Kale is one of the most reliable vegetables you can grow cold-hardy, nutritious, and productive over a long season. But like all plants, it grows better with the right neighbors and struggles with the wrong ones.
Companion planting isn’t magic. It’s about understanding which plants complement each other through pest management, space efficiency, nutrient use, or simple practical benefits. Some companions genuinely help kale thrive. Others are just neutral neighbors that happen to grow well in the same conditions. And a few should be kept far away from your kale bed.
Let’s look at what actually works when growing kale with other plants, what’s overrated folklore, and how to plan your bed layout for practical results.
The Best Kale Companion Plants (And Why They Work)
Herbs: Aromatic Pest Deterrents
Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, and Oregano
Why they work: These Mediterranean herbs have strong scents that confuse or repel cabbage moths, aphids, and flea beetles, the main pests that attack kale. While they won’t eliminate pest problems, they reduce pest pressure enough to notice.
How to use them: Plant herbs around the perimeter of your kale bed or intersperse them between kale plants. One herb plant per 2-3 kale plants is plenty.
The practical benefit: You get fresh herbs for cooking while providing some pest protection for kale. Even if the pest deterrent effect is modest, you’re making efficient use of space.
Caution: These herbs prefer drier soil than kale. Plant them at the edges where drainage is better, or in slightly raised areas so they don’t sit in moisture.
Dill and Chamomile
Why they work: Both attract beneficial insects, ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps that prey on kale pests. Dill also attracts swallowtail butterfly caterpillars, which some gardeners consider a fair trade for pest control benefits.
How to use them: Plant dill and chamomile in clusters near (not directly next to) kale. Let them flower, the blooms are what attract beneficial insects.
The practical benefit: Creates a more balanced ecosystem in your garden. Beneficial insects patrol your kale looking for prey.
Alliums: Genuine Pest Deterrents
Onions, Garlic, Leeks, and Chives
Why they work: Alliums have sulfur compounds that repel aphids, spider mites, and some chewing insects. The effect is real and measurable, research backs this up, unlike some companion planting folklore.
How to use them: Interplant onions or garlic between kale plants. Space onions 4-6 inches from kale stems. Plant chives in clumps at bed corners or along edges.
The practical benefit: Both crops are ready at different times. Onions and garlic mature in early summer when kale slows down in heat. You’re using the same space twice in one season.
What actually works: This is one of the few companion planting combinations with solid evidence behind it. If you’re going to companion plant anything with kale, start here.
Root Vegetables: Space-Efficient Underplanting
Beets, Radishes, Turnips, and Carrots
Why they work: These grow below ground while kale grows above. You’re using vertical space efficiently roots occupy a different zone than kale’s leaves.
How to use them: Plant root crops between young kale plants in spring. They’ll mature and be harvested before kale needs the space. Or plant them in late summer when kale is established but has space underneath.
The practical benefit: Maximum production from limited space. One bed yields two types of crops. Root vegetables mature quickly (radishes in 25-30 days, beets in 50-60 days) while kale is still small.
Timing tip: Direct-sow root vegetables 2-3 weeks after transplanting kale. This gives kale a head start while roots fill in gaps.
Lettuce and Greens: Shade-Tolerant Companions
Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, and Asian Greens
Why they work: These tolerate partial shade. Mature kale casts shade that would harm sun-loving plants but actually benefits leafy greens in hot weather.
How to use them: Plant lettuce and greens on the shady (north) side of kale rows, or underneath mature kale plants where they get dappled light.
The practical benefit: Extends your lettuce season by providing natural shade that prevents bolting during warm weather. You’d normally lose lettuce to heat in June, but it continues producing in kale’s shade.
Best varieties: Choose heat-tolerant lettuce and spinach varieties that can handle less light. They won’t grow as large as in full sun, but they’ll keep producing when full-sun plantings have bolted.
Legumes: Nitrogen Providers
Bush Beans and Peas
Why they work: Legumes fix nitrogen from the air through root nodules, enriching soil for neighboring plants. Kale is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so it benefits from extra nitrogen availability.
