Beans are often grown in the garden, but they are occasionally plagued by pests and diseases. Instead of using pesticides, you can counteract this with good mixed culture. Find out below which plants beans harmonize well with and which plant neighbors are rather unsuitable.
Which plants are good and bad neighbors for beans in mixed cultivation?
In mixed bean culture, good neighbors for bush beans include savory, dill and potatoes, while peas and onions are bad neighbors. Cucumbers, cabbage and endive are good neighbors for runner beans, but peas and leeks are unfavorable.
The advantages of mixed culture
Those who grow cleverly have significantly less work in the garden. A good mixed culture has many advantages:
- Pests are kept away
- Weed growth is inhibited
- the likelihood of disease infection is minimized
- the use of pesticides becomes unnecessary
- the plants supply each other with nutrients, which is why the use of fertilizer is reduced
- Different flowering times on a bed attract and provide for bees and other insects
- Ground covers retain moisture in the soil and prevent weed growth
Growing beans in mixed culture
Just as there are plants that are beneficial for growth, there are plants that have a negative impact on each other's prosperity. It is therefore advisable not to combine colors but to first inquire about good and bad neighbors. It is particularly advisable to combine them with plants that keep certain pests away.
Protect beans from pests through mixed cultivation
Beans are planted with savory for more than just culinary reasons; Savory protects the beans from lice and promotes growth and taste. Oats also protect beans from lice. Radish and mustard protect them from nematodes and marigolds keep whiteflies away. In the following table you will find an overview of all the good and bad neighbors for bush beans and runner beans.
Good and bad neighbors for French beans
| Good neighbors | Bad Neighbors |
|---|---|
| Savory | Peas |
| Dill | garlic |
| Strawberries | bulb fennel |
| Cucumbers | Leek |
| Oats | Chives |
| Potatoes | pole beans |
| cabbage | Onions |
| Kohlrabi | |
| Chard | |
| Paradeiser | |
| Rhubarb | |
| Beets of all kinds | |
| Salads | |
| Celery | |
| Mustard | |
| Tagetes |
Good and bad neighbors for runner beans
Unlike bush beans, runner beans climb and need climbing aid. A particularly functional plant neighbor is corn, as the runner bean can climb up the strong, tall plants. You can find out more about this special partnership here. Since runner beans need more space in height, the ideal plant neighbors differ slightly from those of the bush bean:
| Good neighbors | Bad Neighbors |
|---|---|
| Endives | Peas |
| Cucumbers | garlic |
| Celeriac | Leek |
| cabbage | Onions |
| Kohlrabi | |
| Lettuces | |
| Radish | |
| Radishes | |
| Spinach | |
| Zucchini |