Tradition
Good
avoidgood
1 chart entry: 1 recommend, 0 advise against.
All entries cite a source.
Sweet corn
Zea mays
Poaceae
Pea
Pisum sativum
FabaceaeCan you plant corn and peas together?
Yes. Corn and peas grow well together. A shared bed gave about 40% more harvest than separate beds in 6 field trials, and corn improved the soil or nutrient uptake of peas in a field trial.
Why corn and peas work together
More harvest from the same bed. In 6 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 40% more harvest than the same space split into a sweet corn bed and a pea bed.
Better soil and nutrient uptake. In a field trial, corn improved the soil or nutrient uptake of peas.
Gibberellin-flavonoid crosstalk intensifies symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea during maize-pea interspecific root interactions. (Sun Y · 2026 · The New phytologist)Better soil and nutrient uptake. In a field trial, growing them together improved the soil and nutrient uptake.
Strip width ratio expansion with lowered N fertilizer rate enhances N complementary use between intercropped pea and maize. (Hu F · 2020 · Scientific reports)Garden charts recommend it. 1 garden chart entry recommends growing them together. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)and 1 more sourceNo clear effect on soil and nutrients. In a field trial, growing them together made no clear difference to soil and nutrients.
Delayed application of N fertilizer mitigates the carbon emissions of pea/maize intercropping via altering soil microbial diversity. (Xu K · 2022 · Frontiers in microbiology)
What to plant with corn and peas
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
What to keep away from corn and peas
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
Research
Good
avoidgood
6 papers found: 3 positive, 0 negative, 3 no effect.
nutrients / soil x3yield / land use x3
auto-classified not reviewed by a person
Yield trial
Good
0.92
0.73
Sweet corn gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.
6 field trials. 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.
Companion plants for both corn and peas
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With corn | With peas |
|---|---|---|
 Garlic | 33% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and garlic | 30% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and garlic |
 Spinach | 57% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and spinach | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and spinach |
 Cilantro | 42% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and cilantro | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for peas and cilantro |
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
- Goodnutrients / soilfield trialauto-classifiedSweet corn helps PeaGibberellin-flavonoid crosstalk intensifies symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea during maize-pea interspecific root interactions.Gibberellin-flavonoid crosstalk intensifies symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea during maize-pea interspecific root interactions. (Sun Y · 2026 · The New phytologist)Relevance 93% · effect confidence 94%
- No effectyield / land usefield trialauto-classifiedCompetition for light drives yield components in strip intercropping in the NetherlandsCompetition for light drives yield components in strip intercropping in the Netherlands (Wang Z · 2025 · Field Crops Research.)Relevance 81% · effect confidence 23%
- No effectnutrients / soilfield trialauto-classifiedDelayed application of N fertilizer mitigates the carbon emissions of pea/maize intercropping via altering soil microbial diversity.Delayed application of N fertilizer mitigates the carbon emissions of pea/maize intercropping via altering soil microbial diversity. (Xu K · 2022 · Frontiers in microbiology)Relevance 80% · effect confidence 36%
Show 3 more
- Goodyield / land usefield trialauto-classifiedPea helps Sweet cornTemporal complementarity drives species combinability in strip intercropping in the NetherlandsTemporal complementarity drives species combinability in strip intercropping in the Netherlands (Wang Z · 2023 · Field Crops Research.)Relevance 92% · effect confidence 63%
- Goodnutrients / soilfield trialauto-classifiedStrip width ratio expansion with lowered N fertilizer rate enhances N complementary use between intercropped pea and maize.Strip width ratio expansion with lowered N fertilizer rate enhances N complementary use between intercropped pea and maize. (Hu F · 2020 · Scientific reports)Relevance 87% · effect confidence 44%
- No effectyield / land usefield trialauto-classifiedOptimizing the split of N fertilizer application over time increases grain yield of maize-pea intercropping in arid areasRelevance 83% · effect confidence 34%
- GoodLER 1.34field trialIndia, 2007-2009; Additive design; median LER 1.35 over 6 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.925, Pea 0.425
- GoodLER 1.45field trialChina, 2009-2010; Replacement design; median LER 1.44 over 4 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.71, Pea 0.69
- GoodLER 1.10field trialChina, 2011-2021; Additive design; median LER 1.10 over 1 treatment(s)
Show 3 more
- GoodLER 1.53field trialChina, 2014-2022; Replacement design; median LER 1.54 over 2 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.93, Pea 0.605
- GoodLER 1.33field trialChina, 2012-2014; Replacement design; median LER 1.33 over 12 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.74, Pea 0.575
- GoodLER 2.67field trialChina, 2012-2014; Replacement design; median LER 2.67 over 12 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 1.28, Pea 1.365
- GoodPea helps Sweet cornCorn / Maize: helped by legumes (beans, peas, soybeans etc.)Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)Companion Plants (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)
All neighbours of sweet corn and of pea, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown corn and peas 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.