Garlic is one of my all-time favorite garden staples—versatile in the kitchen and a natural pest deterrent in the garden! Planting the right companions alongside your garlic can boost its health, improve soil balance, and even attract beneficial insects that nest and patrol your beds. Over the years I’ve experimented with dozens of pairings, and these fifteen have consistently transformed my garlic patch into a thriving, harmonious ecosystem.
I know how discouraging it can be to see garlic bulbs stunted by pests or funky flavors when the soil is off balance. That’s why each of these companions not only complements garlic’s formidable sulfur compounds but also brings unique ecological benefits—like attracting ground-nesting solitary bees with chamomile or luring ladybugs with calendula blooms! I’ll note each plant’s native range and any invasiveness concerns so you can mix and match confidently.
Lettuce
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), native to the Mediterranean region, thrives in garlic’s partial shade once bulbs begin to swell. The loose heads of lettuce help shade the soil, conserving moisture for garlic’s shallow roots. I love planting lettuce between garlic rows—once the garlic canopy closes in, lettuce seals the soil surface, reducing evaporation!
Beyond moisture management, the tender lettuce leaves provide habitat for predatory ground beetles that nest under flat foliage and mulch. These beetles then patrol nearby garlic plants, feasting on slugs and caterpillars. It’s such a relief to see fewer slug tracks in the morning when you’ve got these natural guardians on duty!
Calendula
Calendula officinalis, commonly called pot marigold, hails from Eurasia and is not considered invasive in most climates. Its bright orange flowers bloom all summer, attracting hoverflies whose larvae prey on aphids. Planting calendula near garlic not only adds a cheerful splash of color but also establishes a living pest-control station right next door!
As the petals fall, they enrich the soil with organic matter, promoting microbial activity that benefits garlic’s bulb development. I always save a few calendula seeds for next season—these annuals readily self-seed in my beds, popping up like little allies every spring!
Beets
Beets (Beta vulgaris), native to the Mediterranean coastline, make sturdy companions for garlic. Their deep, taprooted growth breaks up compacted soil layers, improving drainage for shallow garlic bulbs. I find that beets and garlic together help each other thrive—beets gain protection from soilborne pests, while garlic enjoys looser ground!
When beet plants bolt and flower, their umbels attract parasitic wasps and beneficial syrphid flies that nest among low-growing vegetation. Those wasps then hunt aphids and caterpillars that might otherwise target garlic foliage. Watching these micro-predators at work is one of my garden’s daily joys!
Carrots
Daucus carota, our familiar garden carrot, originates from Europe and southwestern Asia and poses no invasive threat. The feathery carrot greens lightly shade the ground, keeping garlic’s soil moist, while garlic’s scent confuses carrot root flies. I often plant alternating rows of garlic and carrots—it feels like setting up a natural barrier against root pests!
If you allow some carrot blossoms to mature, they’ll attract predatory hoverflies and tachinid flies that nest in nearby grassy edges. These beneficial insects patrol both carrot and garlic plants, helping maintain ecological balance without any chemical sprays!
Chamomile
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), native to temperate Europe and Western Asia, is an aromatic herb prized for tea and companion benefits. Its dainty white blooms draw ground-nesting mason bees and tiny parasitic wasps that help pollinate garlic’s flowers and manage pests. I love the gentle apple-like scent wafting through my garlic bed when chamomile is in bloom!
Chamomile’s root exudates improve soil structure and boost microbial life, creating a nutrient-rich environment for garlic bulbs to expand. While it can self-seed, it’s not aggressively invasive—usually popping up modestly where you plant it or where seeds spill, adding charm rather than chaos.
Spinach
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), originally domesticated in ancient Persia, is a non-invasive, fast-growing leafy green that makes an excellent underplanting for garlic. The wide, tender leaves capture sunlight early in the season, providing ground cover that retains moisture for developing bulbs. I often sow spinach in early spring, harvesting before garlic necks fatten up!
As spinach matures, its spent plants can be cut back and left as mulch, feeding the soil once fungal diseases like downy mildew are no longer a concern. Plus, companioning with spinach means two harvests from the same bed—talk about efficient gardening!
