Do blueberry companion plants ring a bell to you? If not, you have just landed in the right article! Beforehand, we already have featured various plants that go well with other crops, but not this bushy, antioxidant-packed, luscious berry. Like the previously showcased garden heroes, this special conglomerate of crops can help the backyard’s main character, blueberries, in various ways–all of which are directed to soil improvement, pest resistance, and harvest increment. So, come along with us as we show you the world of companion plants for blueberries!
Benefits of Companion Planting Blueberries
Countless benefits are linked to planting these companion plants with blueberries. The only bad thing we could think of is that you might get addicted to planting it again and again next year! Here are some advantages of considering these crops:
- Promotes bountiful harvest
- Increases activity of beneficial insects
- Takes advantage of every space
- Improves soil texture and pH
What Grows Best with Blueberries?
What to plant with blueberries is the burning question each time you want to employ companion planting. The truth is, there is an endless list to choose from! For example, you can opt for cranberries or gooseberries that have similar soil requirements. Ornamental plants like rhododendrons, lilacs, and dogwoods match blueberries perfectly.
List of Best Companion Plants for Blueberries
Blueberry companion plants come in a wide spectrum of crops, from food crops to ornamental plants! Our best picks are listed in the following:
Vegetables
Due to their versatility and ease of planting, the most commonly incorporated plants into blueberry patches are vegetables, which we have listed below:
Beans
Beans are literally the cream of the crop when it comes to companion planting. Housed in the root nodules, its symbiotic partner, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, convert atmospheric nitrogen gas into inorganic forms (ammonia, nitrates, nitrites) absorbable to plant roots. Some of these are also delivered to bean’s neighbors, like blueberries!
USDA Zones: 2-11
Benefits: Improves soil fertility and enriches soil microflora.
Tomatoes
Theoretically, tomatoes, being a nightshade family member, have a different soil requirement than blueberries, and they should be planted together. However, some home growers consider this plant to be compatible with proper tweaking of the soil, keeping it humus-rich and fertile.
USDA Zones: 5-8
Benefits: Easy to grow and performs well in sunny climates.
Brassicas
Belonging to the family of cabbage, including cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts, brassicas are some of your choices when considering companion plants for blueberries. While there is no scientific study to prove this interaction, some accounts claim its mutual compatibility–so have fun experimenting!
USDA Zones: 3-8
Benefits: Improves the space utilization while preventing sunlight competition due to its limited canopy spread.
Herbs
Companion planting blueberries mainly employing herbs is also a classical addition to your garden–all because of its pest-thwarting mechanism!
Basil
The sweet herb basil is a darling of the crowd–or should we say the crops. Thanks to its sweet fragrance, your blueberries are safeguarded from the possible pest invasion. And it does not end here! They aid in promoting insect diversity, attracting many beneficial insects, too!
USDA Zones: 10-11
Benefits: It can be inserted in between rows, efficiently utilizing space, suppressing weeds, and conserving soil moisture.
Thyme
_If you're lost, you can look, and you will find me, thyme after thyme_–this would be the fragrant herb's dramatic chant when planted with blueberries facing pest issues. Thyme is a versatile herb ready to defend your blueberries and the entire garden with its sweet but insect-antagonizing smell!
USDA Zones: 2-10
Benefits: It is an advantageous selection in chalky or sandy soils and is easy to maintain.
Parsley
A member of the aromatic Apiaceae family, parsley is one of the A-lists of blueberry bush companion plants. They can perfectly blend into tight spaces and can happily serve blueberries with their insect-repelling properties. Plus, they also make a good garnish for any gastronomic dishes!
USDA Zones: 4-9
Benefits: Its tucked leaf architecture prevents sunlight competition, and its overall stance prevents sunlight competition.
Flowers
Talking about flowers, they immediately have a VIP pass not to be on the list of what not to plant near blueberries. To discover why, know from the few examples listed below:
Lilacs
You will indeed not lack anything with lilacs! This medium-sized ornamental shrub is designed both with functionality and artistry–its beautiful flowers are such an endearing sight, attracting bees and butterflies, all while keeping your blueberries safe from any destructive insects!
USDA Zones: 3-7
Benefits: They are relatively easy to maintain in slightly boggy and acidic soil where blueberries thrive.
Azaleas
Famous for its immaculate flowers in a wide array of shades, Azaleas is an excellent candidate to partner up with blueberries! Like other blooming plants, its secret arsenal against pests is to magnet beneficial insects that can control these bothersome creatures.
USDA Zones: 8-10
Benefits: Both blueberries and azaleas have similar soil requirements, making nutrient and water management quite straightforward.
Fuchsia
Blessed with dangling pink-purple flowers, fuchsia is another floral plant to choose when considering a blueberry partner in the yard. Any pollinator passing by your little backyard farm will absolutely not resist its catchy and sweet nectar, making your garden insect-diverse and more resilient to pest attacks!
USDA Zones: 6-7
Benefits: Thrive well in moderately acidic soils as blueberries. They also require minimal care when established.
Other Plants
Grasses
You may consider it as weeds, but grasses are ironically a blueberry’s best friend. Most grass species, including your common lawn cover, Kentucky grass, and red fescue, help improve soil nutrition. As a positive consequence, more nutrients mean more growth with your sweet berry!
USDA Zones: 3-9
Benefits: Improves yield, quality, and counteracts iron deficiency in blueberries.
Cranberries
Thriving in naturally boggy and slightly acidic soils, cranberries make a great pair with blueberries, which is another domesticated plant that came from a swamp ecosystem. If you do have peat-based garden soil, consider planting the two!
USDA Zones: 4-7
Benefits: Soil management, including irrigation and fertilization, will be simplified with cranberry planting.
