Companion planting with beetroot: Good neighbors & bad neighbors

Growing beetroot - location & soil

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is part of the goosefoot family(Chenopodiaceae). This family includes plants such as spinach and chard, which are descended from the wild beet.

Beetroot is a medium feeder and therefore does not require a high nutrient supply. The soil structure is much more important. Beetroot likes to grow in loose, humus-rich soil that is evenly moist. If the water supply is irregular, the tubers will become woody or burst. Choose a sunny to semi-shady spot in the bed.

Companion planting with beetroot - What goes well with beetroot?

As beetroot doesn't need that many nutrients, it is ideal for a mixed crop. You can combine it with both high-yielding and low-yielding plants. The list of suitable neighbors is long. With its moderate growth, it does not overgrow other crops and can be well complemented with ground-covering and tall-growing crops. However, make sure that it does not get lost in the shade of other crops.

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Good neighbors for beetroot

• Cabbage and beetroot is a good planting combination. Beetroot goes well with all kinds of cabbage: kale, kohlrabi, palm cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, chinese cabbage, white and red cabbage, savoy cabbage and brussels sprouts. Cabbage has an extensive root system, which loosens the soil deeply and thus improves it. This benefits the growth of beetroot.
• The same applies to plants from the Raphanus genus (radishes and radish) . These are also root vegetables. They also keep pests such as snails away from your bed thanks to their strong scent.
• Plants from the pumpkin family such as zucchini and cucumber are also good neighbors for beetroot. These plants have large leaves with which they protect the soil from drying out.
• Plants of the leek genus such as garlic, onions and spring onions go well next to beetroot. They keep pests away from the bed with their strong odor and thus contribute to good plant health. Garlic is particularly effective against voles, which like to nibble on beet tubers.

• Lettuce is also a suitable neighbor for beetroot in the bed. It is said to improve the flavor of the beetroot.
• Beans are also good neighbors for beetroot. Field beans, soybeans and bush beans are particularly suitable. Runner beans can also be planted next to beetroot, but you should make sure that the beet still gets enough light. Peas and beetroot also go well next to each other.
• Planting root vegetables such as root parsley or parsnip together with beetroot is a good idea. They have similar site requirements. The beets of these plants also loosen up the soil, which improves the growth of the beetroot.
• Flowers are always a good idea in mixed cultivation. They bring many benefits that you can use to your advantage. For example, they attract beneficial insects. Many flowers also contribute to soil health. Marigold, for example, keeps pesky nematodes away from the soil. In addition to beetroot, sunflowers and marigolds also go well with tagetes.
• Herbs are also good intercropping partners. Savory, dill, oregano and caraway are good neighbors for beetroot. Herbs in the vegetable patch are said to improve the flavor of the vegetables. Dill also promotes growth and increases the germination rate.

These plants are not good neighbors for beetroot

• Nightshade plants (Solanaceae) such as eggplant, chili, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are not good neighbors for beetroot.
• The same applies to other plants in the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae). Therefore, do not plant spinach or chard next to beetroot, as this encourages disease or pest infestation.
• Leeks and chives should not be planted next to beetroot.
• Corn is also not a good neighbor in a mixed crop with beetroot. It grows lushly upwards and thus shades the beetroot.
• Planting carrots and beetroot together is also not a good idea.
• You should look for a different spot in the bed for parsley than next to the beetroot. These two plants do not get on well together.

Table: Good & bad neighbors of beetroot

Mixed crop planting plan: planting beetroot

In this mixed crop , beetroot stands alongside kohlrabi and savoy cabbage. Herbs such as oregano go well next to beetroot. Peas also fit perfectly in this bed, as savoy cabbage is a hungry plant. Lettuce of your choice will grow next to the kohlrabi. And you can sow a row of parsnips at the bottom of the bed.

Succession planting with beetroot

Beetroot is a medium-feeder. Therefore, you can plant heavy feeders before or after the beetroot. A suitable subsequent crop would be a hardy cauliflower variety or kale, for example. Instead, you can, of course, sow low-yielding plants such as winter lettuce.

As the chenopodiaceae family does not produce that many crops, these crops are good crop rotation members, as adapted pests do not have it so easy due to the different plant family. This brings variety to your crop rotation and contributes to soil health. You can find out how to plan a good succession plan in this article.

Crop rotation with beet

When planning your crop rotation, make sure that you keep a cultivation break of 4 years from other goosefoot plants. If you grow vegetables from the same family in the same place for several years in a row, specific pathogens can become established. A varied crop rotation, on the other hand, keeps your garden healthy. You can find out how to successfully plan a crop rotation in our article on the subject.

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Titelbild von Svetlana auf Pixabay