If you haven’t gotten into the craze of companion planting yet, we’ll get you nuts for it!
Giving your peanut plants buddies they can benefit from can help boost productivity, improve health, and produce tastier yields.
We’ve listed the best and worst companion plants along with a couple of answered FAQs to get you all set.
So if you’re wondering which plants best complement your peanut plant, then stick around!
What is companion planting?
Companion planting is growing a variety of plants that bring several benefits such as attracting pollinators, improving soil health, repelling pests, and boosting soil fertility.
Peanuts grow well with several kinds of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and even flowers. However, you’ll need to ensure that your companion plants grow in the same conditions as peanuts for optimal benefits.
What are the best vegetable and fruit companion plants?
Here are a few of the best vegetable and fruit companion plants that you should grow alongside your peanut plants:
1. Cucumbers
They’re such good buddies because peanuts boost the nitrogen levels in the soil, which cucumbers absolutely love.
They also don’t interrupt one another’s growth – cucumbers often grow on trellises while peanuts grow in the soil below.
The good ‘ole cucumber provides just enough shade without interrupting the air circulation. Since there are peanut plants at the bottom taking in water, this lessens the likelihood of any fungus development.
They’re both also warm lovers, so it’s best to plant them when your peanuts are in their last stages of maturity and when you’re just about to plant your cucumbers.
2. Carrots
While it may seem a bit unlikely, carrots and peanuts can actually be planted together. In fact, they make pretty great roommates.
In case you didn’t know, carrots devour nitrogen in the soil like there’s no tomorrow. Peanuts, on the other hand, release a ton of nitrogen into the soil.
Hence, it’s an old farmer’s trick to plant carrots and peanuts alongside one another. By the time your carrots are ready to harvest, they’ll be the most delicious they’ve ever been.
Since carrots grow in-ground, they’ll also help loosen up the soil, preventing compaction over time.
3. Tomatoes
It’s no secret that tomatoes are heavy feeders, which means that they take in all the nutrients and minerals in the soil like crazy.
They’re great to grow next to peanuts because as legumes, peanuts replenish the nitrogen in the soil without a hitch.
This allows your tomato plant to grow healthy and juicy yields without having to add extra fertilizer.
4. Lettuce
Peanuts produce a lot of nitrogen that leafy vegetables like lettuce simply can’t get enough of, especially during their active growth period.
The extra nitrogen will also promote faster development and improve fertility.
So if you want lettuce that grows big and healthy, then you should definitely plant peanuts as its companion plant.
5. Potatoes
To be able to harvest buckets full of high-quality potatoes, you’ll need to double down on the nitrogen in the soil. What better way to do that than to plant peanuts?
Since nitrogen is critical to producing healthy yields, especially during its peak growth period, adding peanuts ensures that there’s enough nitrogen going around.
Apart from that, potato plants also help loosen up the soil. Since they’re in-ground plants, they aid in preventing soil compaction.
6. Strawberry
Strawberry plants rely heavily on nitrogen to produce the best yield of berries. This is a job peanut plants can take on without a sweat.
Aside from that, strawberry plants provide good coverage from weeds because they’re runners. So you won’t have to worry about dealing with weeds growing and taking all the nutrients in the soil.
As runners, they’ll also help trap moisture in the soil by shielding it from the sun, keeping your peanuts in a comfortable environment.
In fact, they have similar growing requirements, so they’d make perfect companion plants.
However, be careful that they don’t grow too closely as they can end up suffocating each other.
8. Raspberries
Peanuts are ideal companions for raspberries since they can easily replenish much-needed nutrients in the soil.
Other than that, peanuts also help with preventing soil erosion and compaction because they grow in the ground.
To boot, raspberries attract pollinators such as bees into your garden, which can increase the productivity of nearby plants.
Peanuts and raspberries may be a tad tricky to grow together primarily because raspberries tend to get bushy, which can cut off essential sunlight for the peanut plants. Hence, be sure to grow them at a distance to prevent this.
9. Blackberries
Similar to raspberries, blackberries also need a ton of nitrogen to be productive and yield high-quality fruits, especially during their growing season.
One of the easiest ways to provide a constant supply of nitrogen is to plant peanuts alongside them.
Peanuts also help keep the soil loose and airy because they’re in-ground plants. This alleviates any risks of soil erosion or compaction.
