Good neighbors for peppers

A lush pepper harvest from your own garden is not that easy to achieve. One factor along the way are good neighbors who have a positive impact on pepper plants.

Mixed culture is one of the most natural gardening methods. But what has established itself in nature over many years is difficult to imitate in the garden. The processes between the plants in a mixed culture are diverse and are still not fully understood. Suggestions for good and bad neighbors for peppers (Capsicum annuum) mainly from many years of cultivation experience. That is also the reason why some information differs from source to source. You can only be sure whether something will work well in your garden or not after trying it yourself.

Good neighbors for peppers: mixed cultivation works with these plants

Bell peppers belong to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which also includes other plants that are often seen in the garden, such as tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) and Physalis (Physalis peruviana) belong. Good mixed culture partners for peppers are at best members of a different plant family and have similar location but lower nutrient requirements. Ideally, they also have other positive influencing factors:

This is a good partner for planting peppers, for example garlic (Allium sativum). The sharp-tasting essential oils it contains can prevent aphid infestation, among other things.
If you want to grow other vegetables together with bell peppers, this is an example Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) or Onions (Allium cepa) at. Even Salads, especially varieties that also grow well in partial shade, are suitable mixed culture partners for peppers.
Often the different Cabbage varieties Recommended as good neighbors for pepper plants. It may well be that the plants do not influence each other negatively, but one must always bear in mind that cabbage removes many nutrients from the soil. So it can happen that the pepper plants come up short. That is why you have to pay close attention to sufficient fertilization with the mixed culture of paprika with cabbage.

Plants that attract insects and thus also enable more paprika flowers to be pollinated are for example Borage (Borago officinalis), chamomile (Matricaria), Marigold (Calendula officinalis) and Marigold (Tagetes). In addition, chamomile and marigold have an unpleasant odor for many insect pests, so they stay away from your pepper plants. Marigolds and marigolds have a deterrent effect against nematodes and thus contribute to the chemical-free Fighting nematodes in the garden at. Some of the herbs that are good neighbors for peppers include, for example basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselium crispum) and dill (Anethum graveolens).

In many vegetable gardens there are peppers, tomatoes and Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) together - for the simple reason that they all come into the bed at about the same time, have similar location requirements and are usually allowed to grow up on sticks or climbing aids. But can you really plant peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes together? Opinions differ on this. The three are referred to as both good, neutral, and bad neighbors. In any case, one should keep in mind that peppers and tomatoes belong to the same plant family, the nightshade family. So the two will likely compete for nutrients and be plagued by the same diseases and pests. With good care and cultivation, it usually works well to plant peppers and tomatoes together, and there are seldom problems with cucumbers - only that cucumbers quickly grow mildew which can then easily migrate further onto your pepper plants. In order to do something good for the soil, which is heavily used after this cultivation, you can sow green manure in autumn after removing the plants. The soil cover, rooting and possible nitrogen fixation have a positive effect on many soil properties.

Tip: Good neighbors alone do not guarantee an abundant pepper harvest. Proper care and care for your pepper plants is of crucial importance here. This also includes appropriate fertilization, especially if you plant peppers together with tomatoes and cucumbers. Paprika plants, for example, are optimally supplied with our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer with long-term effect. In addition to its optimal nutritional composition, it is primarily more organic, animal-free and works for three months.

Good neighbors for peppers in the raised bed are various herbs such as basil, parsley or dill. Salads, carrots and onions also look good in the raised bed as paprika neighbors.

Bad neighbors for peppers: These plants don't get along well

In addition to many good neighbors for peppers, there are also some plants for which mixed culture with peppers has not proven itself. For example, bell peppers are bad neighbors peas (Pisum sativum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), Beetroot (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. conditiva), aubergine (Solanum melongena), potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo convar. giromontiina) and celery (Apium graveolens). Many of these vegetables are said to inhibit the growth of pepper plants or to compete with them for nutrients. In addition, the same diseases may affect them.

Good neighbors for peppers at a glance:

• Borage
• basil
• parsley
• dill
• onion
• garlic
• carrot
• salad
• chamomile
• Marigold

Bad neighbors for peppers:

• peas
• fennel
• Beetroot
• aubergine
• potatoes
• zucchini
• Pumpkins
• celery

Crop rotation for peppers

Since paprika plants need warmth, they do not come into the bed until May. So before that there is still time for some fast growing crops. The first loads of lettuce and radish (Raphanus sativus var. sativus) have usually already left the bed by the time the pepper plants are added in May. When the plants clear the bed around September, there is still space for some low-consuming, cold-tolerant crops, such as spinach (Spinacia oleracea). Also one Green manure how mustard (Brassica) or grass clover is ideal after peppers to support the soil. When it comes to peppers, you should take a break from growing at least three to four years in the same location. This avoids leaching and fatigue of the soil as well as repeated disease infestation.

If you want to delve deeper into the advantages and disadvantages of mixed cultures and learn more about suitable mixed culture partners and combinations, you can read our article on Mixed culture Continue reading.