How to use them: Plant bush beans (not pole beans those compete for light) between kale plants. Plant peas in early spring before kale goes in, or in fall after kale is established.
The practical benefit: You’re feeding kale naturally while growing another crop. Beans and peas add nitrogen that kale can use immediately and in future seasons as plants decompose.
The limitation: This benefit is modest. Don’t skip fertilizing kale entirely because you planted beans nearby. The nitrogen boost helps but doesn’t replace feeding.
Flowers: Beneficial Insect Attractors
Nasturtiums, Marigolds, and Calendula
Why they work: These flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Nasturtiums also act as trap crops, aphids prefer them over kale, so they concentrate on nasturtiums where you can deal with them easily.
How to use them: Plant flowers at bed edges or in gaps between kale. Let them sprawl, they’ll fill empty space and provide continuous blooms.
The practical benefit: Your garden looks better, beneficials stick around longer, and you get some pest diversion. Even if the pest control effect is small, the visual appeal and ecosystem benefits make them worthwhile.
Marigold reality check: French marigolds (Tagetes patula) have some pest-deterrent properties. African marigolds (Tagetes erecta) less so. Don’t expect marigolds to eliminate pest problems, they help slightly but aren’t miracle workers.
What Not to Plant With Kale
Pole Beans and Climbing Vines
Why they’re bad companions: They grow tall and shade kale. Kale tolerates partial shade but prefers full sun. Pole beans or climbing cucurbits steal light and reduce kale production.
What to do instead: Use bush varieties of beans that stay low and don’t compete for light.
Strawberries
Why they’re bad companions: Strawberries spread aggressively through runners, crowding out kale. They also prefer drier soil than kale needs during establishment.
What to do instead: Keep strawberries in a dedicated bed where their spreading habit is an advantage, not a problem.
Brassica Family Members
Why they’re bad companions: Kale is a brassica. Planting it with cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts concentrates the same pests and diseases in one area. Cabbage moths, flea beetles, and clubroot all attack the entire brassica family.
What to do instead: Scatter brassicas throughout your garden rather than grouping them. This pest management strategy is more important than any companion planting benefit.
Exception: If you’re actively managing pests with row covers or organic sprays, growing brassicas together can be efficient, you protect/treat one area instead of several scattered locations.
Tomatoes and Peppers
Why they’re questionable companions: They need full sun and warm soil. Kale prefers cool weather and tolerates shade. Their growing seasons and cultural requirements don’t align well.
What to do instead: Plant kale in early spring when these spots are empty, then replace it with tomatoes/peppers in late May. Or plant kale in fall after tomatoes finish. Use the same space in different seasons rather than together.
The Companion Planting Claims That Don’t Hold Up
Claim: Mint repels cabbage moths and should be planted with kale.
Reality: Mint spreads aggressively through underground runners and will take over your bed, crowding out kale. The pest deterrent effect is minimal and not worth the invasive growth. Plant mint in containers near (not in) your kale bed if you want any potential benefit.
Claim: Borage attracts beneficial insects and improves kale growth.
Reality: Borage does attract beneficials, but it grows 2-3 feet tall and wide, shading and crowding nearby plants. Better used at bed edges or in dedicated pollinator areas, not intermixed with kale.
Claim: Basil improves kale flavor and growth.
Reality: Basil needs warm weather and full sun. Kale thrives in cool weather and tolerates shade. Their growing requirements don’t overlap enough to make this practical. They’re fine as neighbors if you have space, but there’s no special synergy.
Claim: Planting specific companions eliminates pest problems.
Reality: Companion planting reduces pest pressure slightly. It never eliminates problems. You’ll still need to monitor plants, hand-pick pests, use row covers, or apply organic controls when necessary. Companions are one tool, not a complete solution.
How to Actually Layout a Kale Companion Bed
For a 4×8 raised bed:
Configuration 1: Maximum Diversity
- Row 1 (back): 4 kale plants spaced 18 inches apart
- Row 2 (middle): Onions or garlic between kale plants, plus 2-3 herb plants (thyme, sage)
- Row 3 (front): Lettuce, radishes, or beets in the gaps
- Edges: Nasturtiums or marigolds planted at corners
This gives you: 4 kale plants, 8-10 onions, 2-3 herbs, 12-15 lettuce/radishes, plus flowers. Maximum production from limited space.
