Companion planting of vegetables with herbs and flowers is a great way to have a healthy garden!
Marigolds, nasturtiums, geraniums, dahlias, and chrysanthemums make great companion plants with your vegetable seeds and can also offer various benefits for your garden.
Experienced vegetable gardeners often use flowers shown above, and herbs such as sage, rosemary, basil, and horseradish to act as natural insect repellants in the garden.
Borage and lemon balm can be used to help attract bees to the garden to help with plant pollination.
Learn which plants grow well together, and which plant combinations to avoid for best gardening results.
Can You Plant Dahlias With Vegetables? A Complete Growing Guide
Gardeners looking to maximize space often wonder if they can plant dahlias with vegetables. The good news is that dahlias and veggies can thrive side-by-side with proper planning and care. In this complete growing guide, we’ll explore how to successfully plant dahlias and vegetables together.
What are Dahlias?
Dahlias are stunning ornamental flowers that come in a rainbow of colors like red, pink orange yellow, white, and purple. The blooms can be as small as 2 inches or up to 10 inches in diameter. Thriving in zones 8-11, these flowers grow from tubers and reach heights of 1 to 6 feet tall depending on the variety. Dahlias bloom from mid-summer until frost.
Why Grow Dahlias and Vegetables Together?
There are several benefits to planting dahlias and vegetables together:
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Maximize garden space: Combining flowers and veggies allows you to get more out of your garden real estate.
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Attract pollinators: The colorful dahlia blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds which can increase pollination and yields of fruiting vegetables.
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Add beauty: Dahlias interplanted with vegetables create a visually striking and multifunctional garden.
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Deter pests: Some plants like onions and marigolds are known to help deter pests from dahlias and vegetables when planted nearby.
Which Vegetables Grow Well with Dahlias?
Most vegetables thrive alongside dahlias if given proper care. Some top picks include:
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Tomatoes: A classic pairing, the sprawling vines of tomatoes complement tall dahlia varieties.
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Peppers: Grow bell peppers or chili peppers with dahlias for a visually dynamic duo.
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Leafy greens: Lettuces, kale, chard, and spinach grow nicely with dahlias.
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Root vegetables: Carrots, radishes, turnips, and beets pair well with dahlias.
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Herbs: Dahlias make great companions for basil, parsley, cilantro, and dill.
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Bush beans: Plant pole beans on trellises near dahlias or grow bush beans in between.
How to Plant Dahlias and Vegetables Together
Follow these tips for successfully growing dahlias with vegetables:
Sun and Soil: Make sure the garden area gets at least 6 hours of sunlight daily. Amend soil with compost to improve drainage and nutrients. Test soil pH and adjust to around 6.5 as needed.
Spacing: Leave 1-2 feet between dahlia tubers and vegetable plants to prevent overcrowding. Place taller dahlia varieties behind vegetables or along the garden border.
Watering: Dahlias and vegetables have similar water needs. Supply 1-2 inches per week by watering at soil level to reduce disease. Less water is needed in cooler climates.
Fertilizing: Use a balanced vegetable fertilizer when planting. Side dress with compost or manure mid-season to fuel growth. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers on dahlias which can inhibit blooms.
Maintenance: Stake and train dahlia stalks as needed. Prune spent vegetable plants after harvesting. Weed and mulch beds regularly. Check for pests and diseases weekly.
Harvesting: Snip dahlia blooms to enjoy as cut flowers. Pick vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, beans, and greens at their prime. Time plantings for continuous harvest.
Overwintering: In zones 8-11, dahlia tubers can stay in the ground. In cooler climates, dig up tubers after frost and store them over winter. Replant in spring.
Example Garden Designs and Layouts
Here are a couple sample layouts for planting dahlias and vegetables together:
Cottage Garden: Plant a row of staked tomatoes down the center. Surround with dahlias, basil, lettuce, and carrots in a casual, mixed pattern.
Raised Beds: Build wooden boxes for dedicated vegetable and dahlia beds. Plant pole beans and dahlias along the back of the beds. Fill remaining space with greens, peppers, and herbs.
Containers: Grow patio tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce with dwarf dahlia varieties in pots on a deck or balcony. Use trellises and cages to support plants.
With the right approach, dahlias and vegetables can be grown side-by-side successfully for a bountiful and beautiful garden. Follow these tips on sunlight, spacing, watering, and maintenance. Be creative and have fun designing your edible ornamental garden!
Russian Comfrey as a Companion Plant
Russian comfrey is effective mulch for a number of vegetables, and even better when made into liquid fertilizer.
Companion planting of vegetables such as spinach and chard with this healing herb plant is superb for encouraging the vegetables leaf growth because comfrey is packed with nitrogen, phosphorous, and high levels of potassium.
Tests have shown planting the herb to be superior to farm manure for mulching and fertilizing.
Companion planting of vegetables with Russian comfrey is known to benefit potatoes, tomatoes, and pepper plants.
Bury comfrey leaves in the trench prior to planting potatoes to aid growth.
As a liquid, the cultivar is also good for tomatoes and peppers once the flowers have set.
Avoid applying it before then, or you will only encourage lush leaves at the expense of producing fruits.
Russian comfrey is a vigorous grower and can be harvested several times a season.
Another of its benefits is that it tolerates a semi-shady position and is quite attractive.
It makes a quality ground cover in the darker corners of your vegetable garden.
Comfrey can produce an ample supply for up to 25 years. It also attracts bumblebees.
If comfrey liquid has one shortcoming, it is that it absolutely stinks!
Companion Planting Flowers in Vegetable Garden
What a perfect way to spice up any vegetable garden; planting colorful flowers near or among the vegetable plants!
Marigolds, petunias, nasturtiums, chrysanthemums, dahlias, and geraniums all offer some benefits as companion plants to vegetables.
Add any of these flowers to your backyard, raised bed, or container vegetable garden, and you will be thrilled with the results!
These flowers are known for repelling garden insect pests, and deterring harmful soil nematodes.
An added bonus is that they are all beautiful flowers that will brighten your garden, and distract the eye from dirt or weeds!
Best Companion Planting Flowers for the Vegetable Garden
FAQ
What veggies grow well with dahlias?
Dahlias can be great companions for vegetables, offering both aesthetic appeal and practical benefits in the garden.
What not to plant near dahlias?
Avoid planting dahlias near plants that attract similar pests, like brassicas (cabbage, etc.) and nightshades (eggplant, peppers), as well as plants that prefer very different soil conditions, such as aquatic plants or cacti.
Can I plant dahlias and tomatoes together?
You can grow dinnerplate dahlias between your tomato plants; decorative dahlias among your peppers, and border dahlias in your herb garden.
Do dahlias like to be crowded?
Be careful not to crowd your rows of dahlias, though.
Your plants need plenty of air circulation to avoid being overwhelmed by powdery mildew and other diseases. We use 4′ to 6′ aisles in between our rows of flowers to ensure they aren’t too crowded.