Garlic
Allium sativum
AmaryllidaceaeCompanion plants for garlic
The best companion plants for garlic are eggplant, cucumbers, corn, peas and beans. Asparagus are best kept away. Of the 16 plants we have data on, 10 are good neighbours, 1 is a bad one and 2 are contested. 7 of these verdicts rest on field trials or research papers; the rest come from traditional companion-planting charts.
- 10 good
- 1 to avoid
- 2 contested
- 7 tested in trials or papers
Neighbours of garlic at a glance
Inner rings are backed by trials or papers, outer rings by charts only. Pick a plant to see its sources.
The interactive map needs JavaScript. Every plant on it is listed below with its evidence.
Good companion plants for garlic
Biggest harvest gain first, then the plants tested without a yield count. Each row links to the full evidence for the pair.
| Plant | What trials found with garlic | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sweet corn |
33% more harvest from the same space | Field trial2 studies | Not listed |
 Pea |
30% more harvest from the same space | Field trial2 studies | Recommend |
 Eggplant |
Fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake25% more harvest from the same space | Field trial3 studies | Not listed |
 Cucumber |
Bigger combined harvest and better soil and nutrient uptakeChemicals that hold growth back | Field trial5 studies | Recommend |
 Bean |
Draws in pest-eating insects | Field trial1 study | Not listed |
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).
Recommended by garden charts, not tested yet
We found no trial or paper on these pairs with garlic. They may still work; nobody has measured it.
What not to plant with garlic
| Plant | What trials found with garlic | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | No trial found | Not tested | Advise against |
Relatives that share pests and diseases
| Plant | What trials found with garlic | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Onion |
No trial foundSame family (Amaryllidaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
 Leek |
No trial foundSame family (Amaryllidaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
 Chives |
No trial foundSame family (Amaryllidaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
Contested pairings
The sources disagree, or the charts say one thing and the trials another. Open a pair before you plant it.
| Plant | What trials found with garlic | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pepper |
55% more harvest from the same spaceMixed results on soil and nutrients and plant chemistry | Field trial3 studies | Not listed |
 Fava bean |
Less diseaseMixed results on harvest | Field trial2 studies | Not listed |
Sources
24 sources behind the verdicts on this page. 5 chart entries cite no source and are marked as tradition only.
Show all 24 sources
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)
Maize‐based intercropping systems in Bangladesh: Exploring the potential of spice and tuber crops in charland areas (Dash PC · 2026 · Agronomy journal.)
Effect of faba bean-garlic intercropping on low-molecular-weight organic acids, yield components, and profitability under different spatial arrangements. (Hamoda A · 2026 · Scientific reports)
Eggplant-garlic intercrops reduce the density of <i>Tetranychus urticae</i> on eggplant and improve crop yield (Fathi · 2023)
Competition-recovery and overyielding of maize in intercropping depend on species temporal complementarity and nitrogen supply (Zhao · 2023)
Influence of Companion Planting on Microbial Compositions and Their Symbiotic Network in Pepper Continuous Cropping Soil. (Gao J · 2023 · Journal of microbiology and biotechnology)
Response of faba bean to intercropping, biological and chemical control against broomrape and root rot diseases. (El-Mehy AA · 2022 · Saudi journal of biological sciences)
Responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) rhizosphere microbial community to some agronomic management practices. (Ezazi R · 2021 · FEMS microbiology ecology)
Evaluation of the effect of strip intercropping green bean/garlic on the control of Tetranychus urticae in the field. (Mohammadi K · 2021 · Experimental & applied acarology)
A green garlic (Allium sativum L.) based intercropping system reduces the strain of continuous monocropping in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) by adjusting the micro-ecological environment of soil. (Xiao X · 2019 · PeerJ)
An Allelopathic Role for Garlic Root Exudates in the Regulation of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Cucumber in a Hydroponic Co-Culture System. (Ding H · 2019 · Plants (Basel, Switzerland))
Garlic exerts allelopathic effects on pepper physiology in a hydroponic co-culture system. (Ding H · 2016 · Biology open)
Growth and physiological changes in continuously cropped eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) upon relay intercropping with garlic (Allium sativum L.). (Wang M · 2015 · Frontiers in plant science)
Assessment of advantages of pea and non-legume winter vegetable intercropping systems through competition and economic indices (Anjum · 2015)
Soil chemical property changes in eggplant/garlic relay intercropping systems under continuous cropping. (Wang M · 2014 · PloS one)
Intercropping of green garlic (Allium sativum L.) induces nutrient concentration changes in the soil and plants in continuously cropped cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in a plastic tunnel (Xiao · 2013 · PLOS ONE)
Effect of pea intercropping on biological efficiencies and economics of some non-legume winter vegetables (Qasim · 2013 · Pakistani Journal of Agricultural Science)
Effect of pea intercropping on biological efficiencies and economics of some non-legume winter vegetables (Ali Qasim · 2013)
Evaluation of yield and its components of intercropped tomato – garlic in New Valley Governorate (Nassef · 2012 · Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences)
Effect of garlic and onion extracts or their intercropping on suppressing damping-off and powdery mildew diseases and growth characteristics of cucumber (Morsy · 2009 · Egyptian Journal of Phytopathology)
[Effects of rotation and intercropping on bacterial communities in rhizosphere soil of cucumber]. (Wu FZ · 2008 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)
Yield and economics of chilli based intercropping system (Suresha · 2007)
Effect of Intercropping on Potato Late Blight, Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary Development and Potato Tuber Yield in Ethiopia (Kassa · 2006 · Kasetsart Journal: Natural Science)
The influence of intercropping with Allium on some insect populations in potato (Solanum tuberosum) (Potts · 1991 · [[Annals of Applied Biology]])
What grows well with your garlic?
Share what worked next to your garlic and what did not, or ask other growers a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.