Peas (and beans) have a lovely trick: with the help of bacteria on their roots, they pull nitrogen out of the air and store it in little nodules, leaving the ground richer for whatever follows. That makes them excellent partners for leafy, nitrogen-hungry crops nearby, and the ideal thing to grow before brassicas in the rotation.
Above ground, they climb rather than spread, so they share space generously — carrots and quick salads sit happily at their feet, and flowers tucked in among them bring the bees that help the pods set. The one group to keep them away from is the alliums, whose roots can check the growth of peas and beans alike.
Grow these alongside
Use the cool ground at the base of the climbing peas without competing for height.
Quick, low crops that fill the space at the foot of the row before the peas are done.
Fellow nitrogen-fixers with the same likes — happy growing side by side up their supports.
Tall and sturdy; peas and beans can even climb it in a loose Three Sisters.
Lap up the nitrogen the peas leave behind — grow them after, or alongside.
Keep these apart
Their root secretions can stunt the growth of peas and beans — keep them in a separate bed.
Inhibits many neighbours generally; give it its own corner.
Flowers worth tucking in
The blooms that pull pests away and bring in the bees — beauty that earns its keep.
Climb alongside, scent the plot and pull in the bees that help pods set.
Bring in hoverflies and ladybirds to keep aphids down.
A sacrificial trap for the blackfly that troubles young pea tips.
Common questions
What grows well with peas?
Carrots, radishes and lettuce at their feet (peas climb rather than spread), beans as fellow nitrogen-fixers, sweetcorn as a natural support, and leafy greens like spinach and chard that thrive on the nitrogen peas leave behind. Sweet peas and marigolds nearby bring in the bees and keep aphids down.
Can you plant peas and beans together?
Yes — they're close relatives that like the same things and both fix nitrogen, so they make easy neighbours growing up adjacent supports. Just don't follow one straight after the other in the same bed; rotate so the soil gets a change.
What should not be planted near peas?
Keep peas away from onions, garlic and other alliums, whose root secretions can genuinely check the growth of peas and beans. It's also worth keeping fennel well clear.
Want the whole picture?
The complete companion planting guide →