10+ Best Companion Plants For Beans: What To Plant With Beans 

Beans are nitrogen-fixing plants that tend to take nitrogen from the air and keep it in the soil which is attached to the roots. Growing beans with other plants will be beneficial for the plant, i.e.; Companion planting. Hey folks! I am Anna Scott, a Gardener with 15 years of gardening experience. I am here to help you out with the best pothos to grow in your home garden.

Companion planting helps in the reduction of pests, weeds, and many diseases, etc. Various best companion plants of beans are there to grow. If you know about them, then it’s great but if not, then you should about the best choices for your garden area. Some of the Best Companion Plants For Beans are corn, winter squash, nasturtiums, potatoes, peas, and many more explained in this guide. This process of companion planting also helps in attracting various beneficial insects to the plants like pollinators. 

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started to know about the Best Companion Plants For Beans in detail. Stay connected with this guide till the end for proper understanding.

 

What is Companion Planting? 

Companion planting is a way to plant various types of different plants so that they enhance each other’s growth. In short, it is a practice that can let you know which plants or herbs can be planted together in the garden so that they attract beneficial insects and repel harmful pests. 

You can use this type of planting in many ways. Plants will be grouped that need similar growing conditions and can benefit each other. 

Advantages of Companion Planting:

There are various benefits of companion planting as follows: 

• The Companion plants tend to increase the growth of other plants too.
• The rate of pests and insects will be reduced. 
• It can even help you to make less use of pesticides and fungicides. 
• The level of your harvesting will be increased in terms of quality and even quantity. 
• You will be able to reduce pest control naturally which will reduce the demand for the chemicals. 

10+ Best Companion Plants For Beans

As mentioned, various best companion plants for beans are explained below. They are as follows:  

1. Corn
2. Winter squash
3. Potatoes
4. Peas
5. Catnip
6. Radishes
7. Marigolds
8. Cucumbers 
9. Summer savory 
10. Nasturtiums 

Let’s throw some light on all the segments in detail:

Corn

• Corn is the best companion plant for beans that benefit each other. 
• Corn, winter squash, and pole beans are considered the Three Sisters that pair around with each other. 
• Beans will provide nitrogen in the soil via its roots which eventually stimulates the plant’s health. 
• It will also help the corn’s growth and its stalks will act as a support (Trellis) for the benign beans. 

Winter Squash

• Winter squash is another good choice for the companion plants for beans. 
• Being a large leaf plant, it will protect the soil around the base of the beans. 
• It will also suppress the weeds which will slow down the process of evaporation which says this plant does not need water more frequently. 
• Last but not least, winter squash will act as a defense system for garden pests and also keep the raccoons away. 

Potatoes

• The umitlate choice for beans is potatoes which is amazing when it comes to growing them together. 
• Potatoes are heavy feeders that will benefit from the beans’ ability to nitrogen-fixing. 
• Beans help in keeping the beetles away from the potatoes. 
• In return, potatoes also help the plant by keeping the Mexican bean beetles away from the plant as they cause damage to the plant’s leaves. 

Peas

• Peas are another Best Companion plant for Beans that have the same growing patterns and caring routine. 
• Beans and peas are the climbing plants that need some support like a trellis in your garden area. 
• It will also reduce the cost of purchasing the trellis. Beans are usually harvested after the peas. 
• So, growing them together will help extend the harvesting period of both plants from spring into summertime. 

Catnip

• Various pests tend to come to the plant to ruin its foliage by sucking its fluid. Flea beetles are one of those pests that roam on the bean plants. 
• They will cause holes in the leaves and they will wilt. So, growing catnip with the beans will help in repelling those pests. 
• Catnip has the function to repel the pests like flea beetles. Growing them in containers is suggested. 
• It means that if you lack space, then also you can grow them with each other such as on the balcony. 

Radishes

• Various root vegetables will stunt the plants’ growth but Radishes are also a root vegetable that is a great companion plant. 
• Growing radishes and beans will help in maximizing the available gardening location which is useful for both the plants. 
• Being a fast-growing plant, this variety can be squeezed all around the bean base to occupy the empty soil area. 
• Also, it will work great as a trap for various beetles which keeps the plant pest-free. 

Marigolds

• Marigold is a beautiful addition to any home garden. There are various companion plants of marigolds but the ideal one is beans. 
• Beans and marigolds will grow with each other as they have natural functions to repel pests such as Mexican bean beetles and nematodes etc. 
• Its amazing flowers will fill your vegetable bed with showy colors that look attractive. 

Cucumbers

• Growing cucumbers and beans together is gerat as they both have the same growing conditions which help them to grow better. 
•  Some vining cucumber varieties will use the small support of a trellis-like bean plant. 
• If your location has less space, then you can grow bush beans and cucumbers with each other in pots to enjoy its benefits. 
• Last but not least, it will help in making more use of trellis as both of them will need a support system. 

Summer Savory

• What about Summer Savory? Can you grow this variety with the beans? Yes, summer savory is another of the best companion plants for beans that benefit each other. 
• It is not grown commonly like other herbs such as aromatic herbs- oregano, sage, etc. 
• Usually, this plant helps the beans plants improve their health and flavor which is useful for gardeners who have grown beans. 
• Summer savory has a strongly aromatic scent that helps in repelling the pests from your garden area like Mexican bean beetles. 

Nasturtiums

• Last but not least, nasturtiums are one of the best companion plants for beans. 
• The main reason for growing these plants is its pest control function. 
• They will act as repellants for various pests like aphids, beetles, flea beetles, etc. that can ruin the plant’s foliage. 
• They will attract beneficial insects to the plants for pollination and keep the beans pest-free and healthy. 

What to Avoid Planting Around Beans?

As you come to know various plants are good companion plants for beans. On the other hand, there are some plants to avoid growing around beans. Below is the list: 

Beets (depending on the bean variety)

Beets are another variety to avoid planting around beans. They will restrict each other’s growth which is not good for them. 

Onion family

Various members of the Allium family such as leeks, garlic, scallions, onions, etc do not like to be grown near the onion. They will restrict the growth of the beans. Beans will not be able to add nitrogen to the soil. 

Peppers

Peppers are another bad companion plant for beans. Avoid growing them together as beans will spread aggressively among the peppers. So, keep the plants away from each other so that they remain healthy. 

Sunflowers

It is another variety that should not be grown with beans. Because sunflowers tend to produce a chemical compound that will stunt the beans’ growth. It makes beans and sunflowers bad companion plants. 

Summing up the Context

In this guide, you come to know that Companion planting is a way to plant various types of different plants so that they enhance each other’s growth. In short, it is a practice that can let you know which plants or herbs can be planted together in the garden so that they attract beneficial insects and repel harmful pests. 

Companion planting helps in the reduction of pests, weeds, and many diseases, etc. Various best companion plants of beans are there to grow. If you know about them, then it’s great but if not, you should about the best choices for your garden area. 

Some of the Best Companion Plants For Beans are corn, winter squash, nasturtiums, potatoes, peas, and many more explained in this guide. This process of companion planting also helps in attracting various beneficial insects to the plants like pollinators. I will come back with another informative guide soon. Till then safe gardening. 

Thanks for reading! Happy Gardening! 

FAQs