and plants to avoid near potatoes](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-do-dont-infographic.webp) The reasoning behind each pairing matters, because it tells you when to plant the companion, where to position it relative to your potato hills, and what to do if a pest or disease shows up anyway. Our broader [companion planting chart for every vegetable](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-chart-the-complete-guide-for-every-vegetable) covers the full matrix; this article goes deep on what works specifically for *Solanum tuberosum*, the common potato. ## Why Potato Companion Planting Actually Matters Potatoes face three specific pressures that companion planting can ease. ![Close-up of a Colorado potato beetle with yellow and black striped wing covers on a potato leaf](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-colorado-beetle.webp) **Pest pressure.** The Colorado potato beetle (*Leptinotarsa decemlineata*) is the headline threat. [UNH Extension](https://extension.unh.edu/resource/colorado-potato-beetle-fact-sheet) documents that the 4th-instar larva is responsible for about 75 percent of total feeding damage, and a peer-reviewed review in PMC notes the beetle has developed resistance to over 50 insecticidal compounds across all major classes, which is why physical and biological controls matter more every year. Aphids, wireworms, and flea beetles add to the load, and [UC IPM's wireworm fact sheet](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/potato/wireworms/) documents how rotation patterns shape population pressure year to year. **Disease pressure.** Late blight (*Phytophthora infestans*) is the same pathogen that triggered the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, and per [the American Phytopathological Society](https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/pdlessons/Pages/LateBlight.aspx) it can wipe out an unmanaged potato planting in 1-2 weeks once it takes hold. Crucially, the same pathogen attacks tomatoes, which is the single biggest reason tomatoes and potatoes should never share a bed. Early blight (*Alternaria solani*) and several soil-borne diseases also benefit from rotation and diversity in adjacent plantings. **Nutrient demand.** Potatoes are heavy feeders, especially of potassium. [UMaine Extension's potassium bulletin](https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2251e/) reports that a 300 hundredweight (per acre) potato crop removes 100 to 200 pounds of elemental potassium from the soil per season. That's why pairing potatoes with nitrogen-fixing legumes (beans, peas) and avoiding other heavy feeders (cucurbits) is structurally important, not just folklore. Why This Works: Stacking Functions in a Single Bed The permaculture principle behind potato companion planting is "integrate rather than segregate." A bed with potatoes plus beans plus marigolds isn't three independent crops sharing space, it's three plants doing different jobs at different times: the beans fix nitrogen the potatoes will use, the marigolds suppress soil nematodes that attack tuber roots, and the upright potato canopy provides a wind break for the legumes. The whole bed produces more per square foot than any of the three would alone. ## The Best Potato Companions, Explained ![Marigold and nasturtium flowers blooming next to a potato plant with mounded soil](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-marigold-nasturtium.webp) **Bush beans and peas.** Both are legumes that fix atmospheric nitrogen via root nodules, feeding the heavy-feeding potatoes nearby. [Peas can fix roughly 70 to 90 percent of their own nitrogen needs](https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/peas-as-climate-smart-nitrogen-fixers) when properly inoculated, leaving residual nitrogen for the next crop. Bush beans (not pole beans, which compete for light) are particularly well-suited because they finish their cycle around when potatoes need to be hilled up. Our full guide to [companion planting beans](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-beans-nitrogen-fixers-that-help-everything) covers placement and timing in more depth. **Horseradish.** The oldest piece of advice in the potato companion playbook is to plant horseradish at the corners of your potato bed. [Tipnut's review of horseradish companion data](https://tipnut.com/potato-bugs/) notes the traditional claim that horseradish strengthens potato disease resistance, though research from [phys.org reporting on a 2020 horseradish flea beetle study](https://phys.org/news/2020-03-horseradish-flea-beetles-deter-predators.html) shows the actual mechanism is more nuanced than simple repellence. Plant horseradish well-contained, because it spreads aggressively. **Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives.