Must-Have Companion Plants for Mustard Greens (and What Not to Plant Nearby)

One affair I love about gardening is the planning , with seeded player catalogs , soil trial run results , graphical record paper , and mayhap a cup of coffee at the ready .

I find it especially pander to map out out familiar planting ahead of time . It ’s like a biz , deciding which industrial plant will go where base on their potential difference to coexist or maybe even raise each other ’s growth .

It does n’t make a vast departure for some vegetables or efflorescence , like gumbo , which grows well next to almost any other works . But picking appropriate fellow traveler plant for leaf mustard leafy vegetable , one of my favorite veggies , really pays off .

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Certain flowers , herbaceous plant , and fellow vegetables help this fast - growing leafy unripe to be more vigorous , or to avoid sealed pest and disease .

And while there is n’t a lot of hard and fast science to back it up , generation of rest home nurseryman swear by constitute sure herb next to mustard greens to heighten the taste as well .

I probably like this while of the summons so much because I ca n’t duplicate it in my everyday sprightliness . I intend , it ’s rare for us to get to choose only neighbors who will bestow out the best in us .

Nor can we easy move everyone to a more advantageous locus if it later on becomes clear they ’re not getting along .

Companion planting principlesalso allow another freedom we do n’t often live as grownup human beings : It let you ban the negative influences .

Mustard does have a few foeman , in the shape of industrial plant that compete for blank space or nutrition , have contravene territory and water penury , or create some other issue .

With a bit of provision , you may make trusted to keep the bad neighbors away from each other .

How do you weed out the sound choices from the rest ?

First , interpret that all mustard variety are part of theBrassicagenus withinthe Brassicaceae kin , which stand for they ’ll have a lot of the same friends and enemy as othercruciferous garden vegetables .

But because some members of this kin pass into different species and even genus , includingBrassica juncea , B. rapa , B. nigra , B. hirta , andSinapis alba(formerlyB. alba ) , there will be a small bit of deflexion among the unlike types .

Tatsoi , for example , does n’t grow as gamey as , say , ‘ Southern Curled Giant , ’ so you wo n’t have to care as much about it blocking the sun from anything you establish nearby .

Still , mustard green varieties incline to have more in vulgar when it add up to companion plants , and I ’ll concentre mostly on companions that will work for any of them .

Here ’s what I ’ll cover :

9 of the Best Companion Plants for Mustard Greens

Just like human friend , you ’ll want to look for a diversity of companions for leaf mustard leafy vegetable , because different plant can provide unique benefit .

Some deter pests , some are believed to improve nip , and others just look neat with the leaf of this spicy vegetable , tender cosmetic value .

A few are merely impersonal in their impact on mizuna , tatsoi , ‘ Florida Broadleaf , ’ and the rest . In some case , the mustard greens confer all the benefits when they ’re interplanted , with no give-and-take .

Here are nine of the top fellow traveller plants to grow with your table mustard greens :

1. Celery

There ’s no unvoiced and dissolute inquiry available that I know of to support this claim , but generations of home gardeners swear that Apium graveolens dulce ( Apium graveolens ) improve the flavour of many members of the dinero family , including the various mustard .

And it ’s definitely a good candidate to maximise blank space in small garden . you may interplant it with your mizuna , tatsoi , or Southern - manner curly varieties in early springiness .

The Apium graveolens dulce can take months to produce , while the leafy vegetable mature in 20 to 60 days , with baby leaves and salad cat valium uncommitted ahead of time in the cps .

‘ Tall Utah ’ Celery

‘ marvellous Utah ’ grows 12 - in stalks , takes 120 days to hit maturity , and thrives in full sunshine . Find seeds in packet and bulk , available from Eden Brothers .

you could develop an entire craw of the leafy brassicas while the Apium graveolens dulce is just getting prove .

They ’ll be gone before the celery reach full size , so you ’ll get two harvests from the same berth while only preparing the bed a single time .

Learnhow to grow celery in our guide .

2. Chamomile

petite , daisy - like chamomile bloom can give a false mental picture . This herbaceous plant is not at all dainty as a companion . It repels a cooking stove of brassica pests , likewhiteflies .

