Steve Yoder
I'm Steve, a 30-something urban gardener fascinated by companion planting research. Growing up surrounded by greenery sparked my passion for gardening early on. I enjoy transforming my small backyard, experimenting with companion planting techniques and eco-friendly practices. Sustainability matters—I advocate for native plants and composting.
Table of Contents
Cauliflower is a wonderful leafy vegetable that you can eat raw or cooked. Cauliflower is a very healthy addition to any diet and can help lower cholesterol. It fights cancer and diabetes, prevents osteoporosis, and more. To grow the most delicious cauliflower possible you have to know one thing! Which cauliflower companion plants are best for growing this amazing vegetable?
What Cauliflower Needs
Cauliflower is a vegetable that prefers full sun and water. This can be a problem if you live in an area where there is not much sun or where it rains often. To make sure your cauliflower gets the most sun possible, plant them near a sunny wall or fence. In this case, they will be able to get reflected light from that direction. You should also plant cauliflower near other plants which will give them a bit of shade during the day. Also, allow them to receive some direct sunlight after the surrounding plants have blocked out most of it.
To ensure they will get enough water, use drip irrigation or place mulch around their base. So, there won’t be puddles forming around them when it rains. The soil needs to be moist at all times. The reason is, that this vegetable requires extra nutrients such as nitrogen for its leaves (which turn into heads) to grow properly. Also to produce large amounts of edible vegetables for you!
6 Best Cauliflower Companion Plants
Radishes and Cauliflower
Radishes are a great companion plant for cauliflower for several reasons. First, radishes help deter pests that eat cauliflower. Pests such as cabbage worms, aphids, and flea beetles all prefer radishes over cauliflower. You can deter them if there are plenty of radish plants in the garden space. Radishes also encourage the growth of cauliflower by producing nitrogen in the soil around them.
Beets as Cauliflower Companion Plants
Beets are also good cauliflower companion plants as they also encourage growth. Beets repel pests1 and will help to keep them away from your cauliflower plants.
Carrots
Carrots are also effective as companion plants for cauliflower. They help to repel pests that harm cauliflower crops, such as cabbage worms and aphids. Plant carrots between rows of cauliflower! They will enrich the soil while attracting beneficial insects. Those insects will protect against pests in your vegetable garden.
Peas with Cauliflower
Another good cauliflower companion plants are peas. They encourage plant growth and attract beneficial insects that pollinate flowers. Peas enrich the soil, provide a food source for beneficial insects, and fix nitrogen in the soil. In this case, it gets used for other plants too. They’re also great companions with carrots, beets, and radishes!
Beans Next to Cauliflower
Beans as cauliflower companion plants enrich the soil with nitrogen. Plant beans in the same bed as cauliflower and, if you want to maximize space, why not plant them in the same row? Or even right next to each other! If you’re feeling adventurous and have some extra room in the garden, I have an idea for you. Try planting beans in the same hole as your cauliflower plants. You won’t regret it.
Which Plants you Must Avoid
Cauliflower and cabbage are not good companions. The reason for this is the shared family of plants known as Cruciferae. The family includes cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and other similar plants. These are susceptible to certain fungi that can infect all members of the group. These fungi cause a disease called clubroot disease. Control clubroot by keeping your garden free from weeds. Manage this through tilling or weeding with a hoe between plantings. Or avoid planting these two crops together at all if you want to avoid any problems with clubroot.
Cauliflower and tomatoes are also not good companions. Now here’s where things get tricky. Cauliflower doesn’t seem like anything at all like tomatoes. But guess what? They both belong to the same plant family—Solanaceae! That means they have shared pests like whiteflies and aphids! The best way around this problem? Keep your cauliflower away from tomato plants when growing them together in your garden! Like that, you won’t spread any pests between them!
References
- Mahendran, B., Sharma, R. K., & Sinha, S. R. (2018). Strategies for Insect Management in Cauliflower (Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis) Through Habitat Intervention. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 88(1), 305-311.