The Best Cauliflower Companion Plants For Your Garden

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If you’re aiming to boost your cauliflower game, diving into the world of cauliflower companion plants is a smart move. This article contains essential tips and the best plant partners for your cauliflower, ensuring healthy growth and generous yields. Ideal for gardening enthusiasts of all levels, we’re revealing the ultimate companions that uplift your cauliflower’s performance and promote a more productive and resilient garden.

Freshly harvested creamy white heads of cauliflower.

This guide is your go-to resource for elevating your cauliflower growing experience. We’ll explore the art and science of companion planting vegetables, focusing on how strategically pairing cauliflower with compatible plants can enhance growth, deter pests, and optimize your garden’s productivity. From pest management to soil improvement, our recommendations will help you improve your garden layout and give you something to celebrate come harvest time.

Table of Contents

    The Best Plants To Grow With Cauliflower

    There are so many wonderful and helpful plants to grow side by side with your cauliflower:

    The Brassicas: Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Turnips, and Brussels Sprouts

    Cauliflower belongs to the brassica family and grows well with other family members, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, turnip, and Brussels sprouts. They all enjoy the same growing environment and will do well-planted side by side.

    Usually, we suggest planting members of the same family away from one another to help prevent the rapid spread of diseases and insect pest infestations. Still, I find it easier to control those environmental challenges when they are grown together in the garden. 

    Members of the brassica family shown as companion plants for cauliflower.

    Celery

    Celery makes a wonderful companion for cauliflower. The pungent smell of the celery leaves can help repel white cabbage moths and prevent them from laying eggs inside the cauliflower.

    A celery stalk against a bright white background.

    Beets

    Beets are an easy companion planting for cauliflower. They take up little space and can be planted between the heads.

    Cauliflower plants are heavy calcium and magnesium users, but beets seem not to care!

    Beets also like similar watering schedules as cauliflower, making them a good companion plant for your cauliflower beds.

    Spinach

    Spinach is one of the best cauliflower companion plants!

    Cauliflower and spinach are both cool-season crops and enjoy being planted simultaneously. When planted densely around the cauliflower, the spinach can help choke out weeds and keep the soil cool and moist by providing shade. It is essential to keep the roots of the cauliflower plant cool to prevent early bolting.

    Gardeners claim that planting spinach with cauliflower will result in higher yields for both plants.

    Lush green spinach plant against a bright white background.

    Lettuce

    If planted densely around the cauliflower plants, lettuce will also help to choke out weeds and keep the soil cool and moist.

    Lettuce will also grow exceptionally well in the shade of the big cauliflower leaves.

    Sage

    All types of sage will help deter pests like cabbage moths. But, at the same time, its beautiful blue flower blooms will attract bees and butterflies and beneficial insects like hoverflies and wasps, which will prey on caterpillars and pesky aphids.

    Sage will also never compete with cauliflower for moisture.

    Rosemary

    Rosemary plants are one of the best cauliflower companion plants to add to your garden bed.

    The robust and spicy aroma will help confuse pests like cabbage worms more than any other aromatic herbs.

    Fresh rosemary bunch isolated on white background.

    Thyme

    Thyme plants are one of my favorites to grow in the garden. The low creeping thyme looks lovely in bloom around a cauliflower bed.

    These aromatic herbs attract beneficial insects, including pollinators, to the garden. The scent will also deter pests away from your cauliflower.

    Thyme plants can be grown as a ground cover that will keep weeds down and help keep the cauliflower roots cool to prevent the plants from bolting.

    Dill

    Dill plants are known to improve the health of cauliflower plants.

    This powerfully scented herb can help repel cabbage moths, worms, and cabbage loopers that can all attack and feed on cauliflower plants.

    Mint

    All types of mint plants make wonderful cauliflower companion plants. The strong scent will confuse and deter pests.

    Mint is a very invasive plant. If you add it to your garden beds, add a barrier or plant it in a pot to prevent it from spreading.

    Mint leaves and stems can also be added to cauliflower beds as mulch.

    • Mint makes a great companion for many plants. See our full article and information about mint companion plants!
    Fresh mint bunch isolated on white background. The image is intended to illustrate mint as one cauliflower companion plant.

    Potatoes

    Potatoes are very heavy feeders and do not make great companion plants for many vegetables.

    However, cauliflower and potatoes do not compete for the same nutrients, and their roots reside at different levels in the soil.

    They also prefer the same moist environment, making them easy companions.

    Freshly harvest potatoes against a bright white background.

    Chamomile

    Chamomile’s claim as a companion plant for cauliflower is that it improves the taste! Any companion plant that can enhance the flavor of my vegetables is a win.

    Grow chamomile to help deter pests like cabbage worms and aphids. Chamomile’s aromatic flowers attract bees, which will help with pollination for the rest of your garden.

    Garlic

    Garlic makes a perfect companion plant for cauliflower as they are one of the best pest deterrents. It has an intense aroma, and pests do not care for the smell. The scent is so strong that it will confuse pesky insects and help hide your prized crops.

