It’s asparagus season! In this much-awaited period of bounties, what is more timely than talking about Asparagus companion plants?! Whether you started from rhizomes last year or are planning to sow seeds this season, helping out your favorite spring veggie by introducing new neighbors is a fun way to test fresh garden strategies. Called companion planting, exploring this innovative garden technique can bring numerous advantages, including pest defense, soil protection, weed suppression, and many more. If you are thrilled to venture into companion planting, we invite you to keep scrolling through this 9-minute read article!
Why Companion Planting Is Important for Asparagus?
First and foremost, why companion plants for asparagus? If you want to adopt a sustainable, environmentally friendly garden, free of chemicals but rich in insect diversity, this technique is your go-to! It can optimize your garden’s potential by:
- Increasing beneficial insects by regulating the pest-predator population balance. The result–less damage to your asparagus;
- Reducing the reliance on chemicals. As your garden is self-stabilizing in terms of pest number, chemical pesticides are not needed, which means it is more ecologically friendly;
- Improving the soil health. Many companion plants can help condition the soil, improve organic matter, and even enhance beneficial microbes’ activity that displaces the bad ones;
- Boosting yield. Because your аsparagus is spared from pests and the roots are kept healthy, it can function well and optimize its growth and harvest.
Benefits of Companion Planting With Asparagus
We have already covered the importance of companion planting with asparagus. If you are still unconvinced about its crucial role in promoting ecological home-scale agriculture, the following list might just change your mind! Companion planting can:
- Help you make use of every centimeter of your garden;
- Attract pollinators that ensure fruit development of many crops;
- Keep your garden plants protected from root diseases;
- Diversify beneficial soil microflora beneficial for overall crop growth;
- Conserve soil moisture in semi-arid regions;
- Control weed encroachment in planting rows.
What Grows Well With Asparagus?
Be it a vegetable, flower, herb, or ground cover for asparagus, many species behave well when grown with your edible spears. Members of the following plant families are typically compatible with asparagus:
- Aster family (marigolds, tansies, lettuce);
- Carrot family (dill, parsley);
- Nightshade family (tomato, pepper, eggplant);
- Aromatic herbs (basil, rosemary).
Best Companion Plants for Asparagus by Categories
Now, we’ve arrived at the core of the topic: what grows well with asparagus! Whether or not you like flowers or vegetables, we prepared a list covering plants across multiple families to match it according to your garden’s compatibility.
Flowers
Spring is incomplete without flowers! Attracting nectar-collecting bess, they are spectacular to witness as they bloom. To know the asparagus-friendly ones, here are two of the best selection:
Marigold
If there is one flower you should not miss out on planting in your garden hub, that would be marigolds! They are members of the sunflower family known to have multi-petalled blooms, often coming with the hues of sunset. One cannot deny that it is surely a staple variety that embodies the fusion of beauty and functionality.
USDA Zones: 2-11
Benefits: trap soil nematodes, attract parasitic wasps and beneficial insects
Purple Tansy
Purple tansy is considered a wildflower known to naturally occur in grasslands and prairie ecosystems. But due to its versatility, adaptability, and the fact that it's naturally an attractive flower, it is often used in restoration projects, including natural landscapes and ecological gardens to help augment pollinator and insect diversity.
USDA Zones: 4-8
Benefits: attracts wasps and beneficial insects, helps improve soil organic matter content.
Vegetables
The classic asparagus companion planting involves using vegetables, which, as we assume, are everyone’s favorite! If you prefer pairing veggies with asparagus, the following should help you start:
Lettuce
Lettuce is a garden classic. This sought-after salad veggie is a gardener’s favorite due to its relatively short cropping period. In about a month, you can enjoy its crunchy leaves. Moreover, its low stature and superficial root spread make it a vibin’ plant with asparagus when grown side by side.
USDA Zones: 2-11
Benefits: ideal for beginners and small spaces, prevent competition, low fertilizer need
Spinach
Rich in iron, cultivating spinach not only adds variety to your garden but also elevates your garden's nutritional aspect. Many varieties of spinach are available to choose from, often varying in color, lead size, and speed of harvesting. You can even harvest them while they are young.