** Alliums are widely reported to deter aphids and a range of soft-bodied pests through their sulfur compounds. [UMN Extension's companion planting guide](https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/companion-planting-home-gardens) lists onions and chives among the broadly compatible partners for most root crops. They take little horizontal space, slot in between potato hills, and harvest at different times so they don't compete during peak potato growth. **Marigolds.** French marigolds (*Tagetes patula*) have documented nematode-suppressing activity. [UF/IFAS Extension's marigolds for nematode management](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/NG045) bulletin and a [peer-reviewed transcriptome study](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7831324/) showing how potato gene expression responds to marigold exposure both support the claim. Plant them as a border around the potato bed in early spring, and till them in at season end to compound the benefit. Our [marigold companion planting science guide](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-marigolds-the-science-behind-pest-control) covers which Tagetes species actually work (it's not all of them). **Nasturtium.** A classic trap crop. Aphids and flea beetles strongly prefer nasturtium foliage to most vegetable crops, so planted at the edge of a potato bed it draws pests away. [GrowVeg's trap cropping guide](https://www.growveg.com/guides/trap-cropping-to-control-pests/) walks through the mechanism. We cover specific placement in our [nasturtium trap crop guide](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-nasturtiums-trap-crops-that-work). **Lettuce, spinach, and other quick leafy greens.** Potatoes take 70-120 days to mature. Quick greens fill the space during the first 30-45 days, get harvested before the potato canopy closes in and the bed needs hilling up. [UC ANR's companion planting in the vegetable garden bulletin](https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/388577.pdf) describes this layered timing. ## What NOT to Plant Near Potatoes The Single Most Important Rule: No Other Nightshades Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos all share the Solanaceae family with potatoes, which means they also share the most damaging pathogens including late blight (*Phytophthora infestans*), early blight, and Verticillium wilt. [UMN Extension's late blight fact sheet](https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/late-blight) confirms the cross-infection risk. Keep at least 10 feet between potatoes and tomatoes if you must grow both, and never follow potatoes with tomatoes (or vice versa) on the same ground for at least three years. [Penn State Extension's family-based rotation guide](https://extension.psu.edu/plant-rotation-in-the-garden-based-on-plant-families/) is the reference here. **Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, melons.** These cucurbits are heavy feeders that compete aggressively for water and nutrients, and at least one peer-reviewed soil microbiology study has documented how mixed-pattern plantings affect potato rhizosphere chemistry. Worse, cucurbit foliage spreading over potato beds can trap moisture against the soil and create perfect conditions for blight. Keep them in separate beds. **Sunflowers.** Sunflowers produce allelochemicals that inhibit the growth of many vegetables, potatoes included. Plant them as a privacy screen along a fence, not adjacent to your potato rows. **Fennel.** Fennel is one of a tiny handful of vegetables that suppresses almost every neighbor through allelopathic root exudates. Give it its own bed or its own pot. **Asparagus, turnips, and rutabaga.** Each competes either through root interference (asparagus, with its deep crown system) or aggressive nutrient demand on similar soil profiles (turnips, rutabaga). [Rural Sprout's anti-companion potato list](https://www.ruralsprout.com/potato-anti-companion-plants/) compiles the practitioner consensus on these conflicts. **Other potatoes (rotation rule).** Never plant potatoes in the same bed two seasons in a row. [Penn State's potato disease identification guide](https://extension.psu.edu/identifying-potato-diseases-in-pennsylvania/) confirms that soil-borne pathogens including scab, Verticillium wilt, and nematodes build up rapidly under continuous potato cropping. Three to four years between potato plantings on the same ground is the standard recommendation. For a broader view of which combinations to avoid across the whole garden, see our [guide to companion planting mistakes](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-mistakes-12-combinations-to-avoid). ## Spacing, Timing, and How to Lay Out the Bed Companion planting only works if the spacing supports it. ![A gardener planting seed potatoes in a furrow with bean seedlings and onion sets nearby](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-planting-seed-potato.webp) 1 Space the potato hills correctly [Utah State University Extension](https://extension.usu.edu/vegetableguide/potato/planting-spacing) recommends 12 inches (30 cm) between seed pieces within a row and 30 to 36 inches (75 to 90 cm) between rows. [NDSU's planting tips PDF](https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/potatoextension/documents/Plantingtips.pdf) gives the same range. That row spacing is what gives you room to add companion plants and to hill up later. 