Companion Planting in Zone 3: Boost Your Garden Naturally

Gardening in Zone 3 comes with its fair share of challenges—short growing seasons, cold nights, and the occasional late frost. But with a little planning, you can make the most of your garden using an age-old technique: companion planting.

What is companion planting?

Companion planting is the strategic placement of certain plants next to each other to enhance growth, deter pests, and improve flavour. It’s a natural, chemical-free way to create a more resilient and productive garden—especially important in colder climates like Zone 3.

Benefits of Companion Planting:

Crop Protection: Companion planting can offer more delicate plants shelter from adverse weather such as sun or wind by growing them beside another plant that offers a shield.

Trap Cropping: Companion planting is the ultimate organic pest management system. Some plants help repel pests while other can act as a decoy plant and lure pests away from the edible plants.

Soil Health: Some plants can help add nutrients back to the soil that other plants may strip the soil of. Also, the different root structures of plants can aerate the soil and help plants access nutrients from various depths.

Pollination: Planting flowers near fruits or vegetables that flower, like tomatoes, will attract pollinators and help increase production.

Download my Companion Planting Guide for a handy planting visual to use when planning and planting your garden!

Companion planting is a great way to maximize the efficiency of your garden.

15 companion planting combinations to try:

1. Asparagus: tomato, basil.

2. Beets: brassicas (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage), lettuce, kohlrabi, beans

3. Brassicas: Celery, beans, beets, dill, onions, lettuce

4. Carrot: tomatoes, leeks, rosemary, sage, chives

5. Corn: beans, cucumbers, peas, squashes, melon

6. Beans: corn, nasturtiums, rosemary, savory, cucumbers, peas, potatoes, radishes, broccoli, brussels sprouts

7. Lettuce: mint, chives, garlic, marigolds, beets, broccoli, beans, carrots, corn, peas, radishes

8. Onion: carrots, beets, cabbage, lettuce, parsnips, tomatoes, majoram, savory, rosemary

9. Peas: beans, carrots, corn, cucumbers, radish, turnip, mint, chives

10. Peppers: basil, onion, spinach, tomatoes

11. Potatoes: beans, cabbage, peas, corn, marigolds, horseradish

12. Radish: cucumbers, carrots, onions, beets, kale, lettuce, spinach, squash

13. Spinach: lettuce, mustard greens, chard, kale

14. Squash: beans, peas, radishes, mint, dill, parsley, oregano, marigolds, corn, sunflower

15. Tomato: basil, marigolds, asparagus, carrots, celery, lettuce, parsley, onion

When planting, figuring out what 'near' means in terms of two types of plants being a good or bad neighbour can differ depending on the context. Plants that are companions because they attract or repel predatory pests can be planted in the general vicinity of each other. Meanwhile, if two plants are companions because of the nutrients that they provide each other, it is best to plant them side by side.

Just as it's useful to know which plants thrive living near each other, it is just as important to consider which plants are antagonistic to each other. By strategically planting your garden plants near friends and away from foes, you can successfully improve your garden's efficiency without a bunch of expensive garden additives.