    It also emits sulfur into the soil, creating an antibacterial and antifungal environment around your cauliflower, which will help keep diseases at bay.

    A lovely image of purple garlic resting against a rustic table cloth. The image is intended as an identifying image for companions of cauliflower.

    Onions

    Onions are another plant said to help improve the taste of your cauliflowers if planted nearby. 

    Additionally, onions are light feeders and do not compete for nutrients in the soil. The plants will also not compete for moisture, making them an ideal candidate for companion planting.

    The plants will also repel bugs that feed on cauliflower, like caterpillars and aphids.

    Marigold

    Marigolds are good companion plants for cauliflower. They add some much need color around the beds, but they offer more than looks.

    French marigolds’ spicy, very disliked scent works exceptionally well to deter brassica pests and mammals like rabbits, deer, and moles.

    • Marigolds offer benefits to many other plants in the garden. We compiled the complete marigold companion plant list to take the guesswork out of companion planting with these beautiful flowers.
    A rough brick path in a garden surrounded and edged by lush bright marigolds.

    Nasturtiums

    Growing nasturtiums as companion plants will help repel insects that will harm your cauliflower plants.

    The flowers will also attract pollinators, and the plant attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies. These insects can help manage infestations of cabbage worms.

    Bright orange nasturtiums growing up a trellis in a garden.

    Geraniums

    Geraniums are an unusual companion plant in the vegetable garden, but they help repel cauliflower pests like cabbage worms and loopers. In addition, their pungent aroma is not particularly enjoyed by pests (including deer and rabbits).

    Radish

    Plant radishes on the outside edge of your cauliflower plants to stand as soldiers to protect your crop. Radishes attract pests and can be used as traps or sacrificial crops to protect your cauliflower.

    What to Avoid Planting Next to Cauliflower

    Several plants do not make good companions for cauliflower: 

    Strawberries

    Grow cauliflower away from strawberries. Strawberry plants inhibit brassica growth, so avoid planting strawberries near any brassica family member.

    Three strawberries with strawberry leaf on white background.

    Corn

    Corn will compete for nutrients and create too much shade for the sun-loving cauliflower to be considered a good companion. It is best to plant these plants away from one another.

    Corn sounds like it wouldn’t make a good companion plant for anything, given its size and nutrient requirements, but it does have a few companions that do exceptionally well growing nearby. See our list of the best companions you can grow with corn before you plant!

    Cucumber 

    Cucumber plants are heavy feeders that will compete for nutrients and water. This competitive environment will cause stunted growth for both plants.

    Squash

    Squash plants grow lush and are heavy nutrient feeders. The leaves of the squash plants can shade out the cauliflower, and they will compete for nutrients in the soil.

    Butternut squash against a bright white background.

    Pepper & Tomato Plants

    Just like cauliflower, peppers and tomatoes are also heavy feeders of nutrients. If planted near one another, the plants will compete for nutrients.

    Beans

    We can attest to beans being a poor companion for cauliflower plants! Beans increase nitrogen availability in the soil and can be too much for cauliflower plants.

    Too much nitrogen in the soil can cause the cauliflower leaf tip to burn.

    Expert Tips


    Utilizing companion plants with cauliflower boosts its growth and yield and encourages a healthy, biodiverse garden. Here’s how to make companion planting work for your cauliflower:

    • Wise Selection: Opt for companions that provide mutual benefits. Herbs like dill and rosemary can repel pests, while spinach and chard offer shade, keeping the soil cool.
    • Pest Control: Incorporate garlic, onions, and chives to naturally deter pests like aphids and whiteflies, reducing the need for chemicals. Flowers like marigolds and calendula attract beneficial insects, aiding in pollination and natural pest control.
    • Space and Health: Implement spatial planning by mixing companion plants with cauliflower to enhance air circulation and minimize disease spread. This also optimizes garden space usage.
    • Soil and Water: Ensure your cauliflower and companions thrive by maintaining moist, well-drained soil. Organic mulch can help retain moisture, control temperature, and suppress weeds, creating an ideal growing environment.
    • Adapt and Observe: Gardening success comes from observation and adaptation. Monitor how different plants interact and adjust your companion planting strategy accordingly, learning from the garden’s responses to create a more productive and disease-resistant setup.

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    Final Remarks


    Companion planting with cauliflower isn’t just a gardening technique; it’s a strategy for cultivating a more resilient, productive, and vibrant garden. By embracing these practices, gardeners can enjoy healthier cauliflower crops and a more balanced ecosystem. Dive into companion planting and witness your garden flourish in unexpected ways.

    Author: Laura Kennedy

    Writer & Owner of Little Yellow Wheelbarrow

    Laura is a highly skilled gardener and fervent flower enthusiast. Despite her playful battle with plant spacing guidelines, Laura’s work inspires gardeners to create thriving, beautiful spaces that reflect both creativity and sustainability.

    Editor’s Note: This post was first published on April 2, 2022, and updated on Feb 15, 2024. The update included a full reformatting and content rewrite.

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