2 Plant quick greens and peas at the same time as seed potatoes Lettuce, spinach, and peas go in alongside seed potatoes in early spring. They mature in 35 to 65 days, well before potatoes form a closed canopy and require hilling. By the time you need to mound soil over the potato stems, the greens and peas are harvested. 3 Plant bush beans 2-3 weeks after potatoes Beans want warmer soil. Sow bush beans (not pole) along the outside edge of the potato bed once soil is at least 60 F (16 C). They'll fix nitrogen through the season and finish about the time you're harvesting early potato varieties. 4 Border the bed with marigolds and nasturtiums Plant marigold seedlings and direct-seeded nasturtium along the bed's perimeter as soon as frost danger has passed. These flowers do their work passively all season and need almost no care. 5 Hill the soil up around potato stems at 6-8 inches of growth [The hilling method guide](https://ourstoneyacres.com/growing-potatoes-using-the-hilling-method-2) covers timing in detail. Pull soil up around the lower stems when potato plants reach 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) tall. This is when shorter companions (lettuce, spinach) need to already be out of the way. ![Top-down view of a potato bed with companion plants arranged in zones](https://growperma.com/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0135-potato-bed-layout.webp) ## Companion Planting Potatoes in Raised Beds and Containers In a 4-foot by 4-foot (1.2 m by 1.2 m) raised bed, you have room for roughly 9 to 12 potato hills, plus a thin perimeter for companions. Stick to two or three companions rather than five or six, because the bed will get crowded fast. The combination that works reliably in raised beds: potatoes in the center, a row of bush beans on one side, lettuce or spinach in the corners for early-season harvest, and a few marigolds along the front edge. Our [raised bed companion planting guide](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-for-raised-beds-maximise-every-square-foot) has more on dense polyculture in small spaces. For grow bags and large containers (15 gallons or more), potatoes can be grown solo. Adding companions in containers usually hurts both plants because the root volume is too small to share. If you do want a flowering companion in a potato grow bag, plant a single nasturtium at the edge once the potato plants are 8 inches tall. | Companion | Why It Works | When to Plant | Placement | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Bush beans | Nitrogen fixation, may deter potato beetle | 2-3 weeks after seed potatoes | Edge of bed | | Peas | Nitrogen fixation, early harvest | Same time as seed potatoes | Between rows | | Horseradish | Traditional pest deterrent | Early spring | Corners only (it spreads) | | Onions / garlic | Aphid and beetle deterrent | Early spring | Between potato hills | | Marigolds (Tagetes patula) | Documented nematode suppression | After last frost | Border | | Nasturtium | Aphid and flea beetle trap crop | After last frost | Edge of bed | | Lettuce / spinach | Uses early-season space, harvests before hilling | Same time as seed potatoes | Between rows or corners | Sources:. Want a one-page reference for every vegetable? Our companion planting chart covers tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, and 40+ more crops with quick DO and DON'T lists you can pin in your shed. [View the Full Chart](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-chart-the-complete-guide-for-every-vegetable) ## Honest Note on the Evidence [Companion planting research](https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-research-what-science-actually-proves) sits on a spectrum from "rigorously documented" to "passed down for generations." Marigold nematode suppression and legume nitrogen fixation are well documented in peer-reviewed agronomy. The specific claim that horseradish "repels Colorado potato beetles" is much weaker; [a 2020 PMC review of Colorado potato beetle control methods](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7563253/) doesn't list horseradish as a validated control, even though gardeners report success with the pairing. The honest takeaway is that the layout principles (rotation, family separation, polyculture) are strongly supported, while individual pest-deterrent claims for specific companion plants vary. Our deeper