Configuration 2: Simplified Approach
- 6 kale plants spaced 15-18 inches apart in two rows
- 12-15 onions or garlic interplanted between kale
- Perimeter herbs (4-6 plants) around bed edges
- Optional: Radishes direct-sown in gaps, harvested before kale matures
This gives you: Focus on kale and one proven companion (alliums) without overcomplicating. Easier to manage for beginners.
Configuration 3: Succession Planting
- Early spring: Plant peas on trellises at north end of bed
- After peas finish (late May): Transplant 6-8 kale plants into bed
- Interplant: Onions and herbs with kale
- Late summer: As kale matures, plant lettuce in its shade
- Fall: Kale continues producing; add more lettuce for fall harvests
This gives you: Three-season production using the same space. Peas, kale, and extended lettuce all from one 4×8 bed.
Spacing Considerations
Kale needs space: Mature kale plants spread 18-24 inches wide. Don’t crowd them trying to fit too many companions.
The 70% rule: Fill 70% of your bed with kale. Use the remaining 30% for companions. Overstuffing beds with multiple companion plants reduces kale production more than the companions help.
Vertical spacing works: Root crops and low-growing herbs don’t compete with kale because they occupy different vertical zones. Tall companions (pole beans, sunflowers) compete for light and should be avoided or placed strategically at the north edge.
The Real Benefits of Companion Planting With Kale
Pest management: Modest reduction in pest pressure from aromatic herbs and alliums. Maybe 20-30% fewer pests, not elimination.
Space efficiency: Interplanting root crops and shade-tolerant greens increases total harvest per square foot.
Beneficial insect attraction: Flowers and flowering herbs bring predatory insects that help control pests.
Succession planting: Using companions with different maturation times (radishes done in 30 days, kale producing for 4+ months) maximizes productivity.
Reduced disease spread: Diversity prevents diseases from jumping plant to plant as easily as in monoculture plantings.
What companion planting doesn’t do: Dramatically increase kale size, eliminate pests entirely, remove the need for proper care (watering, fertilizing, monitoring).
Conclusion
The best kale companions are alliums (onions, garlic), herbs (thyme, sage, dill), root vegetables (radishes, beets), and shade-tolerant greens (lettuce, spinach). These work because they occupy different spaces, mature at different times, or provide modest pest management benefits.
Avoid tall plants that shade kale, aggressive spreaders like mint and strawberries, and other brassicas that concentrate pests. Keep tomatoes and peppers separate from kale, their growing requirements don’t align.
Companion planting with kale is about practical space use and modest pest reduction, not magic synergies. Focus on proven combinations like kale with alliums, use vertical space efficiently with root crops, and don’t overcrowd your bed trying to fit every possible companion. A few well-chosen companions beat a chaotic mix of too many plants competing for resources.
Key Takeaways
- Alliums (onions, garlic, chives) are the best kale companions with proven pest-deterrent properties: plant them 4-6 inches from kale stems
- Aromatic herbs (thyme, sage, rosemary) reduce pest pressure modestly: plant at bed edges or between kale plants
- Root vegetables (radishes, beets, carrots) use space efficiently: they grow below ground while kale grows above
- Lettuce and greens thrive in kale’s shade during hot weather: extend lettuce season by planting on kale’s shady side
- Bush beans add nitrogen but don’t skip fertilizing: the benefit is modest, not a fertilizer replacement
- Avoid pole beans, climbing vines, and tall plants: they shade kale and reduce production
- Never group brassicas together: this concentrates pests and diseases in one area
- Fill 70% of bed with kale, 30% with companions: overcrowding reduces kale yields more than companions help
- Companion planting reduces pest pressure 20-30%, doesn’t eliminate it: still monitor and manage pests actively
- Use succession planting for maximum production: radishes mature in 30 days, lettuce in shade extends season, kale produces 4+ months
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