Best Companion Planting in Containers

Companion planting in containers is a great way to increase the variety of vegetables to grow for a small urban garden in a backyard or balcony. It’s a space saver.

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A few years ago, I wouldn’t imagine myself growing my vegetables in containers. Caring for my plants every day and seeing them grow is priceless. It has been a great experience to see how many things we can grow in small spaces. The amount of knowledge you get as you go through the process makes you more productive.

Companion planting has its own rules; some plants don’t like to be close to each other. I also have learned that sometimes what works for someone doesn’t work for others.

My first advice if you are a beginner is to start with easy-to-grow vegetables. In my post, How to Urban Gardening Beginner Guide, I talked about the different things you need to consider when growing in small spaces. Now let’s talk about companion planting with vegetables, herbs, and flowers that have worked great in my urban garden.

Why do I like companion planting?

I love my balcony garden; it provides food and beauty at the same time. Living in an apartment doesn’t give you much space to grow, so we need to choose well when growing vegetables in containers.

There are many reasons I like companion planting:

• Some of the plants add nutrients to the soil
• It allows me to grow more variety of plants in a small space
• Some plants are good at repelling harmful insects
• There are a variety of flowers that attract pollinators which is a plus when you live in the city.

How to choose which vegetable to grow in the same container?

To answer this, I consider a few things.

First, it is best to list the crops you like to grow in containers. Remember to research the amount of light each plant needs, water intake, and which kind of weather you have in your area, to mention a few.

Second, look for the needs of each plant. I try to put together those with similar needs like water and sunlight.

Third, I look into the list of plants that cannot be planted in the same container and which ones are the best. I found this article about Vegetables and Flower Combinations that have great information and I also like this book for Companion Planting.

Which plants do I have tried growing together in my urban garden?

Bell Pepper and Basil

Last year my bell pepper plant was productive, so this year was on the list to grow. For companion planting, I add one of the most used herbs in my house, basil, and they are growing beautifully!

I have tried growing Basil with other herbs with not much success but it has grown well with some vegetables. Basil also helps to repel bad insects.

Tomato and Basil

This is an excellent mix as well because is like having the ingredients for tomato sauce or pizza toppings in one container. Last year, I planted my tomatoes with basil, and it went really well. They both grew in good condition and harvested a good amount from both.

Basil helps to repel harmful insects and adds flavor taste to the tomatoes.

Lettuce, Spinach, and Arugula

I love this combination! I did grow this mixed vegetable salad last year, and it was great. These green vegetables are also “cut and regrow,” so I did harvest up to 3 times the same crop. This is what makes companion planting in containers an excellent option for small spaces.

Which plants am I trying as companion planting this year?

Chive, Thyme, and Oregano

I wanted to grow a container of herbs, so I planted thyme, oregano, and chives seeds a month ago; they seem to be growing well. Chives are part of the onion family. I read that chives should not be planted with oregano and thyme, but I wanted to try, and they are growing well as today.

The beauty of growing your own food is that you can always try new things; you never know if it will work for you.

Tomato and Marigold

I have read so many great things about Marigold! This flower is known to be a natural pesticide, so I wanted to try it this year.

Kale a Zinnias

We love Kale so much that I even have a recipe for how to make Crispy Kale Chips! I will pair this plant with Zinnias.

I always wanted to plant Zinnias, these beautiful flowers are great for attracting pollinators which we need for most of our plants on our balcony.

There are many combinations of companion planting in containers to try. Let me know in the comments which companion planting you have tried and will recommend.