11 Garlic Companion Plants for a Better Harvest

Companion planting is a useful tool for any backyard gardener. Whether you're growing vegetables, herbs, fruits, or flowers, pairing plants with similar and contrasting characteristics allows you to improve flavors, increase pest control, suppress diseases, and boost productivity without any extra effort on your part.

Garlic plants (Allium sativum) are versatile companion partners for a variety of plants, from raspberries to dill. The rich aroma deters predators and pests, while the plant's inherent anti-fungal properties help ward off diseases. The deep roots make it a helpful counterpart to shallow lettuces and greens, and the plant even boosts the flavor of other nearby edibles.

On the other hand, there are many companion plants that give garlic a boost by enhancing flavor, protecting it from pests, and more. Add one—or more—of these expert-recommended garlic companion plants to your garden to improve your harvest and lighten your workload.

Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed's From Seed to Spoon app, an app that's designed to make planning a garden easier.

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Roses

blooming red rose bush against blue sky — magicflute002 / Getty Images

Garlic and roses are both well-known for their rich aromas that may make an odd pairing—except when used as companion plants, says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon app. Garlic's powerful scent can deter aphids from settling on your prized blooms. "In turn, roses provide partial shade, which can help garlic retain moisture in the soil, especially during hotter months," she says. "The rose’s dense foliage can also act as a windbreak, protecting garlic from harsh winds."

Zones: 3 to 10, depending on variety
Size: 1 to 20 feet tall x 1 to 15 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Tomatoes

Garlic and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are a classic flavor combination found in cuisines all over the world. In the garden, they pair just as well: "Garlic can help repel red spider mites that often attack tomato plants—plus, it is known to improve the flavor of tomatoes when planted nearby," says Spoonemore. Taller tomato plants help garlic by providing partial shade that keeps soil moist during the hottest part of its growing season. Plus, when tomato plants drop leaves, they add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.

Zones: 2 to 10
Size: 3 to 8 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Cucumbers

Garlic's antibacterial and anti-fungal properties make it a good choice for companion planting with cucumber (Cucumis sativus), as it helps the plant resist infection from downy mildew and powdery mildew, says Spoonemore. Meanwhile, low-growing cucumber vines create ground cover that wards off weeds and allows the soil around your garlic to stay moist.

Zones: 4 to 12
Size: 2 to 6 feet tall x 3 to 8 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Carrots

Garlic's pest-prevention and anti-fungal qualities can have big benefits for carrots (Daucus carota), which thrive under garlic's protection. "Garlic can deter root maggots and help reduce the incidence of fungal diseases," says Spoonemore. "In turn, carrots have deep roots that help aerate the soil, improving drainage and making it easier for garlic roots to grow. Carrots can also help break up the soil, which benefits garlic."

Zones: 3 to 10
Size: 3 to 36 inches tall x 2 to 3 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil

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Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens) and garlic are beneficial to each other in several ways. Not only does dill improve the flavor of garlic, but it can also draw in predatory insects that could otherwise attack garlic plants, says Spoonemore. Meanwhile, the garlic repels aphids that could damage dill.

Zones: 2 to 11
Size: 2 to 5 feet tall x 2 to 3 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

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Spinach

Garlic and spinach have mutually beneficial growth habits that make them successful companion plants, says Spoonemore. "Garlic can act as a natural barrier against weeds, benefiting nearby spinach plants," she says. "Spinach grows quickly and provides ground cover, helping to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds that compete with garlic. Its rapid growth can also provide shade for young garlic plants."

Zones: 2 to 9
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun to light shade; well-draining soil

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Lettuce

Planting shallow-rooted lettuce (Lactuca sativa) alongside deeper-growing garlic allows you to maximize the space in your planting bed. "Lettuce grows quickly and provides ground cover, helping retain soil moisture for garlic," says Spoonemore. "Garlic's strong smell masks the scent of lettuce, reducing pest attraction."

Zones: 2 to 11
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wide
Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil

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Brassicas

Collard Green vegetable plant in a farmers garden (Brassica oleracea) — Douglas Sacha / Getty Images

If your garden has space for garlic alongside brassicas—like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts—use the garlic for pest control while brassicas help your bulbs thrive. "Garlic is known to repel pests that commonly affect brassicas, such as cabbage loopers and cabbage worms," says Spoonemore. "Brassicas provide ground cover that helps retain soil moisture for garlic. They also help improve soil structure, making it more conducive for garlic growth."

Zones: 2 to 11
Size: Plant-dependent
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Raspberries

The chemical interactions that allow garlic to boost the flavor of tomatoes work on raspberries (Rubus idaeus), too: "Planting garlic near raspberries can help them thrive and produce more flavorful fruit," says Spoonemore. "At the same time, raspberries provide a shaded environment that helps garlic retain moisture in the soil. The decaying leaves from raspberries can also act as mulch, adding organic matter and improving soil quality."

Zones: 4 to 8
Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Fruit Trees

While garlic helps fruit trees resist diseases like leaf curl on peach trees and apple scab on apple trees, planting garlic around the tree's base also prevents juicy harvests from borers and other pests, says Spoonemore. The shade the trees provide prevents the garlic and surrounding soil from drying out. Plus, the fallen leaves from fruit trees act as mulch, enriching the soil and enhancing garlic growth, says Spoonemore.

Zones: Plant-dependent
Size: Plant-dependent
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

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Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and garlic are well-known planting partners. "Yarrow attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and parasitic wasps, which can help control aphid populations," says Spoonemore. "In turn, garlic repels pests with its strong scent and helps to keep harmful insects away from yarrow, creating a healthier environment for both plants to grow."

Zones: 3 to 9
Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil

Plants to Avoid Pairing with Garlic

Though garlic can have a mutually beneficial relationship with many types of herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers, avoid growing it next to these plants, says Spoonemore:

Beans and Peas: Cooked garlic may be a tasty complement to legume-based dishes, but in the garden, garlic can inhibit the growth of beans, peas, and other legumes.
Asparagus: Like other plants in the allium family, garlic competes with asparagus for nutrients and root space, disrupting the growth of healthy asparagus stalks.
Sage and Parsley: Like garlic, these herbs prefer dry, well-drained soil, but can be negatively affected by its presence, says Spoonemore. The strong smell and growth pattern of garlic can inhibit the growth of these herbs.

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