Roses
Roses (Rosa spp.), native across temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, have long been paired with garlic. The sulfur compounds in garlic help repel aphids and spider mites that torment rose foliage. In turn, the tall rose canes provide early spring shade to garlic emerging from dormancy, shielding tender shoots from harsh winds.
Beneficial hoverflies and ladybugs flock to roses’ nectar, nesting in ground cover and nearby leaf litter. These insects then patrol your garlic for any lurking aphids, creating a win-win situation. I can’t tell you how many times garlic has saved my roses—and vice versa!
Bush Beans
Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), native to Central and South America, partner beautifully with garlic. Beans fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, benefiting garlic’s heavy feeding habit as bulbs swell. I love sowing bush beans in the same bed—by the time beans finish, garlic can use that extra nitrogen for its final growth spurt!
Bean flowers also attract carpenter bees and bumblebees, many of which nest in hollow stems or nearby wood edges. These pollinators sometimes visit garlic’s small white flowers, enhancing any seed set you might wish to harvest. Even if you’re not saving garlic seed, the overall biodiversity boost is fantastic!
Parsley
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum), native to the central Mediterranean, is a biennial herb that isn’t invasive and readily returns each year. Its lacy foliage intermingles nicely with garlic leaves, reducing soil moisture loss while offering habitat for predatory lacewings and lady beetles. Those beneficials often nest in parsley’s cover and then patrol nearby garlic foliage!
When parsley blooms in its second year, the umbels draw a variety of pollinators and parasitic wasps—nesting insects that target pests like aphids and caterpillars. It’s such a treat to sip parsley tea harvested next to your garlic patch, knowing you’ve created a lively mini-ecosystem!
Onions
Onions (Allium cepa), garlic’s close cousin from Central Asia, make natural bedfellows. They share many of garlic’s pest-repellent properties—together they fend off carrot flies, aphids, and even Japanese beetles. Planting onions and garlic side by side amplifies these sulfur-based defenses across the whole bed!
Though both are alliums, they won’t compete aggressively—just space them appropriately so each bulb has room to swell. I delight in the symphony of onion and garlic aromas wafting through my garden in early summer, promising a feast of flavor to come!
Tomatoes
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), native to western South America, seem like unlikely partners, but garlic’s scent deters red spider mites and certain fungal spores that trouble tomato foliage. One season I tucked garlic bulbs around the base of my tomato cages and noticed healthier leaves and fewer chemical sprays—such a win!
Tomato flowers attract native solitary bees that will also visit garlic’s star-shaped blooms, supporting a broader pollinator community in your bed. With some strategic staking, the two won’t shade each other too much, and you’ll harvest both tomatoes and garlic from the same plot.
Strawberries
Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), originally bred in Europe from North and South American wild species, are slow-growing but non-invasive groundcovers for garlic. Their low habit shades soil, keeping roots cool and moist while garlic bulbs expand below. I find interplanting strawberries helps suppress weeds around garlic’s developing necks!
When strawberry flowers bloom, they lure bees and hoverflies that nest in nearby mulch and nest boxes. These beneficials then visit garlic blooms as well, improving pollination if you’re saving garlic seed or simply boosting ecosystem health. Plus, you get fresh berries alongside your garlic harvest!
Chamomile
Chamomile makes my list twice because I can’t overstate its benefits! Those tiny blooms draw beneficial insects—and I’ve even spotted ground-nesting bees tunneling under chamomile patches. Its soil-conditioning properties improve texture, promoting healthy bulb formation.
Though it self-seeds somewhat freely, chamomile isn’t invasive, returning reliably each spring. Its calming scent also makes gardening near your garlic patch a delight—sip a cup of chamomile tea right where it grows!
Peppers
Peppers (Capsicum annuum), native to Central America, benefit from garlic’s pest-deterring power—aphids and spider mites tend to avoid pepper foliage when garlic is nearby. I often plant a row of garlic bulbs at the north edge of my pepper bed, creating a protective barrier for those spicy or sweet fruits.
Pepper flowers attract small solitary bees that nest in hollow stems or bare soil patches—these bees sometimes buzz over to garlic blooms, enriching your garden’s overall pollinator network. The combination of peppers and garlic brings both flavor and biodiversity to the table!