piece on [what companion planting science actually supports](https://growperma.com/blog/the-science-of-companion-planting-what-actually-works) walks through the evidence base in more detail. The Bottom Line Plant bush beans, peas, horseradish, onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, marigolds, and nasturtiums with your potatoes. Keep tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, sunflowers, and fennel well away. Space potato hills 12 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches apart, and never plant potatoes on the same ground two years in a row. Get those four rules right and you've eliminated most of the common potato problems before they start. Get the Weekly Dig One practical permaculture guide a week, written for gardeners who do this on weekends: companion pairings that hold up under scrutiny, and the ones that do not. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time. [Join the Weekly Dig](https://growperma.com/newsletter) [Browse All Guides →](https://growperma.com/blog) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What should you not plant next to potatoes? Avoid tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos because they share late blight and early blight pathogens with potatoes. Also avoid cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and melons (heavy water and nutrient competition plus blight risk), sunflowers (allelopathic to potatoes), fennel (allelopathic to almost everything), and asparagus. Never plant potatoes in soil that grew nightshades in the past three years. ### How far apart should you plant potatoes? Utah State University Extension and NDSU both recommend 12 inches (30 cm) between seed pieces within a row and 30 to 36 inches (75 to 90 cm) between rows. That row spacing leaves room for companion plants and for hilling soil up around the potato stems as they grow. ### Can you plant tomatoes and potatoes together? No, and this is the single most important rule. Tomatoes and potatoes are both in the Solanaceae family and share late blight (*Phytophthora infestans*), early blight, and Verticillium wilt. UMN Extension confirms that the same blight strain can move freely between the two crops. Keep at least 10 feet between them if you must grow both, and never rotate one into a bed the other just left. ### Can you plant onions next to potatoes? Yes. Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives are compatible with potatoes and traditionally credited with deterring aphids and soft-bodied pests through their sulfur compounds. Plant onion sets between potato hills in early spring; they take little space and harvest at different times. ### Can you plant peppers and potatoes together? No. Peppers, like tomatoes and eggplant, are nightshades and share the same fungal and bacterial diseases with potatoes. Plant peppers in a separate bed at least 10 feet away, and rotate the two crops on different multi-year cycles. ### What can you plant with potatoes to keep bugs away? Three companions have meaningful pest-management value. French marigolds (*Tagetes patula*) suppress soil nematodes, documented by UF/IFAS Extension. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop for aphids and flea beetles. Alliums (onions, garlic, chives) help deter soft-bodied pests via sulfur compounds. For Colorado potato beetle specifically, hand-picking and row covers remain the most reliable controls; companion plants alone won't carry the load. ### Can you plant garlic and potatoes together? Yes, with one caveat. Garlic is a compatible neighbor and likely contributes to aphid suppression. The caveat is timing: hardneck garlic planted in fall will be ready to harvest in early to mid-summer, around when potato canopies are closing, so position garlic where you can lift it without disturbing potato roots. ### What can I plant with potatoes in a raised bed? In a 4-foot by 4-foot (1.2 m by 1.2 m) raised bed with 9 to 12 potato hills, stick to two or three companions: a row of bush beans along one edge, lettuce or spinach in the corners for early harvest, and a few marigolds along the front. More companions than that in a raised bed create root and nutrient competition that hurts both crops. ### How long do you need to rotate potatoes? Penn State Extension recommends a minimum 3 to 4 year rotation between potato crops on the same ground, and the same gap before following potatoes with any other nightshade (tomato, pepper, eggplant). Soil-borne pathogens including scab, Verticillium wilt, and nematodes build up rapidly under continuous potato cropping. A four-bed rotation cycle (potatoes, then legumes, then brassicas, then cucurbits/alliums) gives soil-borne pathogens time to decline between potato plantings. ## Resources - [Penn State Extension, Potatoes in the Garden and the Kitchen](https://extension.psu.edu/potatoes-in-the-garden-and-the-kitchen/) - [Penn