Pea
Pisum sativum
FabaceaeCompanion plants for peas
The best companion plants for peas are corn, cabbage, garlic, turnips and lettuce. Carrots, onions and chives are best kept away. Of the 20 plants we have data on, 9 are good neighbours, 3 are bad ones and 5 are contested. 13 of these verdicts rest on field trials or research papers; the rest come from traditional companion-planting charts.
- 9 good
- 3 to avoid
- 5 contested
- 13 tested in trials or papers
Neighbours of peas 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 peas
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 peas | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sweet corn |
Better soil and nutrient uptake40% more harvest from the same space | Field trial11 studies | Recommend |
 Garlic |
30% more harvest from the same space | Field trial2 studies | Recommend |
 Lettuce |
19% more harvest from the same space | Field trial1 study | Not listed |
 Cabbage |
11% more harvest from the same space | Field trial3 studies | Not listed |
 Turnip |
Better soil and nutrient uptake | Field trial1 study | Recommend |
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 peas. They may still work; nobody has measured it.
What not to plant with peas
| Plant | What trials found with peas | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Carrot |
Smaller combined harvest | Greenhouse or pot trial1 study | Not listed |
 Onion |
No trial found | Not tested | Advise against |
 Chives |
No trial found | Not tested | Advise against |
Relatives that share pests and diseases
| Plant | What trials found with peas | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bean |
No trial foundSame family (Fabaceae): 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 peas | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Fava bean |
38% more harvest from the same spaceSame family (Fabaceae): shares pests and diseases | Field trial6 studies | Not listed |
 Radish |
Better soil and nutrient uptake30% more harvest from the same space | Field trial3 studies | Recommend |
 Potato |
Mixed results on soil and nutrients | Field trial1 study | Recommend |
 Tomato |
Mixed results on harvest | Greenhouse or pot trial1 study | Advise against |
 Cucumber |
Mixed results on harvest | Lab test or review1 study | Recommend |
No measurable effect
| Plant | What trials found with peas | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pepper |
About the same harvest as separate beds | Field trial1 study | Not listed |
 Broccoli |
No effect on harvest | Field trial1 study | Not listed |
Sources
33 sources behind the verdicts on this page. 8 chart entries cite no source and are marked as tradition only.
Show all 33 sources
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)
Gibberellin-flavonoid crosstalk intensifies symbiotic nitrogen fixation in pea during maize-pea interspecific root interactions. (Sun Y · 2026 · The New phytologist)
A machine‐based analysis of trade‐offs and synergies in pea‐cucumber intercropping systems (Ikram A · 2026 · Agronomy journal.)
Competition for light drives yield components in strip intercropping in the Netherlands (Wang Z · 2025 · Field Crops Research.)
Intercropping on Mars: A promising system to optimise fresh food production in future martian colonies. (Gonçalves R · 2024 · PloS one)
Soil microbial community are more sensitive to ecological regions than cropping systems in alpine annual grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. (Luo F · 2024 · Frontiers in microbiology)
Intercropping as a Strategy for Weed Management in Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) (Villegas-Fernández ÁM · 2024 · Preprints.org)
Temporal complementarity drives species combinability in strip intercropping in the Netherlands (Wang Z · 2023 · Field Crops Research.)
Competition-recovery and overyielding of maize in intercropping depend on species temporal complementarity and nitrogen supply (Zhao · 2023)
Long-term maize and pea intercropping improved subsoil carbon storage while reduced greenhouse gas emissions (Yang · 2023)
Crop Diversification to Control Rust in Faba Bean Caused by Uromyces viciae-fabae. (Villegas-Fernández ÁM · 2023 · Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland))
Physiological effects of some engineered nanomaterials on radish (<i>Raphanus sativus</i> L.) intercropped with pea (<i>Pisum sativum</i> L.) (Mehr-Un-Nisa · 2023)
Delayed application of N fertilizer mitigates the carbon emissions of pea/maize intercropping via altering soil microbial diversity. (Xu K · 2022 · Frontiers in microbiology)
Strip width ratio expansion with lowered N fertilizer rate enhances N complementary use between intercropped pea and maize. (Hu F · 2020 · Scientific reports)
Cover crop crucifer-legume mixtures provide effective nitrate catch crop and nitrogen green manure ecosystem services (Couëdel A · 2018 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)
Nitrogen and phosphorous uptake by potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) and their use efficiency under potato-legume intercropping systems (Gitari HI · 2018 · Field Crops Research.)
A Study on Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) Based Intercropping System (Kabiraj · 2017)
Baby Corn-Legumes Intercropping Systems: I. Yields, Resource Utilization Efficiency, and Soil Health (Sharma · 2015)
Assessment of advantages of pea and non-legume winter vegetable intercropping systems through competition and economic indices (Anjum · 2015)
Productivity of Field Pea and Lentil with Cereal and Brassica Intercrops (Fernandez AL · 2015 · Agronomy Journal.)
Effect of pea intercropping on biological efficiencies and economics of some non-legume winter vegetables (Ali Qasim · 2013)
Effect of pea intercropping on biological efficiencies and economics of some non-legume winter vegetables (Qasim · 2013 · Pakistani Journal of Agricultural Science)
Effect of planting method on production potential of potato + pea intercropping system (Singh · 2012 · Potato Journal)
Fusarium crown and root rot of tomato in Florida (Zhang · 2011 · [[University of Florida]] Institute of Agricultural Sciences)
Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)
Effect of intercropping on the population density of pests in some vegetables (Mateeva · 2002 · Acta Horticulturae)
Crop interactions in broccoli intercropping (Santos RHS · 2002 · Biological agriculture & horticulture)
Interseeding snap pea into stands of chile pepper reduces yield of pea more than that of chile (Guldan · 1998)
The Effects of Crop Combination and Row Arrangement in the lntercropping of Lettuce, Favabean and Pea on Weed Biomass and Diversity and on Crop Yields (Sharaiha · 1992)
Companion Plants (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)
What grows well with your peas?
Share what worked next to your peas 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.