Juniper
Juniper, along with its cousins, the cone-bearing pines, cypress, and cedar, jives well in the presence of blueberries! The leaf litter or the shed needles slightly decrease the soil pH, making it more favorable for the berry’s growth.
USDA Zones: 2-7
Benefits: They are almost maintenance-free, help conserve soil moisture, and improve organic matter content.
Do Blueberries Do Better in Pots or in the Ground?
Potting your blueberries in pots does not necessarily mean they do better than in the ground. However, since you can control the amount of nutrients, including the mixture of soil medium, the chances of getting drainage, nutrient, and root problems are less likely to occur in container plants. Of course, planting directly into the soil is not prohibited; just ensure that the previous requirements are provided!
What to Plant with Blueberries?
Whether you have an existing blueberry patch or are yet to consider one, the companion plant for blueberries listed below is compatible with any kind of cultivation!
In Containers and Pots
- Salad greens – Table vegetables like lettuce can be planted in blueberries with large pots to maximize space. While some accounts declare its incompatibility, there is no scientific evidence to prove its negative interaction. So have fun, and don't worry about inserting this crunchy, green veggie!
- Spinach – Like lettuce, spinach can also be inserted into the uncovered spaces in blueberry pots, ensuring more efficient use of the soil and preventing moisture loss.
- Other berries – It may sound counterintuitive, but other berries of swamp origin, including gooseberries, currants, and blackberries, are also blueberry compatible. Because they share similar soil requirements, there should not be any problem!
In the Garden Ground
- Flowering dogwood – Adapted to acidic soils and constantly moist soils, flowering dogwood planted with berries makes such a perfect garden duo. In spring, enjoy its vibrant red, white, and pink flowers. Meanwhile, it can help reduce sun intensity during scorching summers.
- Ferns – If there is a lovely ornamental plant that thrives in damp grounds, that would be the ferns! This makes them an ideal tandem for our favorite summer berry!
- Wildflowers – There are special seed mixes of wildflowers adapted to your region, so consider choosing the appropriate kind! This will promote a good balance to your lawn ecosystem (we already mentioned countless times!) and, of course, a romantic backyard full of assorted blooms.
Blueberry Plant’s Care Requirements
- Soil – Because blueberries are native to swampy or peat-based soils, the medium should be prepared well so that it contains lots of organic matter. You can add compost and coco peat to improve the soil nutrition and chemical composition.
- Watering – The soil should be kept moist and watered deeply. Avoid overhead watering, which can promote fungal infections in the aerial parts.
- Fertilizing – You can apply an all-purpose fertilizer (10-10-10 NPK), but it should be adjusted according to the actual soil nutrient status. Acidic fertilizers, similar to rhododendron or camelia plant food, can also be purchased.
- Sunlight – In order to produce abundant berries, it should be planted in a sun-drenched space. However, in regions facing harsh summers, consider planting it in a spot with dappled sunshine.
- Pest control – Fungal attacks are more common in blueberries. So ensure to implement strategic measures such as preventive fungicide treatments and proper soil preparation (with lots of organic matter) to suppress mold diseases.
Blueberry Companion Planting for Repelling Pests
Most companion plants for blueberries have the intrinsic ability to repel pests, but the plant group showcased in this block has interesting mechanisms to thwart any pest occupation:
- Sage – Despite being a well-draining, alkaline-loving plant, sage can contribute to pest control strategies on your little backyard farm! When planted at the right distance or along the edges, it can launch explosive scents, mostly made up of camphor, cineole, and thujone, that disfavors fruit flies' oviposition and other flying insects' damaging activities.
- Dill – Dill's anti-pest weaponry functions in diverse pathways. One is its fragrant smell that confuses winged insects (i.e., blueberry stem gall wasp) from finding the host, in this case, blueberries. As an added bonus, it may also have an allelopathic compound drenched into the ground that may ward off root-dwelling insects like blueberry mealybugs.
- Peppermint – In a diversified garden, peppermint planted in the presence of other pest-susceptible crops, including blueberries, helped deter the fruit flies from finding chunky fruits to lay on.
Bad Companion Plants for Blueberries
After learning about the good ones, it's time to talk about the bad companion plants for blueberries and why they're considered as such:
- Lavender – One of the classic questions is, can I plant lavender with blueberries? Ideally, plants with different soil requirements must be planted separately. Lavender likes calcic or lime-based medium, while blueberries prefer a more moist and peat-rich ground.
- Cucumber – Like lavenders, cucumbers prefer to have a pH near neutral. Also, its growth habit and vegetation management, such as trellising and pruning, make it quite challenging to plant blueberries and cucumbers side by side.
- Rosemary – Being a Southern European flora, rosemary also has the same reason: it prefers to have neutral to basic soils rather than with lots of moisture and organic matter.
- Walnut tree – If you have a walnut tree or have yet to plant one, you will have a tough choice in choosing which crop to incorporate into your productive land. Walnut roots release a bioactive compound called juglone that has suppressive properties to the vegetation nearby.
FAQ
What is good to put around blueberry bushes?
Many plants can be put around blueberry bushes. The safest choices are the ones that have similar soil requirements, like rhododendrons or azaleas, cranberries, and gooseberries. Other herbs and vegetables can also be planted but with some compromises.
Can we plant lavender with blueberries?
No, alkaline-loving, calciphiles, or plants thriving in neutral to slightly basic soils are on the list of what not to grow near blueberries, in general. Most Mediterranean herbs like lavender and rosemary have different soil requirements compared with blueberries.
Can we plant marigolds with blueberries?
Yes, without a doubt! Marigolds are famed for their ability to summon pollinating insects with their ochre flowers. As a result, your blueberry garden is guarded with natural defenders against incoming pests.