USDA Zones: 5-6
Benefits: low maintenance, ideal for beginners, low fertilizer need
Herbs
Mhmm! The smell of fresh herbs evokes a sense of relaxation–not only with the therapeutic sensation–but because of the feeling of security, as your asparagus plants are protected from pests!
Basil
One of the long-standing favorites is basil. It is a timeless classic herb used in many dishes like pasta, pizza, and manymore, making it a preferred choice among gardeners who prefer an herb garden with several uses. As a companion plant, it also never fails its partners, like asparagus in defending possible pests and simultaneously not robbing the nutrients and space!
USDA Zones: 10-11
Benefits: Prevents pest infestations, low-maintenance, easy to care
Dill
Dill is one of the members of the carrot family that is considered an herb due to its fragrance. Its leaves feature a citrusy aroma that is often used in salads and Greek dishes like tzatziki. If you have a garden drenched with lots of sunshine, dill can thrive well on this spot. When planted, it exudes a lovely smell that can help shoo bugs.
USDA Zones: 9-11
Benefits: attracts good bugs, repels harmful insects, enhances flavor
Ground Сover
Plants with soil-carpeting habits are often titled as natural ground covers. If you live in an arid region or where stubborn weeds are uncontrollable, ground covers are the solution!
Nasturtium
With its trumpet-shaped flowers, adding nasturtiums to your asparagus garden is a choice you’ll always celebrate. As it crawls close to the ground, it can display flowers of different shades, from yellow to orange, and even multi-colored ones! Some Michelin chefs often use its attractive flowers to decorate their luxury dishes.
USDA Zones: 9-11
Benefits: attract beneficial insects, repels harmful insects, keeps the soil moist and wee-free
Peas
Peas possess the characteristics of a usual vegetable and a cover crop. When young, planting them too close offers enough soil cover, protecting the ground from wind and erosion. When mature, it can grow bushy enough not to let a ray of light pass through the soil, starving weeds. As an extra reward, you can reap those sweet and nutritious pods later in the season!
USDA Zones: 2-11
Benefits: improves soil nitrogen content, prevents soil erosion and leaching
Other Plants
Still clueless about what to plant with asparagus? The following seems to be an unusual pair but has already been tried out to seamlessly match with asparagus in terms of growth:
Tomatoes
Packed with lycopene, tomatoes boast not only their nutritional profile but also superb qualities for garden cultivation next to asparagus. After reaping the tender shoots of asparagus in spring, you can sow tomatoes in between asparagus rows, but they should be spaced at least 2 feet (60 cm) apart. This ample distance ensures both plants stay happy, sharing the sunlight and space harmoniously.
USDA Zones: 5-8
Benefits: repel beetles, prevent weed growth and space competition
Strawberries
Because strawberries share the same root morphology with asparagus, they are said to be compatible when planted in alternate strips. Also, being a member of the rose family makes it completely different from asparagus, which can help confuse pests in finding their next meal.
USDA Zones: 5-8
Benefits: comes year after year, prevents pest attack, conserves water and suppresses weeds
Bad Companion Plants for Asparagus
To date, there is no really proven crop species that is bad for asparagus. However, according to gardeners’ collective experience, some horticultural plants don't go well when planted with asparagus.
Potato
A member of the nightshade family, there are no sufficient scientifically validated claims of potatoes being one of the bad companion plants for asparagus.
Why to avoid:
- Developing tubers might interfere with asparagus rhizomes
- It can take up a lot of nutrients
- Leaves may cast shade on asparagus leaves
Chives
While many scientific and anecdotal accounts suggest that chives can be grown with many crops, other gardeners warn about the potential effects of chives grown with asparagus.
Why to avoid:
- It can influence the flavor
- Nutrients can be stolen away from your asparagus
- Phytochemicals are released in the soil and can stunt the main plant
Garlic
Being a sister of onions and chives, garlic isn't also spared from negative connotations when cultivated near asparagus.
