10 Best Companion Plants for Beets (2024)

Beets are delicious vegetables and they’re easy to grow in home gardens. But when pests invade your garden or if you’ve struggled to grow these plants in the past, you may want to try companion planting for beets. The right companion plants can keep pests away from your beets and also boost your beet harvest in even a small garden space. Use this guide to choose the best beet companion plants and how to grow them.

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Alliums

Alliums, like garlic, onions and chives, are strongly scented plants that are excellent for organic pest control. When interplanted among your beets, alliums appear to repel aphids, slugs, and some beetles. Deer also seem to dislike the scent of alliums, so planting a row of onions or garlic on the exterior of your garden can keep deer from browsing in your beet greens.

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Brassicas

Brassicas, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, have similar growing requirements to beets. These plants all love plenty of moisture and they grow best in cooler weather, which makes them obvious choices for companion planting. Because beets are smaller plants, they can be easily sown beneath taller brassicas to conserve garden space and allow for more intensive planting.

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Bush Beans

Not all beans are created equal and it’s recommended to avoid growing pole beans near beets as they can stunt your beet roots and produce an overabundance of greens. Bush beans, however, make ideal companions for beets and provide just the right amount of nitrogen to the soil for proper beet development. Bush beans are also smaller plants and they are less likely to block the sun from reaching lower growing beets.

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Carrots

Both root vegetables, carrots and beets don’t take up a lot of space and they can be easily grown together in both in-ground gardens and containers. Because these plants have similar growing requirements, planting them in the same area can reduce your gardening chores and, as long as you follow proper spacing recommendations, they won’t compete with each other for soil space. If you happen to have voles in your yard, you can protect both your carrots and beets by sowing them in containers or grow bags.

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Catnip

Catnip isn’t just for cats; it also makes an impressive companion for beets and other root vegetables. The scent of catnip can deter a wide variety of pests, including mice, flea beetles and aphids, and its flowers will draw pollinators into your garden. If you want to get more use out of your catnip plants, the leaves can be brewed into a mildly flavored herbal tea.

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Hyssop

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) is an attractive flowering perennial herb that grows to about 18 inches tall. Once grown primarily for its medicinal properties, hyssop is mostly kept as an ornamental today. It's a top choice for pollinator gardens because insects can’t resist its fragrant, purple flowers. When planted near beets, hyssop helps repel several different pests, including flea beetles and cabbage moths.

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Lettuce

As a cool season crop, lettuce tends to bolt in the summer heat, but it grows well in the spring and autumn. Additionally, because lettuce plants have shallow root systems, they won’t compete with beets or other root vegetables for growing space. Both beets and lettuce are also compact plants and can easily be grown together in even small containers or other limited growing spaces.

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Marigolds

Marigolds grow well with most vegetables and they are some of the best companion plants for natural pest control. When grown beside beets, marigolds help repel a variety of pests and they also attract lacewings, which feed on aphids and other insects. If you’re gardening in a small space or container, opt for dwarf marigolds, which max out at around 10 inches tall.

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Mint

Another exceptional herb for pest control, mint is often overlooked as a companion plant, but it offers a lot of garden perks. When allowed to bloom, mint flowers are very attractive to beneficial insects that prey on pests. Part of the problem is that mint is a notoriously fast grower; however, if you keep it in pots near your beet plants, it won’t spread nearly as much.

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Radishes

Radishes and beets are both root vegetables that grow best in cooler weather, which makes them good choices for both spring and autumn gardens. In addition to having similar growing requirements, radishes can also break up tough soil, which helps your beets grow better. Finally, because radishes are so small and fast-growing, they can be easily planted among your beets to boost your garden harvest.