Cabbage is a crunchy and nutritious vegetable that has become a staple in our meals. It is a cool-season plant that can be grown in spring or fall. Its size means it can be grown comfortably in raised garden beds for those without garden space.
If you’re new to companion planting, you’ll have questions like;
Which plants can I grow with cabbage?
How close should companion plants be?
Can companion planting affect the taste of my cabbage?
I’ll answer all these and more in this post. Many factors make people consider companion planting their cabbage. Depending on your reason, the plants you can pair with your cabbage may differ. Not to worry, though, this article is carefully arranged to match the benefits with the Cabbage Companion Plants you can pair with cabbage.
What Companion Planting Means for the Cabbage Plant?
Growing two or more plants close to each other due to the benefits they provide each other is companion planting. When it comes to cabbage companion planting, the benefits become more specific.
Are you short on space and are looking for a way to grow more than one plant in your small backyard garden? Or maybe your cabbage has been ravaged by pests and diseases, and you’re looking for safe and less expensive ways to rid your cabbage of them? Companion planting is the way to go.
Before I show you some of the benefits of companion planting for cabbage, you need to know a cabbage companion plant’s characteristics.
Characteristics of Cabbage Companion Plants
What makes these plants good companions for cabbage? What are some of the characteristics that help these companions thrive around a cabbage plant?
Before a plant can even be considered a cabbage companion, it has to have the same soil, watering, light, and temperature requirements as the cabbage plant.
Why?
You’ll find it difficult, if not impossible, to grow two plants on the opposite ends of the temperature spectrum in the same place. So, to make your planting easier, the companion should be a cool-season plant just like the cabbage.
Your Cabbage Companion Plants should also be able to stand more than 6 hours of sunlight daily, be comfortable growing in a well-draining, moist but not soggy soil with good organic content. For the pH level, cabbage thrives at a pH of 6.5 to 6.8, and so should your companion plant.
Benefits of Companion Planting Your Cabbage
Your cabbage and the companion will gain a lot growing near each other, but what exactly will they achieve? Here are some of the benefits in understandable terms.
- Attract beneficial insects: when you companion-plant with certain plants, you will attract insects that are important to the ecosystem and growth of your farm.
- Provide shade: in your cabbage garden, you may need to provide shade for your cabbage when the weather is sweltering as cabbage is a cool-season plant. By companion planting, you can provide your cabbage with the shade it needs.
- Save space: crop rotation and companion planting in your garden will help you save space and adequately utilize your garden space.
- Repelling pests: some plants will chase away or distract cabbage pests that would have otherwise ravaged your garden. Pests are also vectors for some cabbage diseases, and keeping them away from your farm will mean fewer diseases.
- Increase in flavor: you can increase your cabbage’s taste by growing some plants close to your cabbage.
What to Grow with Cabbage?
Knowing which particular plants to pair with your cabbage will make your garden experience more fun and rewarding. You now have more plants to enjoy when harvesting season comes while enjoying the benefits of pairing them during the growing season.
1. Plants That Control Cabbage Pests
Plants do this vital task in their unique way. Some release toxins that chase the pests away, a few other plants form a barricade to prevent the pests from entering your farm. In contrast, others lure the pests away, either to themselves or elsewhere. Talk about being selfless.
The toxins that chase away these pests are not harmful to humans and are most times pleasant and can give your garden a nice smell.
Example of Plants
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Peppermint
- Tansy
- Marigold
- Onion
- Beets
2. Provide Shade
Your cabbage plant may love the sun, but as a cool-season plant, growing it under extreme heat will damage it.
To counter this and provide partial shade for your cabbage to grow into the delicious vegetable we’ve come to love, Cabbage Companion Plants that can provide shade is essential.
You do not have to grow your cabbage in the middle of tall and overbearing plants. Simply growing tall companion plants on the side of your cabbage garden that receives the sunlight when the sun is in full force will do the trick.
It is relatively easy to figure out which part of your garden needs partial shade. Just observe when the sun is hottest, and you will see the area that could do with a little more shade.
Example of Plant
3. Plants That Improve the Flavor of Your Cabbage
Cabbage is a highly nutritious vegetable with a moderate flavor. When you pair this plant with some others, you can improve your cabbage taste and make it irresistible to even non-cabbage lovers.
By just planting these companions near your cabbage, its taste improves significantly, isn’t that wonderful? Some of these plants add specific nutrients to the soil that enhances the flavor of the cabbage.
Example of Plants
Chamomile: chamomile adds nutrients like potassium, sulfur, and calcium to the soil, which improves the taste of your cabbage.
- Dill
- Mints
- Beets
- Celery
4. Plants That Attract Beneficial Insects
Insects like bees and butterflies are beneficial to our ecosystem. Without them, many plants would not reproduce, which means an increase in world hunger.
You see why plants that bring these essential insects to your farm are necessary, right?
These plants have beautiful and attractive nectars that bring these insects to your garden. The plants can also help to improve the look of your garden with its bright colored flowers.
Another advantage of having these insects in your garden is that you get to watch them glide through gracefully around your garden.
Ever tried butterfly gazing? No? It would help if you tried it.
Example of Plants
- Tansy
- Hyssop
- Borage
- Yarrow
5. Plants That Help Cabbage Garden Grow & Look Better
Growing and looking better are together because I feel they go in tandem. You cannot have your garden looking good while one of the plants is not getting enough nutrients.
When you companion plant with some plants, you get a whimsical garden look with the bright and colorful look it brings. This changes the otherwise dull look of the cabbage into a more attractive garden.
Some of these plants release beneficial nutrients into the soil for the cabbage to use. You get a beautiful garden and soil with the necessary nutrients.
Example of plants
- Marigold
- Dill
- Chamomile
- Mint
Plants NOT to Grow Near Your Cabbage
These plants will damage your cabbage garden and harm the vegetable. You should avoid planting them with cabbage.
Lettuce: the lettuce is the most affected when grown near a cabbage. They are not an ideal pair for companion planting. The root secretion from the cabbage can even inhibit the growth of the lettuce seeds.
- Tomatoes: cabbage inhibits the growth of tomatoes, so it should not be planted together.
- Rue
- Strawberry
- Grapes
- Broccoli
Summary
When companion planting in your cabbage farm, you should remember they need to have the same growing conditions as the cabbage for the companion planting to work.
All the Cabbage Companion Plants I’ve shown you have their benefits to or from the cabbage plant. Select the ones that suit your needs and start planting.