State Extension, Identifying Potato Diseases in Pennsylvania](https://extension.psu.edu/identifying-potato-diseases-in-pennsylvania/) - [Penn State Extension, Plant Rotation by Family](https://extension.psu.edu/plant-rotation-in-the-garden-based-on-plant-families/) - [Cornell Cooperative Extension, Potatoes Crop Page](https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/crop.php?id=24) - [Cornell Cooperative Extension Yates County, Late Blight](https://yates.cce.cornell.edu/agriculture/late-blight) - [UMN Extension, Companion Planting in Home Gardens](https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/companion-planting-home-gardens) - [UMN Extension, Late Blight of Tomato and Potato](https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/late-blight) - [UMN Extension, Colorado Potato Beetle](https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/colorado-potato-beetle) - [Utah State University Extension, Potato Planting and Spacing](https://extension.usu.edu/vegetableguide/potato/planting-spacing) - [UMaine Extension, Potassium: An Essential Element for Potatoes](https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/2251e/) - [UNH Extension, Colorado Potato Beetle Fact Sheet](https://extension.unh.edu/resource/colorado-potato-beetle-fact-sheet) - [UC IPM, Wireworms on Potato](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/potato/wireworms/) - [UC ANR, Companion Planting in the Vegetable Garden (PDF)](https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2023-09/388577.pdf) - [UF/IFAS Extension, Marigolds for Nematode Management](https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/NG045) - [NDSU Extension, Potato Planting Tips (PDF)](https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/potatoextension/documents/Plantingtips.pdf) - [NDSU Extension, Early Blight of Potato](https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/early-blight-potato) - [American Phytopathological Society, Late Blight of Potato and Tomato](https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/pdlessons/Pages/LateBlight.aspx) - [PMC, Modern Techniques in Colorado Potato Beetle Control](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7563253/) - [PMC, Potato Transcriptome Response to French Marigold](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7831324/) - [Grow Organic, Peas as Nitrogen Fixers](https://www.groworganic.com/blogs/articles/peas-as-climate-smart-nitrogen-fixers) **Tags:** [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) ## Related Articles ![Late autumn raised bed of frost-touched collard greens interplanted with sweet alyssum and a row of dill going to seed behind](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0548-hero-collard-bed-20260908-064751.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0548-hero-collard-bed-20260908-064751.webp) 8 Sep [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) #### Collard Companion Plants: What the Evidence Supports Peter Vogel ![Red seven-spotted ladybugs feeding on flowering dill and yarrow umbels in a late summer vegetable garden with cosmos and calendula behind](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0544-hero-ladybugs-on-dill-20260907-143702.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0544-hero-ladybugs-on-dill-20260907-143702.webp) 7 Sep [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) #### Plants That Attract Ladybugs (and What They Eat) Peter Vogel ![Autumn raised bed with a dense band of young arugula growing between rows of kale and carrot tops in golden morning light](https://growperma.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog/images/gp-0525-hero-20260902-064850.webp?width=400&height=220&name=gp-0525-hero-20260902-064850.webp) 2 Sep [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) #### Companion Planting Arugula: What to Grow Beside a Fast Fall Green Peter Vogel ![GrowPerma](https://growperma.com/hubfs/icon-512.png) Gardens That Work Like Forests — the smart-friend guide to permaculture for normal backyards. #### Explore - [Blog](https://growperma.com/blog) - [Companion Planting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/companion-planting) - [Soil & Composting](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/soil-composting) - [Food Forests](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/food-forest) - [Permaculture](https://growperma.com/blog/tag/permaculture-foundations) #### Resources - [About](https://growperma.com/about) - [All Articles](https://growperma.com/blog) #### Legal - [Imprint](https://growperma.com/imprint) - [Privacy Policy](https://growperma.com/privacy-policy) - [Affiliate Disclosure](https://growperma.com/affiliate-disclosure) - Cookie Settings As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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Spacing, timing, and the rotation rule explained.", "headline" : "Companion Planting Potatoes: Tuber-Friendly Partners", "image" : "https://148149462.