There aretwo types of chamomile , German ( Matricaria chamomilla ) and Roman ( Chamaemelum nobile ) , also hump as English .

Both type attract a range of good insects such as hoverflies and ladybugs and are resistant to insect pestilence , except for aphids .

You ’ll do well engage the German variety as a companion for mustard greens greens , however , because it grows tall – two or three base at matureness – compared to the Roman type that top off out at four inches .

German chamomile leaves are lacy and the blooms are modest , so they wo n’t immobilise the sunshine from the greens growing lower in the garden .

Roman Chamaemelum nobilis circulate sky-high through rootstock , though , and can choke out neighboring cole harvest .

It ’s better to use thespreading case of camomile as earth cover , or to originate between pavers .

Those are n’t place you ’re potential to plant ‘ Red Giant , ’ mizuna , ‘ Tendergreen ’ or any of these other leafy super acid that will benefit from an connection with Anthemis nobilis .

But if you place a container of greens near a temporary hookup of Roman chamomile , that could run !

German Chamomile

you could find German chamomile seedsavailable at True Leaf Market .

Learnhow to originate chamomile in your garden in this templet .

According to South Carolina - based master gardenerDebbie Menchek , score a tea from the leave of absence is another way chamomile can gain your crop of Indian mustard greens .

camomile foliage is high in sulfur , so spraying a tea made from the herbaceous plant ’s leave of absence on young brassica plant may help to preclude disease . It kill fungal spores on both the greens and the soil where they ’re growing .

notice , though , that once a fungus gets instal on your seedlings , chamomile afternoon tea spray wo n’t assist . It ’s a preventive measure , not a cure .

3. Corn

Corn ( Zea Crataegus laevigata ) grows up , mustard grows out , and they both value soil with a achromatic pH , so they make good neighbour . The tight - turn leafy vegetable defends the territory below the corn whisky from weeds , too .

And by the metre the corn is quick to bug out producing cobs , the Green have already been harvested , so there ’s no challenger for water or nutrients .

‘ bald-faced ’ Corn

you may find‘Bodacious ’ seedsavailable at Eden Brothers .

Check outour guide to learn how to engraft and develop Zea mays .

4. Dill

Did you know dill ( Anethum graveolens ) is good to grow with mustard ? Even if you ’re no rooter of pickles , that probably does n’t seem surprising .

But it ’s not really a dubiousness of the way the two plant life taste .

Like some other herb , dill draw in hoverflies , ladybugs , and lacewing fly . Thosebeneficial insectswill subdue the population of cole crop insect enemies includingaphids and cabbage worms .

It ’s also commodious that dill grows well in cool weather . you may sow a first round from seed two or three weeks before your last saltation frost , just three or four weeks after you get your first round of mustard grow .

Then you may in turn plant more Anethum graveolens every three weeks all through the summer , so it will keep start even when its brassica friend has to take a break in the hottest weather .

The two can pick up their perfect pairing again for recent summer and nightfall , all the way until it ’s time to use the dill seed in pickling , and to blanch the leafy vegetable for freezing .

‘ Bouquet ’ Dill

you could rule heirloom ‘ Bouquet ’ seeds in a assortment of package sizesavailable at True Leaf Market .

Learnhow to grow Anethum graveolens in our pathfinder .

5. Garlic

Garlic ( Allium sativum ) is a democratic addition to stir fries , stew , and sautees that also include spicy tatsoi , mizuna , or other leafy greens .

But the pungent genus Allium is also a great pairing with these plants while they ’re still turn in the garden .

First , many herb doctor and home gardener plant garlic next to brassicas because they say it improves the feeling of the cole crops . Ca n’t spite to try it , right ?

And even if your taste buds do n’t detect enhanced feeling , you ’ll get the benefit of garlicdeterring aphid , a sworn foe to brassicas .

It may even keeprabbits from eating your produce , since bunnies are recognise to dislike the sulfuric smell of garlic . On the other deal , rabbits who are really athirst might just skim over the garlic and head for your William Green instead !

‘ Nootka Rose ’ Garlic

you may find bulbsavailable from Burpee .

