Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

Brassicaceae

Lettuce

Lactuca sativa

Asteraceae

Can you plant cabbage and lettuce together?

It depends. Garden charts say to keep lettuce away from cabbage, but the tests we found don't back that up. Results on growth were mixed in a greenhouse or pot trial.

Why the tests and the charts disagree

Mixed results on growth. In a greenhouse or pot trial, results on growth were mixed.
Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)
More harvest from the same bed. In 6 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 39% more harvest than the same space split into a cabbage bed and a lettuce bed.
Effect of differential N and S competition in inter- and sole cropping of brassica species and lettuce on glucosinolate concentration (Stavridou · 2012)
and 5 more sources
Garden charts advise against it. 1 garden chart entry says to keep them apart. It cites no source. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
List of companion plants (uncited entry) (Wikipedia)

What to plant with cabbage and lettuce

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

Fava beanWith cabbage: 117% more harvestWith lettuce: 28% more harvest
CarrotWith cabbage: 19% more harvestWith lettuce: 78% more harvest
BeetWith cabbage: 14% more harvestWith lettuce: 58% more harvest
CilantroWith cabbage: 70% more harvestWith lettuce: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
EggplantWith cabbage: 54% more harvestWith lettuce: 16% more harvest

All 12 plants that suit both, with the evidence

What to keep away from cabbage and lettuce

CeleryWith lettuce: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
ParsleyWith lettuce: 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

Bad

avoidgood

1 chart entry: 0 recommend, 1 advise against.

0 cited, 1 uncited.

Research

Mixed

avoidgood

2 papers found: 1 positive, 0 negative, 1 mixed.

otheryield / land use

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

Good

0.94

0.48

Cabbage gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.

6 field trials. Published LERs lean high.

Myth busted

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 (3)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Cabbage LettuceGrown together, Cabbage and Lettuce gave more food from the same ground than apart.

Researchfield trial x1

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc I · 2006 · Journal of sustainable agriculture)

Cabbage LettuceMedian land equivalent ratio 1.39 over 6 trials: growing them together gave 1.39 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Cabbage 0.96 + Lettuce 0.51. Range across treatments 1.35 to 1.42. 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 x5greenhouse / pot trial x1

Effect of differential N and S competition in inter- and sole cropping of brassica species and lettuce on glucosinolate concentration (Stavridou · 2012)

Intercropping based on cauliflower: More productive, profitable and highly sustainable (Yildirim · 2005)

4 more sources

White Cabbage Productivity in Intercropping Production Systems (Bavec · 2012)

Viabilidade agronômica de consórcios de brócolis e alface estabelecidos em diferentes épocas X1 - Agronomic feasibility of broccoli and lettuce intercropping established in different growing periods (Ohse · 2012)

Effects of broccoli-crispy salad intercropping on yield and quality under greenhouse conditions (Demir · 2011)

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc · 2006)

Cabbage LettuceAnother interaction between Cabbage and Lettuce is recorded; see the sources.

Researchgreenhouse / pot trial x1

Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)

Tradition saysBad

1 gardening-lore entry, 1 without a specific citation. Lore is a starting point, not proof.

None of the 1 tradition entry cites a specific source.

Companion plants for both cabbage and lettuce

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

Plant	With cabbage	With lettuce
Fava bean	117% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 5 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and fava beans	28% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and fava beans
Carrot	19% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and carrots	78% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and carrots
Beet	14% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 5 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and beets	58% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and beets
Cilantro	Draws in pest-eating insects70% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 7 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and cilantro	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and cilantro
Eggplant	54% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and eggplant	16% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and eggplant
Dill	Draws in pest-eating insects and lures pests away55% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and dill	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and dill
Spinach	46% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and spinach	Bigger combined harvestGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and spinach
Pea	11% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and peas	19% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and peas
Okra	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and okra	9% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and okra
Onion	Fewer pests and draws in pest-eating insects8% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 8 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and onions	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and onions
Mint	Draws in pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and mint	Helpful plant chemistryGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and mint
Thyme	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and thyme	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and thyme

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

ResearchMixed2 entries

Mixedothergreenhouse / pot trialauto-classified

Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings.
Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)

Relevance 93% · effect confidence 23%
Goodyield / land usefield trialauto-classified

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production
Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc I · 2006 · Journal of sustainable agriculture)

Relevance 95% · effect confidence 55%

Yield trialGood6 entries

BadLER 0.93field trial

Denmark, 2009-2010; Replacement design; median LER 0.93 over 4 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.855, Lettuce 0.095
Effect of differential N and S competition in inter- and sole cropping of brassica species and lettuce on glucosinolate concentration (Stavridou · 2012)
GoodLER 1.28field trial

Turkey, 2000-2002; Additive design; median LER 1.29 over 6 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.965
Intercropping based on cauliflower: More productive, profitable and highly sustainable (Yildirim · 2005)
GoodLER 1.48field trial

Slovenia, 2007-2009; Additive design; median LER 1.48 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 1
White Cabbage Productivity in Intercropping Production Systems (Bavec · 2012)

Show 3 more

GoodLER 1.76field trial

Brazil, 2010; Additive design; median LER 1.76 over 5 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.96, Lettuce 0.8
Viabilidade agronômica de consórcios de brócolis e alface estabelecidos em diferentes épocas X1 - Agronomic feasibility of broccoli and lettuce intercropping established in different growing periods (Ohse · 2012)
GoodLER 1.55greenhouse / pot trial

Turkey, 2006-2007; Replacement design; median LER 1.55 over 2 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.835, Lettuce 0.72
Effects of broccoli-crispy salad intercropping on yield and quality under greenhouse conditions (Demir · 2011)
GoodLER 1.30field trial

Turkey, 2000-2002; Additive design; median LER 1.31 over 6 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.995, Lettuce 0.305
Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc · 2006)

TraditionBad1 entry

Badadvises against
Lettuce: avoid cabbage
List of companion plants (uncited entry) (Wikipedia)

Plan a bed with cabbage and lettuce

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

Have you grown cabbage and lettuce 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.