Garlic’s Best Garden Partners (and the Ones That Hate It)
Best Companion Plants for Garlic – What Actually Thrives Next to It (and What Really Doesn’t)
I always joke that garlic is kinda like that strong-smelling friend who scares away troublemakers without even trying. Seriously—this little bulb does way more than just make pasta taste better. It’s one of the most hard-working plants in the garden, even when it’s just quietly sitting in the soil doing its thing.
But here’s the twist: garlic is picky. Some plants LOVE growing next to it, and others… well, they act like garlic is ruining their life.
After a few years of trial and error (including one season where I accidentally made my bean bed look like a “crime scene”), I finally figured out which plants actually enjoy garlic as a neighbor.
So here’s the full list of what grows beautifully with garlic—and what should stay far, far away.
Why Garlic Makes Such a Good Garden Neighbor
Before jumping in, let’s talk about why garlic is the garden version of a security guard.
Garlic naturally releases sulfur compounds. They smell kinda spicy and earthy (you know the scent), but pests absolutely hate it. And honestly? That’s great for us.
Here’s why garlic is so powerful in companion planting:
• Natural pest repellent
Aphids, spider mites, cabbage worms, Japanese beetles, even rabbits—garlic is basically their worst nightmare.
• Fungal protection
The sulfur coming from garlic helps keep mildew and rust away from nearby plants. It’s like plant-level skincare.
• Doesn’t take much space
You can tuck garlic between veggies like little bodyguards.
• Garlic flowers bring in good insects
Bees, hoverflies, and tiny predatory wasps show up for the blooms.
But yes—garlic also has a “too strong” side. Some plants just don’t vibe with its chemistry.
Let’s start with the good neighbors.
Plants That Genuinely Love Growing Near Garlic
1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes and garlic are basically best friends. Whenever I plant them together, I swear the tomatoes stay cleaner and healthier.
Garlic helps push away:
- spider mites
- aphids
- red mites
Meanwhile, tomatoes don’t compete with garlic underground, so everybody minds their own business.
A tiny tip: Give tomatoes 6 inches of root space so they don’t feel crowded.
2. Carrots
Carrot flies are sneaky little things—but they hate garlic.
The smell from garlic totally masks the scent of carrots, and trust me, that alone saves a lot of harvest.
Easy setup:
I like alternating rows—carrots, garlic, carrots, garlic. Looks cute and actually works.
3. Cabbage Family (All Brassicas)
Cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts—these guys adore garlic.
Garlic confuses:
- cabbage loopers
- moths
- aphids
And someone once told me garlic can “tighten the flavor” of cabbages. I thought they were joking… until I tasted mine. They kinda had a cleaner flavor.
4. Beets
Garlic and beets don’t fight underground—they have different root depths and needs. It’s like watching two roommates peacefully ignore each other.
Garlic helps keep leaf miners away, which is a big win for beets.
Tip: Garlic planted between beet rows looks neat and helps soil drainage.
5. Peppers
Peppers LOVE having garlic around. Mainly because garlic scares off:
- aphids
- thrips
- spider mites
I usually space them about 8 inches apart. Peppers like their personal bubble.
6. Lettuce & Spinach
I love pairing these with garlic because garlic stands tall and the leafy greens stay low. Zero shading issues.
Garlic keeps away:
- aphids
- caterpillars
Bonus: The greens are ready to harvest before garlic even bulks up, so your bed never feels empty.
7. Roses
Okay, this one surprised me the first time I tried it. I planted garlic around my roses because someone online said it helps. And wow—fewer aphids, fewer beetles… and I swear my roses smelled stronger.
Garlic near roses = old-school gardener magic.
8. Fruit Trees
If you’ve ever dealt with borers or aphids on fruit trees… yeah, garlic is your new friend.
Plant a ring of garlic around:
- apples
- peaches
- pears
Just tuck a few bulbs around the drip line and let them do their witchcraft.
9. Strawberries
Strawberries are sweet little drama queens. They catch EVERY pest and EVERY fungal issue.
Garlic blocks:
- spider mites
- aphids
- Botrytis (gray mold)
Interplanting garlic between strawberry rows literally saved my patch one year.
10. Celery
Celery and garlic share the same “moist but not soggy” soil needs. And garlic helps keep leaf miners out of the celery stalks.
Honestly, celery looks adorable growing between lines of garlic.
Herbs That Hang Out Well with Garlic
Some herbs and garlic are a surprisingly good match:
Chamomile – Makes garlic grow better (grandma-level advice, but it works).
Yarrow – Brings ladybugs and tiny wasps that eat aphids.
Rue – Repels pests but keep it a bit away from basil.
I usually plant herbs on little “islands” near the garlic beds to create tiny ecosystems.
Flowers That Protect Garlic (and Look Cute Doing It)
Garlic loves having a few floral bodyguards nearby:
Marigolds – Nematooooooode killers
Calendula – Whitefly repellent + pollinator magnet
Nasturtiums – Trap crop (aphids go to them instead of garlic)
A garlic bed with flowers honestly looks like a tiny party.
Plants That Really Shouldn’t Grow Near Garlic
Not everything plays nice with garlic. Here are the troublemakers:
1. Beans & Peas
Garlic messes with the bacteria in their roots, so they grow slow and sad.
(I once planted garlic next to bush beans… the beans looked like they just gave up on life.)
2. Asparagus
Too much competition underground. Both want the same food.
3. Sage
They just don’t get along. Sage gets stunted, and garlic doesn’t care.
4. Parsley
Parsley gets cranky when planted near garlic. It’s one of the worst matches.
5. Other Alliums (onions, shallots, leeks)
They attract the same pests and drain the same nutrients.
I know they look like a cute family photo, but trust me—they aren’t.
A Simple Garlic Companion Layout That Actually Works
Here’s one garden design I tried last year, and it worked so much better than expected:
• Border planting: Garlic around tomatoes, lettuce, and cabbage
• Interplanting: Garlic between carrot and beet rows
• Under trees: Garlic clusters under apple and pear trees
• Mixed beds: Garlic + marigolds + spinach + peppers
It kept pests down and honestly made the whole bed look organized (for once).
Seasonal Tips for Growing Garlic with Other Plants
Fall:
Plant garlic with cool-weather greens like kale or lettuce.
Spring:
Pair garlic with carrots, beets, or spinach.
After garlic harvest:
Beans can move into the empty spot—just remove old garlic layers first so the soil resets.
Garlic Is More Than Food—It’s a Garden Strategy
Once you start using garlic as a companion plant, you kinda wonder how you ever gardened without it. It’s low-maintenance, strong-willed, and basically protects half the garden without demanding anything fancy back.
And really… isn’t that the best kind of plant friend?