Why to avoid:
- Garlic can reduce asparagus growth
- It takes up some nutrients
- It may alter some physicochemical properties that influence flavor
Companion Plants for Asparagus to Keep Pests Away
Planting companions for asparagus can help keep those pesky bugs away and also improve the health and productivity of your garden. Let's explore some great plant friends for your asparagus!
Tomatoes
These not only taste great with asparagus in dishes but also repel asparagus beetles.
Basil
Known for its strong scent, basil can deter a variety of pests.
Parsley
It helps to improve the flavor of asparagus and can attract beneficial insects that scare off bugs.
Marigolds
These bright flowers are great for deterring nematodes and other harmful insects.
Dill
A natural pest repellent, dill also attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs.
When Is the Best Time to Plant Companion Plants for Asparagus?
The most common planting dates of asparagus is during spring when crowns–a clump of mature roots and rhizomes–are buried 1 foot (30 cm) deep in well-prepared soil. However, some varieties can be planted in September or just before the onset of the first autumn frost, allowing your asparagus to take root before the harsh spring. After establishment, it can take up to 1-2 years before you can reap your first asparagus spears.
How to Care for Asparagus With Its Companions?
One of the promising features of the companion planting method is that it saves you much time and effort in most gardening tasks. To make it even more straightforward and ensure both plants are thriving, here’s what you need to know:
- Cut the dead stems and foliage from the past season in early spring;
- Clean up the dead plant debris, weeds, or any residues from the past cropping;
- Add a heap of manure to ensure that the soil is fertile enough to support both plants;
- Water both companion and the main plant, especially in periods of drought and during the early vegetative phase;
- During the growth season, prune out some of the dead leaves to improve airflow and reduce disease incidence;
- Vine companions like nasturtiums should be kept below the ground; if some manage to climb up your asparagus canopy, train the vines to crawl over the soil and not on the plants.
Rules of Companion Planting With Asparagus
When it comes to practicing the technique of mastering asparagus companions, knowing the basics is a standard protocol. Here are the golden rules for putting plants close by:
- Plants belonging other than the Asparagus family are usually compatible;
- Aggressive plants with a bushy canopy should be planted a bit further away;
- Fertilizer-demanding plants must also not be planted together with asparagus;
- Always prepare the soil well before planting;
- Rhizomatous or tuberous crops usually do not go well with asparagus and, therefore, must be spaced out accordingly.
What to Avoid in Your Asparagus Companion Planting?
The art of mix-and-matching a companion plant for asparagus is pretty straightforward. However, most of the time, some tiny but crucial details are overlooked, such as the following:
- Planting plant rows next to your Asparagus rhizomes;
- Adding only a small portion of compost and other organic matter;
- Not supplementing fertilizers;
- Not monitoring your plants for early signs of infection;
- Applying potent pesticides, which can kill pollinators and lose the essence of companion planting.
FAQ
Can We Plant Asparagus Close Together?
Yes, planting asparagus close by is viable, but it has some limitations. To give the rhizomes some space to grow, there should be an allowance of about a foot to one and a half (30-45 cm) between plants.
Can We Plant Asparagus and Its Companions in a Container?
Companion planting asparagus in the same container is okay. However, since the substrate and space are limited, choose one that has a shallow root system and is harvestable within a short cropping cycle, like salad greens.
Can We Plant Peas With Asparagus?
Yes, peas, along with its relatives, are compatible with asparagus. They can provide extra nitrogen into the asparagus roots–all thanks to their nitrogen-fixing bacteria partner that helps capture atmospheric or gaseous nitrogen into a fertilizer form.
Can We Grow Carrots and Asparagus Together?
Carrots and asparagus can be a good pair when planted together. While there is not enough scientific evidence to disprove their incompatibility, some gardeners have successfully grown the two deep-rooting crops by properly distancing them apart to avoid root clashing.
Can Asparagus Grow With Tomatoes?
Yes, tomato-asparagus garden fusion is a viable option. Asparagus typically emerges in spring–the time when tomatoes are still young and at the vegetative stage–and by the time it's harvested, there will be no competition with tomatoes in the fruiting stage.
