Like other brassica vegetables, cabbage plants are often targeted by an assortment of pests, including flea beetles, cabbage loopers, and slugs. Once they invade, these pests riddle the cabbage heads with holes and leave you with damaged produce that no one wants to eat. The good news is that companion planting can deter many cabbage pests, and the right companion plants can also boost the growth of your crop, improve the flavor of heading and napa cabbages, and offer other benefits.
Many of the following plants provide pest protection for cabbages and other brassica crops such as broccoli, while some also enhance the soil and provide other perks. Whether you have a large, organic garden or are growing a few veggies in containers, these companion plants can enhance your harvest and reduce the need for pesticides.
Alliums
Alliums, including onions, chives, and leeks, contain sulfur, which is partly responsible for their intensely pungent flavor and aroma. Those sulfur compounds also make alliums fantastic companion plants for many vegetables, including cabbage. Interplanting cabbage with alliums repels an assortment of pests, such as aphids, slugs, deer, and cabbage loopers.
Other Brassicas
When planning garden beds, you usually want to avoid planting similar plants together, as they might be susceptible to the same pests and diseases. However, when you plant cabbages with other brassicas, such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts, you can more efficiently treat and prevent pests. For example, if you grow these plants together, you can cover all the crops with floating row covers to prevent cabbage moths. Not to mention, brassicas all have relatively similar growing needs, and planting them together can simplify your gardening chores.
Root Vegetables
Carrots, parsnips, beets, and radishes are all low-growing plants, so they don’t compete with cabbages for sunlight. What’s more, root vegetables break up tough soils and prevent soil compaction, making it easier for the roots of cabbage plants to grow.
Radishes are also excellent trap crops for distracting flea beetles from feeding on more valuable produce, such as cabbage, and beet greens are so rich in magnesium that if you work them back into the soil after harvesting your beets, the added magnesium can improve the growth of cabbage and other crops.
Marigolds
Like alliums, marigolds are classic companion plant choices famous for their ability to repel or distract various pest insects. When grown near cabbage, marigolds repel cabbage loopers, and they keep aphids and thrips at bay. Marigolds are also pretty plants, and growing them in your vegetable garden elevates the look of the space and adds a bit of color.
Rosemary
Rosemary is an exceptional companion plant for all sorts of brassica vegetables. Rosemary can enhance the growth and flavor of nearby brassica plants, and its strong scent can also repulse cabbage moths and other insects. Just keep in mind that rosemary doesn’t need as much water as cabbage, so you may prefer to grow it in pots near your vegetable garden.
Yarrow
Cabbage loopers are one of the most troublesome pests for cabbages, but you can naturally control these voracious caterpillars by growing plants that attract their natural predators: predatory wasps. Many flowering plants lure predatory wasps to vegetable gardens, and yarrow is a reliable grower favored by beneficial insects. Beyond being a top companion plant, yarrow is highly ornamental, and its flowers are ideal for bouquets and dried floral arrangements.
Celery
Cabbage and celery are often used together in recipes, and they grow together in garden beds beautifully. These plants both thrive in cooler weather and love rich, moist soil and plenty of water. Beyond having similar growing needs, celery’s aroma can deter the dreaded cabbage looper.
Sage
Like rosemary, sage has a strong scent that repulses a variety of insects, but it is particularly useful against cabbage moths. The sage fragrance is also a deterrent for deer and rabbits, but bees and other pollinators adore sage flowers. Remember when planning your garden that sage grows as a perennial in most areas and will come back year after year.
Dill
Dill is an excellent plant to grow when you want to draw predatory wasps to your garden. Predatory wasps feed on the nectar and pollen of dill flowers, but they also keep a watchful eye out for any cabbage loopers nearby. On top of that, ladybugs and lacewings are drawn to dill flowers, and they keep aphid populations in check.
Geraniums
Ornamental geraniums are popular choices for flower beds and container gardens. However, geraniums also look pretty growing near vegetable beds, where their strong scent is useful for pest protection. Specifically, geraniums can improve the look and growth of cabbage by repelling pests like cabbage loopers and Japanese beetles.