Grow These 8 Companion Plants for Enhanced Beet Cultivation:
Spice Up Your Garden: 8 Fantastic Beet Companions for a Boosted Harvest
Growing beets in your garden can be a delight, but some neighbors might not be as friendly as others. To ensure your beets thrive and yield a bountiful harvest, check out these eight recommended companions by expert green thumbs.
- Laura Irish-Hanson is a horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota Extension
- Brooke Edmunds is a professor of practice and horticulturist at Oregon State University Extension
Embrace Nature's Harmony: Companion Planting for Beets## Swiss Chard
Pairing up Swiss chard with beets can be a stroke of genius. "Beets blossom in well-spaced gardens, allowing ample sun rays to reach their leafy crowns," notes Brooke Edmunds, a professor and horticulturist at Oregon State University Extension. Moreover, these vegetables are fall crops, making them a convenient pair for keeping a close eye on their growth cycles.
- Growing Zones: 9 to 10 year-round
- Size: Towering up to 2 feet tall and spreading 1.5 to 3 feet wide
- Care: Full sunlight; well-draining, nutrient-rich soil; moderate watering
Radishes
Radishes are another cool-weather crop you can team up with beets. Their compact size and limited expansion make them unlikely to overtake your beets. Make sure to space them apart and let them both bask in the sunlight for optimal growth. "Beets thrive alongside crops that also tolerate the same watering conditions," adds Edmunds.
- Growing Zones: 9 to 10 year-round
- Size: Reaching about a foot tall and spreading 4 to 6 inches wide
- Care: Full sunlight; well-draining, nutrient-rich soil
Garden like a Pro: Growing Radishes## Dill
Dill, with its height of up to 4 feet, may not sound like an ideal beet companion, but its open, airy structure makes it a decent choice.
"I adore growing dill beside my beets," says Laura Irish-Hanson, horticulture educator at the University of Minnesota Extension. "The beets relish the sun exposure, allowing them to grow harmoniously with dill." Plus, if you need to prune the dill leaves, you can toss them into a salad for a tangy boost!
- Growing Zones: 2 to 12
- Size: Soaring skyward at 4 feet tall with a span of around 3 feet
- Care: Full sunlight; slightly acidic, well-draining, nutrient-rich soil
Tomatoes
Tomatoes and beets can form a summertime duo, provided you can tame the tomatoes' growth.
"In the warmer months, tomatoes and beets can harmonize, as long as you keep the tomatoes pruned," advises Irish-Hanson. They're also an excellent choice during the transitional seasons of spring and fall. Remember to set the tomatoes about eight inches away from the beets for optimum growth.
- Growing Zones: 10 to 13 year-round
- Size: Varying from 5 feet to 3 feet tall and wide, depending on the variety
- Care: Full sunlight; well-draining, nutrient-rich soil; consistent watering; balanced fertilizer
Scallions
Scallions might deserve a spot next to your beets due to their shallow roots and limited spread.
"Scallions boast roots that don't expand much, and their linear leaves make them easy to interplant," says Irish-Hanson. They're fairly vertical plants that won't hog space, giving your beets room to stretch out. Plus, some research suggests that scallions can deter pests from certain crops.
- Growing Zones: 6 to 9
- Size: Growing around 8 to 12 inches tall and half an inch wide
- Care: Full sunlight; well-draining, nutrient-rich soil; moderate watering
Alyssum
Like some flowers, alyssum can attract predatory insects. Though it might sound intimidating, it can be beneficial for beets.
"There's not much hard evidence to support this, but bees and predatory wasps feast on pests' larvae," says Irish-Hanson. Beneficial insects such as lady beetles and lacewings are also drawn to alyssum. As an added bonus, alyssum is low-growing and can be trimmed back easily, ensuring your beets get all the sun they need.
- Growing Zones: 9 to 11 year-round, and it readily self-sows
- Size: Parked at 3 to 9 inches tall with a span of 20 inches wide
- Care: Full sunlight; well-draining, nutrient-rich soil
Nasturtium
Beets and nasturtiums prove to be a match made in container heaven. "Nasturtiums trail, shading the topsoil," says Irish-Hanson. This shade can help conserve moisture, reducing the risk of containers drying out too quickly.
- Growing Zones: 9 to 11
- Size: Climbing upward to 12 inches tall and stretching out to 24 inches wide
- Care: Full sunlight; sandy, well-draining soil; keep soil moist
Growing Nasturtiums Like a Pro## Clover
Clover makes an outstanding ground cover and weed suppressor, making it a compatible companion for beets.
"I allow Dutch white clover to flourish throughout my yard, as it fixes nitrogen and suits my sandy soils exceptionally well," says Irish-Hanson. This nitrogen-fixing characteristic might help beets absorb more nutrients. Just remember that when it's time to harvest the beets, you might end up pulling out some clover since it tends to intertwine with the beet stems.
- Growing Zones: 3 to 10, depending on the species
- Size: Typically spreading between 3 and 6 inches tall and 12 to 24 inches wide
- Care: Full sunlight; sandy, well-draining, moist soil
- For a diverse and attractive vegetable garden, consider incorporating dill, Swiss chard, radishes, tomatoes, scallions, and nasturtiums, as suggested by experts like Laura Irish-Hanson and Brooke Edmunds.
- Alyssum, with its ability to attract beneficial insects, can help protect your beet garden from pests.
- Clover, a nitrogen-fixing groundcover, can help improve the nutrient content of your soil and suppress weeds in your beet garden.
Consider exploring more ideas from Martha Stewart's home-and-gardening collection or lifestyle magazines to further enhance your garden and improve your gardening techniques.
