Beets are a popular root vegetable that many people love eating. They are hardy plants that grow well in many gardens. However, for the best growth, there is one way you can increase their overall health and production is to add a few beet companion plants in the garden.
They will help you have a plentiful harvest, save the plants from the potential harm of pests and diseases, improve the taste of this root vegetable, give shade and keep them cool and moist, and even diversifies the garden much as nature intended.
If you are an avid gardener, you will know that some plants do better when planted in close proximity to other plants, and that is companion plants. Almost any plant can benefit from companion planting in one way or another, including the beet companion plant is no exception. Let’s get into the best beet companion plants below.
#1 Lettuce
Source: Homestratosphere
Thanks to the shallow root system, lettuce uses nutrients accessible around the soil’s surface while beet’s taproot will pull nutrients from the soil below. Also, growing lettuce in between beets will fill space and obstruct the sun for the soil to give the beets shade.
#2 Brassica
Source: Attainable-sustainable
There are some members of the Brassica family such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, and rutabagas, which all do well together with beets. Beet leaves have a good amount of iron and manganese, so when any leaf falls into the soil, it will boost brassica vegetable growth.
#3 Corn
Source: News.antfying
Corn and beets are great for each other and even bring benefits together. Thanks to the high of the corns, they can provide the needed shade to the beets.
#4 Radishes
Source: Cleangreensimple
Radish is a fast-growing beetroot, so when grown with beets, you can harvest them first to give beet more space to grow.
#5 Oats
Source: Morningchores
Oats pair well with beets in the garden. When grown together, they promote each other’s development, lower the chances of damage caused by the sugar beetroot maggot, and enhance the taste of each other.
#6 Swiss Chard
Source: Thegardeningcook
The growing requirements of Swiss Chard have similar to beets. So, they grow well together, especially in a small space.
#7 Bush Beans
Source: Harvesttotable
The growth of the Bush Beans works by taking nitrogen from the atmosphere and converting it into nitrates and ammonia in the soil, this is known as nitrogen fixation in the soil. And beets will absorb these nutrients for their growth.
#8 Onions
Source: Veryediblegardens
No need to use chemicals, growing onions with beets is a natural way to deter different bugs that can threaten your beet garden. Also, they ward off mammals including groundhogs, gophers, rabbits, and deer.
#9 Garlic
Source: Hgtv
Like onions, garlic is also an excellent companion plant to beets. Garlic releases sulfur into the soil that can diminish many diseases affecting beet growth, at the same time, it also improves beetroot flavor.
