What is a Good Companion Plant for Asparagus? Beneficial Partners and which ones to stay away from.

Asparagus is a long lived, and versatile perennial plant that has many excellent companion plants of various types. Asparagus seedlings take three to four years to harvest. Requiring a deep, well draining and sandy soil for ideal growth, asparagus is to be planted 4 to 6 inches deep in rows about three feet apart. Good companion plants for asparagus are plentiful and here are my favourites, along with some of asparagus’ least favourites. It is important to remember that asparagus is a long lived perennial crop capable of growing for over twenty years. Choose your companion plants wisely and avoid heavy feeding plants that require heavy nutrients as well as plants with deep invasive roots.

What is a Good Fruit and Vegetable Companion for Asparagus

• Tomatoes are the most well known companion plant for Asparagus. Tomatoes benefit from asparagus’ nitrogen fixing properties while releasing solanine chemicals that repel asparagus beetles. As part of this symbiotic relationship shared the asparagus repels nematodes that cause damage a tomatoes root system.
• Lettuce and spinaches are a great ground cover companion to asparagus, acting like a living mulch, reducing the amount of weeding and watering required in the garden bed.
• Eggplant as part of the nightshade family has a symbiotic relationship just like the tomato and asparagus. Eggplants also release solanine chemicals to repel the asparagus beetle.
• Bush beans increase the nitrogen available in the soil while requiring a shallow root system that doesn’t disrupt the asparagus.

Flower Companions for Asparagus

Flowers in the aster family, like marigolds and nasturtiums also make great bed partners with your asparagus. Being a powerful natural repellent of many harmful garden pests, asters also attract beneficial pollinators and pest predators like ladybugs. This makes Asters one of my favorite flowers for all my gardens. Comfrey is another decorative plant believed to be a good companion to asparagus as it also deters detrimental insects while enriching the soil.

What is a Good Herb Companion for Asparagus

Asparagus is a very adaptable plant and has companion plants everywhere. Even herbs like cilantro and dill reduce the amount of garden pests while also having shallow roots systems that do not disturb the asparagus’ growth. Parsley is also said to help improve the flavour and growth of asparagus when planted nearby.

Other herbs like basil and oregano protects the asparagus from cabbage worms and also repels earworms. Parsley and basil are also know to be beneficial when planted in rows around the edge of the asparagus bed. This repels insects and attracts beneficial predators. Sage is another great herb that deters carrot flies, cabbage worms and cabbage moths.

Chives can help deter pests while improving the flavour of the asparagus. When chives flower they attract many beneficial pollinators and insects.

Poor Companion Plants

Having so many great companion plants, Asparagus would have to have a couple that do better apart. Keep your asparagus away from any Alliums. The Family of alliums includes onions, garlic, chives, leeks and shallots all which will stunt an asparagus’ growth. Potatoes also do not grow well with asparagus as asparagus stunts the potatoes growth.