14 Pea Companion Plants to Keep Your Garden and Soil Healthy

Pea companion plants are recommended for gardens with food-growing crops. A companion plant – like sweet corn or beans – is especially helpful when your garden plants have a tendency to attract pests and diseases.

Now, let’s explore the various options for companion planting.

A List of Companions for Your Pea Plant

Companion planting is when two types of plants are grown close to each other. This is to benefit one or both plants, which could be mutual or just one-way. The following lists the different types of plants and how each benefits the pea plant.

1. Sweet Corn

Growing sugar snap peas might be hard for some. However, it will be easy for you once you place the right plant companions. One such plant is corn, not least because it provides a handy trellis!

– Unique Characteristic

Since peas are not warm-weather crops, planting corn as its companion plant is a great option if you’re looking to harvest healthy peas. Competes with weeds and helps retain ground moisture.

– Main Benefit

The tall growing habit of corn provides peas with the right amount of shade. Peas, such as snap peas and snow peas, can easily wilt under extreme heat.

2. Beans

Planting peas and beans together will give you improved crops in terms of quality and quantity. You should take into account their harvesting times. Beans are generally 50 – 65 days, peas approximately 60. 

– Unique Characteristic

The nitrogen-fixing capability of both pea and bean plants means that they help each other by producing more of this nutrient. Nitrogen is essential for improving photosynthesis, which is essential for plant growth.

– Main Benefit

Nitrogen also increases the energy of the plant. This in turn results in a better harvest yield.

3. Carrots

One function is to be grown for root crops. And carrot foliage is quite attractive in its own right.

– Unique Characteristic

Carrots need the nitrogen that is released by peas planted near them. Additionally, as a result of their increased growth, carrots loosen the soil.

– Main Benefit

The loose soil helps the root systems of the pea to have more access to air and water. In turn, they become more vigorous in growth and production. This leads to better crop output for both types of plants.

4. Cucumbers

Cucumbers benefit greatly from being planted near peas. Peas in turn reap the advantages of being beside cucumber plants.

– Unique Characteristic

Cucumber plants soak up the nitrogen, given off by the peas, to make more leaves and produce their crops. Peas, in return, benefit from the cucumber’s root system that keeps the soil loose.

– Main Benefit

The crumbly soil texture means that peas will take in more amounts of water and ventilation. This helps its roots stay healthy and strong.

5. Radishes

Radishes and peas complement each other through their respective growths. They may also prevent pest infestations.

– Unique Characteristic

Radishes, like most root crops, need nitrogen in the soil for robust growth. The resulting crop ends up with a firmer texture and enhanced flavor.

– Main Benefit

This benefits peas by allowing more water and nutrients to penetrate into the soil. This allows the root system of the peas to soak them up.

6. Potatoes

Aside from the beneficial and gradual loosening of the soil, growing potatoes near peas also serves another advantage. The potatoes also win by getting more nutrients.

– Unique Characteristic

Peas provide a high amount of nitrogen to the soil, which encourages potatoes to grow more vigorously.

– Main Benefit

The potatoes deter Mexican bean beetles, which attack many legume plants. Snap peas and sugar snap peas will greatly benefit from having potatoes grown near them.

7. Parsnips

Parsnips grown close to peas are a great example of companion planting. The benefits are mutual as they both keep pests away from the other.

– Unique Characteristic

Healthy, plump parsnips loosen the soil. This allows more water and nutrient access for peas.

– Main Benefit

Peas also help parsnips by keeping their natural pests away. Plants like parsnips can be great additions to your vegetable garden, especially when you plan to grow crops.

8. Cilantro

Cilantro grows well with many plants such as potatoes and eggplants. Both of which are great plant companions to any peas, especially sugar snap peas. Some studies suggest that planting cilantro as a companion plant enhances the naturally sweet flavors of the pea.

– Unique Characteristic

The cilantro plant has similar growing needs to those of peas. However, they need the shade the pea provides as they may bolt in too hot conditions. 

– Main Benefit

Sometimes known as coriander, the pungent scent of cilantro helps peas by deterring natural pests while attracting beneficial insects. The pea, in turn, helps by providing nutrients such as nitrogen.

9. Eggplants

When planting peas, make sure that you grow them near plant companions such as eggplants. They grow in different circumstances meaning you’ll cut off the one to make space for the other when weather shifts.

– Unique Characteristic

As a companion plant, it is important to ensure that your eggplant is not kept in the shade by your peas. Eggplants need at least six hours of full sunlight in order to produce their famous crops.

– Main Benefit

Eggplants are known to deter the natural pests of peas. These include: aphids, armyworms, cucumber beetles and pea weevils.

10. Peppers

The pepper plant makes a wonderful companion crop in many garden spaces. It may provide shade, act as a windshield and act as a natural trellis.

– Unique Characteristic

You can even grow peppers alongside cilantro, which are also beneficial to peas. As a trio of plant companions, they benefit each other through pest control and additional nutrient content.

– Main Benefit

Peppers naturally repel spider mites and aphids. Both plants fix the nitrogen content in the soil and benefit each other by providing more nutrients.

11. Mint

As a companion plant, you can grow peas with mint along with carrots, eggplants, and tomatoes. Just remember that mint is a prolific spreader so it may become invasive.

– Unique Characteristic

The fragrant oils of the mint leaves are its most striking aspect. They also have square stems and opposite leaves.

– Main Benefit

Mint plants are some of the best ways to natural pest control due to their scent which discourages aphids and whiteflies. The pungent smell confuses the bugs which find their food through smell.

12. Celery

A delicious crunchy snack or addition to salads, celery is a wonderful companion to peas. Both their stalks and leaves are edible.

– Unique Characteristic

Celery is known to deter bean beetles from ravaging legumes such as peas and beans. As the name implies, these beetles feed solely on legumes.

– Main Benefit

As a pea companion, celery benefits from its legume neighbor through the added nitrogen content in the soil. This results in celery stalks that are healthier and more flavorful.

13. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are great choices as pigeon pea companion plants.

– Unique Characteristic

Both are classic garden plants that produce delicious and healthy fruits and crops. Tomatoes’ flavor can be affected according to which plants it is in proximity to.

– Main Benefit

Tomato plants attract beneficial insects and pollinators, which protect peas from pests and diseases. As sweet pea companion plants, they do not provide similar benefits. Sweet pea plants, although part of the legume family, are better paired off with alyssum, catnip, and lavender.

14. Lettuce

Lettuce crops benefit from the presence of peas. Peas, like most legumes, add nitrogen to the soil. Lettuce crops need nitrogen to produce leafier growths and will grow best when located near plants in the legume family.

– Unique Characteristic

It has a shallow root system. That means that it needs consistent watering, as does the pea so they get along well.

– Main Benefit

Plant peas near lettuce, which serve as wonderful ground covers. The low-growing habit of lettuce crops makes sure that the soil is kept as moist as possible. 

Conclusion

When growing peas as seedlings or from pea seeds, it’s always best to anticipate growing issues by adding pea plant companions. Let’s recap what we’ve learned about growing plant companions for our peas.

• Some crops can be grown to provide the right amount of shade without attracting pests, such as corn.
• Plants with strong fragrances and beneficial growth habits, such as mint and root crops, can be ideal plant companions to peas.
• Cultivate plants that bring beneficial insects and repel pests, such as celery and tomatoes.

Now that you know the ideal companions for plants in the legume family, you can breathe easy and grow them with your peas and beans!