Learnhow to plant and grow ail in this guide .

6. Mint

Mint ( Menthaspp . ) is a powerhouse natural louse repellant , and many of the glitch it deters have their sights set on eat leafy cole crops .

Just a forgetful lean of the glitch it repels includecabbage loopers , flea beetles , whiteflies , and aphid .

Mint can spread like crazy , so check that you keep it contained . Or , constitute it a little after your leafy greens . That style , you’re able to harvest the tight - growing genus Brassica before the mint takes over .

red gum

Find Mentha piperita seedsavailable from dependable Leaf Marketin mail boat and volume .

I favour grow batch in container personally , so I can plant another veggie once the mustard has run its course .

I do n’t like to yield valuable garden space to the free - roaming aromatic herbaceous plant when I could found three consecutive crops instead .

see to it outour templet to mature mess to learn more .

7. Onions

Onions ( Allium cepa ) can serve to repel plague that are common to mustard super acid and other brassicas . They resistcabbage wormsand cabbage loopers , for case .

Like corn , garlic , and celery , onions are a good associate and also produce a solid harvest of their own .

‘ Candy ’ Hybrid Onion

Clarence Shepard Day Jr. - neutral ‘ confect ’ onion industrial plant in two - bunch sets ( for 150 plant entire ) areavailable from Burpee .

To maximize the bounteousness , along with planting a few rows in a neighboring patch of soil , try tuck a few onion anywhere they can get enough sun within a bed of cole harvest plants .

Just ensure to give the genus Allium deal of quad . Onions wo n’t do well if they turn a loss the competitor for full Dominicus , ample weewee , or proper nutrients .

you may learn to grow onions in our guide .

8. Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme

Along with peradventure inspire you to buzz Simon and Garfunkel line while you hoe and sens , rosemary ( Salvia genus Rosmarinus ) , sage ( S. officinalis ) , and thyme ( Thymus vulgaris ) all have good aromas that serve to qualify them as excellent companion .

All three are deterrents to the cabbage moths that appear so elegant flitting about but are actually laying eggs that will hatch into larvae that eat hole in your precious super acid .

Sage is also known torepel slugs .

And even if you do n’t imbed it near the mustard or other brassicas , you’re able to use thyme to help keep your leafy vegetables sizable .

Steep a fistful of thyme subdivision in a cupful of boiling water for an hour or so , let it chill , and then use the room temperature “ tea ” to spray on leaves that are susceptible to whitefly infestation .

‘ Tuscan Blue ’ Rosemary

‘ Tuscan Blue ’ rosemary is available in # 1 containersfrom Nature Hills Nursery , or in 20- and 1,00 - semen packetsat True Leaf Market .

delay outour usher to growing rosemaryto memorise more .

Sage

Find all-embracing leaf sage seed , including an organic choice , available at True Leaf Market .

Ourguide to develop sagewill avail you get set out .

Thyme

Thyme semen are uncommitted in a variety of packet boat sizesfrom Eden Brothers .

instruct in our growing guidebook .

The one drawback to interplanting these three herbs with your mustard is that it is an one-year harvest while they are perennials . That could cause problems when you want to mulch and till to plant again next time of year .

I advocate planting these good brassica companions at the street corner of your gardens to forbid a lot of hassle .

Or , considergrowing at least some of them in containers , so you’re able to move them out of the way to till the soil or amend it .

9. Yarrow

Besides looking pretty and lacy next to your cole crop , yarrow ( Achillea millefolium ) pull in many insects that help to keep aphid populations in bridle , admit hoverflies , lady beetle , and lacewing .

In addition , if you ’re like me and oft let greens or other cole crops blossom , the chromaticity of the yarrow blossoms see great next to those brilliant yellow-bellied blossom .

And they both draw in pollinator that are so important to the flower summertime veggies likesquashandokra .

Colorado Mix sport yarrow with pinkish , ruby , white-livered , and white efflorescence .

Colorado Mix Yarrow

happen Colorado Mix ejaculate in packets or bulkat Eden Brothers .

Learnhow to implant and grow yarrow in our guide .

