What to Plant with Cauliflower

Contents

The Best Cauliflower Companion Plants

The best companion plants for cauliflower are beans, onions, and celery. When you combine beans with celery than both plants are good at attracting beneficial insects and repelling pests. When you combine celery with cauliflower then celery takes in a lot of water but leaves more nutrients for cauliflower benefitting them both. Some other recommended companion plants for cauliflower are

Beets
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Chard
Spinach
Cucumber
Corn
Radish
Culinary Sage
Dill
Fennel
Garlic
Hyssop
Marigold
Nasturtium
Onion
Oregano
Peppermint
Potato
Thyme
Yarrow
Celery
Legumes
Spinach and Swiss Chard
Cabbage and Broccoli
Sage
Thyme
Marigolds
Shallots

Most of these plants help Cauliflower by having complimentary requirements and attracting the right beneficial pests.

Culinary Sage

Sage is an annual herb that has a strong, peppery taste. It grows well in sunny areas and its earthy fragrance pests away. Additionally, beneficial pollinators like to attack pests, aphids, and caterpillars on sage plants. Harvesting sage is easy – simply clip the leaves off the stem and dry them for later use. You can also collect heirloom organic seeds from sage plants to plant in your garden the following year.

Dill

Dill is a herb that grows annually and doesn’t flower. It is a fast-bolting variety with an above-average abundance of foliage and rich flavor.

Fennel

Fennel is an aromatic herb that is a short-lived perennial. It has an anise or licorice-like flavor and parts of the plant are edible, including the yellow umbels that attract beneficial wasps and butterflies. Fennel can be used in a variety of dishes or as a garnish.

Garlic

Garlic is a perennial plant that is often grown as an annual. It is an essential ingredient in dishes prepared around the world and has moderate water needs for growing garlic. Additionally, garlic is repulsive to pests, as it masks other plants’ smell.

Hyssop

Hyssop is a herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the mint family. It has two types- True Hyssop and anise hyssop. Both have low to medium moisture needs, but the anise hyssop is more tolerant of drought conditions. The true hyssop, however, attracts pests that also feed on cauliflower-like brassica caterpillars, flea beetles and slugs. To protect your crop, you can plant hyssop around it to attract pollinators that will help keep these pests under control.

Marigold

French marigold (Tagetes patula) is a type of marigold that is believed to be beneficial. It has burgundy and yellow petals that resemble a jester’s hat. They are moderate consumers of water and won’t compete for moisture with other plants in the garden.

Nasturtium

Edible annual nasturtium is a trap crop. The brightly-colored flowers and variegated foliage of this plant attract pollinators, which can then be captured and used to improve the yields of other crops, such as cauliflower. Nasturtiums also make good companion plants for cauliflower, as they help to repel pests and improve the overall health of the garden.

Onion

It has low to medium water needs and repels pests like aphids. Onion is a light feeder; it doesn’t compete for nutrients with other plants in the garden. For this reason, it can be planted near cauliflower without fear of competition. Onion growing guide includes cultivation information such as planting and harvesting onion bulbs.

Oregano

Oregano is a Mediterranean herb that is often used in cooking. There are different varieties of oregano, but the most common is Origanum vulgare. This type of oregano has a pungent flavor and is often used in pizza sauce. Another variety, Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum, is considered to be the best type of oregano because it has a fuller flavor. You can pinch off the leaves as needed before the plants bloom for optimal flavor. Some plants can be allowed to flower so that you can enjoy the pink or white blossom spikes as an edible garnish.

Peppermint

Perennial peppermint, Mentha x Piperita, is a good companion plant for many vegetables because of its fragrance. The strong smell deters aphids and cabbage moths from attacking other plants in the garden. Peppermint can be grown in containers, but it is important to remember that the plant will dry out faster than if it were planted in the ground soil.

Potato

Potatoes are a great companion plant for cauliflower. They require less water than cauliflower and grow beneath a layer of straw that makes it harder for weeds to compete. Additionally, they can help to deter pests such as aphids and flea beetles from damaging your cauliflower plants.

Thyme

Thyme is a popular culinary herb with a spicy, earthy aroma. It is also attractive to beneficial insects and can be used as companion plant in the garden. Thyme plants have low water needs and are drought tolerant, making them a non-competitive pal for cauliflower plants. Thyme plants can provide ground cover alongside cauliflower plants, helping to protect them from pests and diseases.

Yarrow

Yarrow is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It has many small white flowers that grow in clusters. Yarrow is often planted in gardens because it attracts parasitoid wasps, which prey upon soft-bodied caterpillars, aphids, and hoverflies. Additionally, yarrow can be used as a natural insecticide; the dried flower heads can be crushed and sprinkled on plants to deter pests. Half-ounce packages of yarrow are available for purchase at True Leaf Market.

Plants to Avoid Planting Near Cauliflower

Cauliflower should not be planted with Strawberries peas and tomatoes as strawberries attract slugs, peas harm the growth of cauliflower and tomatoes takes up too much nutrition leaving too little for cauliflower and harming its growth. Additionally, while beans and onions are great companion plants individually for Cauliflower don’t mix all three beans, onions, and Cauliflower together as Beans and Onions don’t do well together. Cauliflower appreciates its space and should not be planted near other vegetables or flowers.

Strawberries

While strawberries are a great addition to any garden, they should not be grown near plants in the brassica family. This is because strawberries inhibit the growth of crops like cauliflower. Additionally, slugs are attracted to strawberries and can hamper the growth of these plants.

Tomatoes

Like cauliflower, tomatoes are heavy feeders of nutrients. This means that they need a lot of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in order to grow well. If you are planning on planting both vegetables in your garden, make sure to give them plenty of space so that they have enough access to the nutrients in the soil. Otherwise, the plants will start competing for those resources and neither one will thrive.

What does cauliflower-like to be planted near?

Cauliflower likes to be planted near other plants like beans, onions, and celery.

Can you plant cauliflower with tomatoes?

No, you can not plant cauliflower with tomatoes. In fact, if you tried to plant a tomato plant near a cauliflower plant it would likely die as the toxic chemicals from the cauliflower would kill the tomato plant.

What can you not plant with broccoli and cauliflower?

Nightshades. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers

Can cauliflower be planted next to Peppers?

No, cauliflower cannot be planted next to peppers as they are both members of the same family.

29 Best Cauliflower Companion Plants: What Plants to Grow and What to Avoid in your Garden