If you’re considering planting spinach, you might wonder which companion plants grow well with it. There are several companion plants that grow well with spinach – they provide many benefits to your spinach crop. We’ll discuss those plants, as well as a few you should avoid planting near spinach.
Spinach Companion Planting Benefits
Spinach companion plants attract pollinators and protect plants from harmful insects that could harm your harvest. Crop combinations can improve soil quality and maximize space. Some plants have a sacrificial purpose. That means you plant something with the intention of letting bugs destroy it, so they don’t eat another plant.
Companion Plants for Spinach
Nasturtium
As previously mentioned, companion plants can serve a sacrificial purpose. This is the case with nasturtium. Plants sacrifice themselves to attract pests that harm spinach. They keep aphids out of your spinach crop.
Brassicas
Brassicas include broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. These plants are great companion plants for spinach. They like many of the same nutrients but won’t compete. Brassica crops have deeper roots than spinach roots. They can thus draw nutrients from different levels of soil.
Cucumber
It might seem odd to grow a vine near spinach. They make spinach grow faster. Additionally, they don’t compete with spinach.
Nightshade vegetables
Most nightshade vegetables grow well next to spinach. This crop includes tomatoes, eggplants, and okra. When you grow them together, the nightshade vegetables give the spinach shade. Succession planting benefits them as well.
Radishes
As well as producing a harvest, they trap leaf miners. These pests can ruin your spinach harvest. By attracting them to the radishes first, you won’t lose either crop. Radishes will be ready before leaf miners can work through their foliage.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is hard to grow because it needs a stable temperature to thrive. If you want a challenge, plant it near spinach. They boost each other’s harvests by not fighting over nutrients. The roots can extract nutrients from different levels.
Dill
Dill is a tricky spinach companion plant. Start planting spinach first and wait until it is 30% grown before planting dill. Young dill helps spinach thrive. Spinach must be harvested before dill matures. When dill matures, it stunts your spinach crop.
Cilantro
Grow cilantro in your spinach bed to repel diseases. Each plant’s roots grow at a different depth so they don’t compete for nutrients.
Peas
You can interplant peas with your spinach crop. It saves time and space in your growing area. Plus, peas fix nitrogen. Since the pea crop will pull nitrogen directly from the air, it won’t compete with spinach, which will pull nitrogen from the soil.
Alliums
If you like onions, shallots, leeks, chives, or garlic, you’re in luck. Allium crops make excellent companions for spinach. They keep aphids, spider mites, and beetles out of your garden. Leeks keep carrot rust flies away. Garlic also infuses sulfur into the soil, which discourages fungus. Consider growing alliums alongside your spinach crop.
Beans
Spinach loves nitrogen. Therefore, it’s wise to add plants around it that are nitrogen producers or nitrogen fixers. That’s why beans pair well with spinach. They shade and fertilize your spinach crop.
Carrots
Plant carrots alongside spinach. They work together for many reasons. They both prefer the same growing conditions and climate. Another reason is carrots grow deeper than spinach does. Thus, they won’t compete for nutrients.
Zucchini
Zucchini is a great plant to grow. You only need a few plants for an abundant harvest. It’s also good with spinach. Growing spinach and zucchini together encourage faster and healthier growth. Since their roots grow at different depths, they don’t compete for nutrients.
Leafy greens
These are great around spinach. Watercress, lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard grow well with this plant. The crops don’t compete for nutrients, and they also attract beneficial insects to protect your spinach harvest.
Strawberries
Strawberries and spinach coexist well in the garden. Spinach shades strawberry plants. Plus, spinach produces an antifungal substance called saponin which protects strawberries against fungal issues. Strawberries won’t compete with spinach for nutrients because they grow at different depths.
Tansy
This herbaceous flower is great for adding color and beauty. It’s also beneficial to spinach. Tansy helps repel pests from your garden to protect your spinach crop. Potassium levels are also increased in the soil.
Parsley
People don’t consider it an aromatic herb. Yet some pests find it is. Keep this in mind if pests are causing issues in your garden. Most pests don’t like the fragrance of parsley and will stay away from spinach because of it. This is a good thing since the scent adds an additional layer of protection.
Celery
Celery and spinach grow similarly, making them excellent companions in the garden. Both plants require consistent moisture in the soil as well as cooler temperatures.
Melons
This is our last spinach companion plant. It encourages the spinach plant to grow stronger. Melons and spinach grow at different depths. As a result, they don’t compete for nutrients.
Plants to Avoid Growing Near Spinach
It’s nice to know about plants to plant with spinach, but there are also a few you should avoid growing near spinach: fennel and possibly potatoes.
Fennel
Fennel doesn’t like many plants in the garden. It stunts and even kills plants near it.
Potatoes
This one is based on personal experience. Planting spinach near potatoes doesn’t work for some; for others, it works because they grow at different depths. Try growing spinach and potatoes together and see what happens.
You now know which companion plants work well with spinach. When you’re planting your spinach crop, think about the plants you have space for, as well as the ones you like, and make your choices accordingly. You’ll have healthy spinach plants and many other plants you can harvest once the growing season is over.