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/148149462/blog/images/gp-0135-potato-companions-hero.webp", "keywords" : "companion planting potatoes, potato companion plants, what not to plant with potatoes, how far apart to plant potatoes", "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-potatoes-tuber-friendly-partners", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "GrowPerma", "url" : "https://growperma.com" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-potatoes-tuber-friendly-partners#faq", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Avoid tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos because they share late blight and early blight pathogens with potatoes. Also avoid cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and melons, sunflowers (allelopathic), fennel (allelopathic), and asparagus. Never plant potatoes in soil that grew nightshades in the past three years." }, "name" : "What should you not plant next to potatoes?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Utah State University Extension and NDSU recommend 12 inches (30 cm) between seed pieces within a row and 30 to 36 inches (75 to 90 cm) between rows. That row spacing leaves room for companion plants and for hilling soil up around the potato stems as they grow." }, "name" : "How far apart should you plant potatoes?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "No. Tomatoes and potatoes are both nightshades and share late blight (Phytophthora infestans), early blight, and Verticillium wilt. UMN Extension confirms the same blight strain moves freely between the two crops. Keep at least 10 feet between them if you must grow both, and never rotate one into a bed the other just left." }, "name" : "Can you plant tomatoes and potatoes together?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Yes. Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives are compatible with potatoes and traditionally credited with deterring aphids and soft-bodied pests through their sulfur compounds. Plant onion sets between potato hills in early spring; they take little space and harvest at different times." }, "name" : "Can you plant onions next to potatoes?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "No. Peppers, like tomatoes and eggplant, are nightshades and share the same fungal and bacterial diseases with potatoes. Plant peppers in a separate bed at least 10 feet away." }, "name" : "Can you plant peppers and potatoes together?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Three companions have meaningful pest-management value: French marigolds (Tagetes patula) for soil nematode suppression, nasturtiums as an aphid and flea beetle trap crop, and alliums (onions, garlic, chives) for deterring soft-bodied pests via sulfur compounds. For Colorado potato beetle specifically, hand-picking and row covers remain the most reliable controls." }, "name" : "What can you plant with potatoes to keep bugs away?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Yes. Garlic is a compatible neighbor and likely contributes to aphid suppression. Timing matters: hardneck garlic planted in fall will be ready to harvest in early to mid-summer, around when potato canopies are closing, so position garlic where you can lift it without disturbing potato roots." }, "name" : "Can you plant garlic and potatoes together?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "In a 4-foot by 4-foot raised bed with 9 to 12 potato hills, stick to two or three companions: a row of bush beans along one edge, lettuce or spinach in the corners for early harvest, and a few marigolds along the front. More companions than that in a raised bed create root and nutrient competition that hurts both crops." }, "name" : "What can I plant with potatoes in a raised bed?" }, { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Penn State Extension recommends a minimum 3 to 4 year rotation between potato crops on the same ground, and the same gap before following potatoes with any other nightshade. Soil-borne pathogens including scab, Verticillium wilt, and nematodes build up rapidly under continuous potato cropping." }, "name" : "How long do you need to rotate potatoes?" } ] } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-potatoes-tuber-friendly-partners#breadcrumbs", "@type" : "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement" : [ { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com/", "name" : "Home", "position" : 1 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com/blog", "name" : "Blog", "position" : 2 }, { "@type" : "ListItem", "item" : "https://growperma.com/blog/companion-planting-potatoes-tuber-friendly-partners", "name" : "Companion Planting Potatoes: Tuber-Friendly Partners", "position" : 3 } ] } ```