Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Fabaceae

Okra

Abelmoschus esculentus

Malvaceae

Can you plant beans and okra together?

Yes. Beans and okra grow well together. A shared bed gave about 25% more harvest than separate beds in one field trial. That rests on two studies, so treat it as a lead, not a rule.

Why beans and okra work together

More harvest from the same bed. In one field trial, a bed with both crops gave about 25% more harvest than the same space split into a bean bed and a okra bed.
Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011)
Garden charts recommend it. 1 garden chart entry recommends growing them together. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011 · Lucrări ştiinţifice)

What to plant with beans and okra

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

LettuceWith beans: 48% more harvestWith okra: 9% more harvest
BasilWith beans: 21% more harvestWith okra: Bigger combined harvest
Squash & pumpkinWith beans: 17% more harvestWith okra: About the same harvest
TomatoWith beans: 18% more harvestWith okra: About the same harvest
CauliflowerWith beans: Bigger combined harvestWith okra: Less disease

How each one was tested, with the evidence

What to keep away from beans and okra

KohlrabiWith beans: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
ChivesWith beans: Garden charts advise against it, not tested

The evidence in detail

For readers who want to dig in: every chart entry, study and yield trial behind the answer above, with the numbers.

Tradition, research and yield trials

Tradition

Good

avoidgood

1 chart entry: 1 recommend, 0 advise against.

All entries cite a source.

Research

Good

avoidgood

1 paper found: 1 positive, 0 negative.

yield / land use

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

Good

No per-crop split reported in these trials.

1 field trial. Published LERs lean high.

Good neighbours

What happens above and below ground

Each animation illustrates a mechanism a study reported for this pair. Pick a card to focus on it.

Everything at once.

What is going on (2)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Bean OkraOkra yielded better when grown beside Bean.

Researchfield trial x1

Reduce pests, enhance production: benefits of intercropping at high densities for okra farmers in Cameroon. (Singh A · 2017 · Pest management science)

Bean OkraMedian land equivalent ratio 1.25 over 1 trial: growing them together gave 1.25 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Bean 0.62 + Okra 0.62. Range across treatments 1.16 to 1.37. Medians are taken separately, so the parts need not add up to the median LER. LER above 1 is biased upward by publication bias.

Yield trialfield trial x1

Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011)

Tradition saysGood

1 gardening-lore entry. Lore is a starting point, not proof.

Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011 · Lucrări ştiinţifice)

Companion plants for both beans and okra

Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.

Plant	With beans	With okra
Lettuce	48% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and lettuce	9% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for okra and lettuce
Basil	Fewer pests21% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for beans and basil	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for okra and basil
Squash & pumpkin	Fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake17% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 7 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and squash	About the same harvest as separate bedsField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for okra and squash
Tomato	18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and tomatoes	About the same harvest as separate bedsField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for okra and tomatoes
Cauliflower	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and cauliflower	Less diseaseGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for okra and cauliflower

Harvest from the same space compares a bed with both crops against the same area split into single-crop beds, counting the harvest of both crops (the land equivalent ratio in yield trials).

The evidence, with sources

ResearchGood1 entry

Goodyield / land usefield trialauto-classified

Bean helps Okra
Reduce pests, enhance production: benefits of intercropping at high densities for okra farmers in Cameroon.
Reduce pests, enhance production: benefits of intercropping at high densities for okra farmers in Cameroon. (Singh A · 2017 · Pest management science)

Relevance 94% · effect confidence 77%

Yield trialGood1 entry

GoodLER 1.25field trial

Jordan, 2007; Replacement design; median LER 1.25 over 4 treatment(s)
Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011)

TraditionGood1 entry

GoodBean helps Okra
Okra: helped by Beans
Effect of intercropping on the performance of some summer vegetable crops grown under different row arrangements (Hadidi · 2011 · Lucrări ştiinţifice)

Plan a bed with beans and okra

All neighbours of bean and of okra, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.

Have you grown beans and okra together?

Tell other gardeners what happened: spacing, pests, harvest, or ask a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.