As for your raspberry plant’s contribution to this partnership, they’ll bring in a ton of pollinators that’ll benefit your entire garden.
The only downside is that raspberries can cover your peanut plants, hindering their access to sunlight. Though, this is easily fixable if you grow them with a bit of space in between.
10. Raddish
Radishes are great companion plants for peanuts because they aid in loosening up the soil as they mature. This helps prepare the soil for when your peanut plants are about to produce their yields.
Apart from that, radishes are short-season crops that take less than 120 days before they’re ready to harvest.
Meanwhile, peanuts need a long growing season depending on the variety, taking anywhere from 85 to 150 days after sowing before they’re ready to harvest.
Hence, your radishes will be ready to be collected long before your peanuts are, giving them enough time to break the soil apart.
Growing peanut plants also boosts the nitrogen in the soil, giving your radishes an opportunity to thrive and produce large and healthy yields.
11. Snow Peas
Snow peas are another fast-producing crop that grows well alongside peanut plants. They grow on vines, which means that they don’t take up so much space in the soil.
Other than that, they finish growing much faster than peanuts, so you won’t have to worry about them competing for the nutrients in the soil.
Just be sure that your snow peas grow on a trellis or wall so that they don’t shield your peanut plants from much-needed sunlight.
12. Spinach
If you want to be strong and healthy just like Popeye the sailor man, you’ll need a ton of freshly grown spinach.
Spinach needs a ton of nitrogen in the soil to be able to produce yields that grow faster, greener, and larger.
Planting peanuts alongside your spinach plants will give them an endless supply of nitrogen.
If you’re worried about your spinach plants taking all the nutrients, it’s worth highlighting that they’re short-season crops. They’ll be harvested long before your peanuts can be collected.
What are the best flowering companion plants?
Here are a few of the best flowering companion plants that you should grow alongside your peanut plants:
1. Marigold
In the gardening world, marigolds have been known to be great companions for a variety of plants because they’re known to attract pollinators.
Apart from adding a pop of color, they also attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs that’ll help eliminate any aphid problems that you might have.
They also have a unique scent that repels mosquitoes and nematodes, among other pests.
2. Nasturtium
Nasturtiums should be your best friend when you need a hand in pest control.
They’re most commonly planted alongside vegetative crops because they’re great at repelling pests such as aphids, whiteflies, and species of beetles.
To boot, they bring in a ton of pollinators that’ll raise the production levels of your garden like crazy.
3. Hibiscus
Apart from adding a tropical flair to your garden, hibiscus flowers are great at sending bad insects running! Their charm also brings in a ton of beneficial pollinators, to boot.
It’s also believed that hibiscus flowers are also known to produce more yields when they’re intercropped with peanut plants.
However, you’ll need to space them a couple of inches apart so that the hibiscus plants don’t take all the sunlight.
4. Cosmos
Cosmos flowers are another beauty that also works wonders as a natural pest repellent and pollinator inviter.
They’ll help bring in good insects that’ll take care of pests that could be harming your peanut plants.
This way, you won’t need to rely solely on insecticides that could damage the quality of your soil.
What are the best herb companion plants?
1. Mint
Mint smells absolutely refreshing to most, but not for pests like aphids, fleas, caterpillars, whiteflies, and beetles, to name a few.
So if you have a bunch of mint plants growing alongside your peanut plants, nasty insects won’t even dare step foot nearby.
For extra measure, you can crush up a few leaves and scatter them around your garden to ward off any insects that are just thinking about making a move.
Though be careful not to plant them too close to one another as mint can grow quite aggressively when not maintained.
2. Parsley
Parsley is another herb that’s scent is a natural deterrent against pests like aphids, making them a great source of natural pest control.
They also bring in beneficial insects such as hoverflies that’ll take care of your aphid problem for you.
As a result, they make ideal companion plants for your peanut plants that are prone to leaf-eating pests.
Other than that, parsley flowers attract pollinators that’ll help make your garden more productive.
3. Rosemary
To the average human, rosemary smells aromatic and heavenly. However, pests don’t share the same sentiments.
For them, rosemary smells pungent, especially in warmer weather. Hence, they’re a great deterrent against pesky bugs that are trying to wreak havoc on your peanut plants.
You don’t need to plant rows of rosemary. Instead, you can simply grow one in several containers near your peanut plants.
