6. Lettuce

This is another quick-growing crop that can help you make the most of the space in your garden. Lettuce can be sown and harvested in spring before you plant out your warm-season crops. It can also be sown between and beneath pepper plants.

Due to its lower growth habit, it won’t get in the pepper’s way. It will also serve as a sort of living mulch, helping to retain soil moisture and therefore aiding the pepper crop.

          7. Chard/ Spinach

Similarly, you can also squeeze in chard or spinach between your pepper plants, for higher yields in smaller spaces. Again, these lower-growing plants will not get in the way too much. But will help increase humidity and improve soil moisture retention for your pepper plants.

      8. Onions, Garlic and Other Alliums

Onions, garlic and other members of the same plant family are great companions for a range of different crops – peppers included. They have a pungent scent that is said to help in repelling, confusing or distracting a wide range of insect pests, such as aphids, cabbage worms etc…

      9. Radishes

Like lettuce, radishes are a quick crop that you can grow before peppers get planted out and really get going. And can also be used to squeeze in an additional crop in gaps in a planting scheme (in time and space).

Peppers won’t suffer from having some radishes grown between them, and may even benefit from the additional soil coverage they bring.

        10. Carrots

Carrots are another crop that you can fit in between and around pepper plants. They can help to create cover for bare soil, to retain moisture and suppress weeds. And won’t compete over much with peppers planted nearby.

        11. Beets, Parsnips and Other Root Crops

You can also consider squeezing in some beets, parsnips or other root crops around your peppers. They can confer similar benefits, and allow you to really make the most of all the space you have available.

           12. Asparagus

Asparagus, of course, is a perennial plant. But it is one that can potentially find a space in your annual polyculture beds.

Asparagus will take a while to get going, and even once it does, there will be little going on in the growing area after the spring harvest. Tomatoes are commonly grown in an asparagus bed to make full use of it over the summer but you can do the same thing with peppers too.

(Remember, when choosing other crops to grow, that while all the above may work well with peppers, they may not work well with one another. So bear this in mind when making your choices and creating your polycultures.)

Herbs That Make Good Companion Plants for Peppers

Next, let’s take a look at some of the many herbs that make good companion plants for peppers:

      13. Basil

Basil is a classic companion plant for tomatoes. And it works extremely well with peppers too. Basil is said to help in repelling or confusing pests drawn to members of the nightshade plant family. Many gardeners swear that this aromatic herb can also improve the flavour of peppers, as well as tomatoes when grown nearby.

     14. Oregano

Oregano is another culinary herb that works well around peppers. Like basil, it can offer some good ground cover, to protect the soil, reduce moisture loss and help prevent weeds.

      15. Rosemary

This is another warmer-climate, drought-tolerant herb that will work well around the edges of a growing area used for peppers and other warm-season annual crops. A larger rosemary bush could also aid in shielding peppers from stronger winds, and in providing some partial shade.

       16. Thyme

Another Mediterranean herb, thyme is well known as a great companion crop. It is particularly prized for its ability to attract a wide range of pollinators and other beneficial wildlife. Thyme also works well around the edges of a pepper growing area, and can spread to create good ground cover.

      17. Dill

Dill serves a double function when planted close to pepper plants. It will attract beneficial insects and may help in repelling those you do not want. It may also (anecdotally) improve the flavours of peppers grown close by.

      18. Parsley

Like so many of the other leafy vegetables and herbs on this list, parsley grown among pepper plants will allow you to get an additional yield from the space. It will also provide good ground cover to aid moisture retention and keep weeds down around your pepper plants.

         19. Hyssop

Hyssop is another herb that you might not be as familiar with. But this too is said to be a great companion crop for peppers. It improves insect biodiversity and is good for bringing in, for example, insects that predate aphids and other sap-suckers.

        20. Bee-Balm

Bee balm, as the name suggests, will bring these pollinators into your garden. As an aromatic herb, it might also improve the flavour of peppers grown close by. Fruiting annuals like peppers (and tomatoes) will do best when there are plenty of insects around to pollinate the crop.

        21. Anise

Anise is another great plant for attracting beneficial insects. Another reason to plant it is because it is said to increase the essential oil production of other herbs grown nearby. So it might make other companion plants even more effective.

Flowers That Make Good Companion Plants for Peppers

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