Bad Plant Neighbors for Mustard

Along with pick good neighbors for your mustard greens special K , you may also increase their growth and return by keeping them forth from the plants that cause issues .

Here are three you should n’t plant nearby :

1. Beans

There is a good deal of conflicting advice aboutbush beansand extremity of the pelf family , so if you ’ve always had achiever planting these two near each other , do n’t worry about it .

However , some household gardeners do n’t like bean plants ’ tendency to fall prey to mould and mold , and then make it those infections to brassicas planted near by .

For example , the sameSclerotinia sclerotiorumfungi that causes white mould in beans via the flowers , stems , and pods canspread to brassicas like mustard plant via the grime , which might make you consider planting this cole craw at a few steps removed from your beans .

Andpole beansadd another negative possible action . They grow tall enough to block sunlight , which stage a problem for the mixture that require full sunlight and ca n’t handle even fond refinement .

Of course , mustard greens tend to be done for the season by the time perch beans are that large , so if your selection is to rise them next to pole beans or skip them , I say go for it .

2. Nightshades

Nothing against the industrial plant in this wonderful family , but nightshade are prostrate to verticillium wilt ..

Once infected , if they ’re snug to your cole crop , they ’ll go past the wilt along .

Though verticillium wilt can take much longer to devastate nightshade , it can put down your whole mustard harvest in a forgetful while .

If possible , works mustard far in a separate bed or area fromeggplant , peppers , andtomatoes . Or make it a point to seek out nightshade cultivars that have been bred to resist verticillium wilt .

Some potatoes areless likely to succumb to this wilt than others , but if you ’re not indisputable you ’re growing one of them , it ’s a good idea to keep the spuds and brassicas separated , too .

While you ’re at it , see if you ca n’t wait an extra time of year before planting brassicas in beds that nightshades of any sort , eventomatillos ,   occupied the year before . Verticillium wilt is soilborne and can take a few years to die off .

The exception here issweet potatoes(Ipomoea batatas ) because they are part of the morning halo family , not nightshade .

If you ’re not disquieted about the wilt , it ’s worth mentioning that nightshades and brassicas have a conflict with their desired soil pH , which is another reason they ’re not good neighbors .

Mustard William Green thrive in neutral soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.0 , and nightshades prefer a pH from 5.5 to 6.5 . If you plant them in the same garden , one of the vegetables will not produce as well as it would in its preferred pH.

3. Strawberries

They ’re both spring delights , yetstrawberriesand mustard – all Brassica , in fact – make bad bedfellow . The shortcake yield plants withdraw biff , which then move over to eat those level-headed greens .

Strawberries also compete for nutrients , which is something leafy common need in rich amount .

And if you ’re not ace - attentive to the berry plants , they ’ll form a boneheaded matt of runners that can choke out the mustard greens greens , or deprive the small 1 of water or sunlight .

It is n’t such a big deal in the descent , when strawberries incline to be sleeping . But for that early spring craw of luscious tatsoi or ‘ Florida Broadleaf , ’ keep these two varieties of plants far from each other or in unlike containers .

Mustard Greens Matchmaker

One last thing to keep in idea when you ’re opt those fellow for your precious table mustard Green : You may demand to correct as you go along .

There are no guarantees your plant will grow well with the flowers and vegetables suggested here , or even that they will suffer if planted next to some of the bad neighbors I ’ve described .

I would never plant two hump foes next to each other if I had another pick , but for the good conjugation , I agree with a bulletin fromCornell University ’s Cooperative Extension Chemung County .

The authors advise gardener to take all companion plant good word as “ a starting point for item-by-item trials … .Continue doing what work out and abandon what does not . ”

What ’s swell about leaf mustard K is that they ’re fast - growing and relatively inexpensive to sow in from seed . So if you find they ’re not work somewhere , it ’s cost - effectual and low - labor movement to rend that great deal and start a newfangled one next to upright garden neighbor .

Which brings us back to you . Have you find any particularly good companions for this savory brassica ? Or any veggies , flowers , or herbs you ’d never engraft next to mustard again ?

And for more information aboutmustard greens , train out these guides next :

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Rose Kennedy