4. Oregano
A member of the mint family, oregano is another herb that’s considered a pest’s worst nightmare.
Its strong scent, especially when its leaves are bruised, makes it a natural insect repellent. Hence, it’s commonly placed in outdoor sitting areas to deter mosquitos.
You’ll have to be wary of where you plant oregano, though, because it’s a spreading perennial. When left to crawl on its own, it could interrupt the development of your peanut plants.
To avoid this, we suggest growing oregano nearby with a trellis or wall where it can climb. Then, spreading its crushed leaves every now and then to ward off any insects.
5. Tansy
Tansies are another herb that smells beautiful to humans, but absolutely putrid to bugs. In fact, it’s widely believed that tansies can repel virtually any kind of insect, making them a gardener’s best friend.
Hence, planting tansies alongside your peanut plants can deter ants, fleas, moths, ticks, and even mice, among others.
To increase effectiveness, you can crush a handful of tansy clippings and spread them around the soil.
6. Chamomile
Did you know that insects have a wicked sense of smell? As a result, strong herbs like chamomile have them running for the hills, even at a distance.
Chamomile plants are also known to draw in beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybugs, which are known to eat aphids.
Aside from that, they attract pollinators, too, such as bees and wasps. They’re a great addition to have, especially if you’ve got vegetative crops that need some pollinating.
7. Dill
Dill is another great addition to your garden and especially alongside your peanut plants because it’s known to deter aphids and spider mites, among others.
Apart from planting them nearby, you can also crush a couple of leaves and sprinkle them onto the soil.
They don’t just shoo away pests, they also charm beneficial insects like butterflies and ladybugs into your garden. These will help keep your peanut plants pest-free.
8. Sage
It’s no surprise that herbs that are a member of the mint family are your best friends when it comes to naturally repelling insects.
Sage, which belongs to the mint family, is another herb that creates a strong smell that bugs such as snails, beetles, and flies hate.
Luckily, they’re pretty easy to grow so you’ll be able to have an endless supply of sage in your arsenal.
What are the worst peanut companion plants?
Now that you know which plants grow well alongside your peanut plants, you may be wondering which to avoid.
Read on as we list the worst peanut companion plants:
1. Corn
The main reason corn plants are terrible companions for peanut plants is they’re incredibly tall crops. So much so that they cause too much shade, which is detrimental to proper nut formation.
As a result, this could stunt nut growth or kill the plant altogether. To avoid this, simply plant them in separate areas.
2. Pole Bean
Pole beans grow very tall, which can block off essential sunlight that peanut plants need to be able to grow nuts that develop properly.
They grow in a vining manner that can cause too much shade for a peanut plant’s liking. Hence, it’s best to grow these apart from one another.
3. Basil
In case you didn’t know, basil plants are a tad picky when it comes to what plants they’re put beside. In fact, they tend to only like growing alongside vegetables.
While basil does attract a ton of beneficial insects, don’t expect it to live long when grown beside your peanut plants.
4. Onion
Since onions are heavy nitrogen feeders, you’d think that it’d be a great idea to plant them beside peanuts, right? Well, you thought wrong, unfortunately.
While it’s true that onions absolutely love nitrogen, they have a tendency to kill off beneficial bacteria that grow on peanuts. Without it, peanut plants can experience stunted growth and deformed nuts.
Hence, it isn’t a good idea to plant them beside one another.
However, there is a way to get around this – simply plant your onions right after you’ve harvested and removed your peanut plants. This way, they can still benefit from the leftover nitrogen in the soil.
FAQs on Peanut Plants
Avoid any plant that doesn’t have the same growing requirements as your peanut plants. When plants have the same needs, they’re easier to care for when they’re in the same container.
Since peanuts need full sun, avoid plants that limit the sun exposure that your peanut plant gets. These include tall plants that tend to provide too much shade.
It’s not recommended to plant tall vegetable crops alongside your peanut plant because they tend to cover much-needed sunlight that your peanut plant needs to properly develop nuts.
You cannot grow your peanut plants alongside just any kind of plant. You need to take into consideration their growing requirements such as sunlight and water, among others.
If they have opposite growing requirements, they won’t be good companion plants and will be harder to care for.
Peanut plants thrive in warm climates and in loose, sandy soil. They don’t need much water, only about 1.5 to 2 inches weekly, but they do need full sun.
