Potatoes are greedy, leafy and grown for what's underground, so their best companions either feed them or use the space around them without getting in the way of earthing up and digging. Beans and peas are the stars: they fix nitrogen into the soil, which the hungry potato foliage laps up, and they grow up rather than out.
The pests to watch are aphids and, in some plots, the soil-borne troubles that build up if you grow potatoes in the same spot too often — so good companions plus sensible crop rotation matter more here than almost anywhere. The one rule to never break: keep potatoes and tomatoes apart, because they share blight and an outbreak will sweep through both.
Grow these alongside
Fix nitrogen the hungry potato foliage feeds on, and grow upward without crowding the rows.
Tall and undemanding at ground level — happy to share a bed without competing for the same space.
Different feeding habits and a useful rotation partner; they don't fight the potatoes for the same things.
Traditionally grown at the corners of a potato patch — said to improve the crop's health and resistance.
Pull aphids away and bring in hoverflies; nasturtiums can act as a sacrificial trap.
Keep these apart
Same family, same blight — the single most important pair to keep apart on the whole plot.
Two greedy crops competing for the same food and water, and a tangle to harvest together.
Can stunt nearby potatoes and compete heavily for light and moisture.
Earthing up and digging potatoes disturbs neighbouring root crops — keep them in their own bed.
Flowers worth tucking in
The blooms that pull pests away and bring in the bees — beauty that earns its keep.
Hoverflies in, aphids down.
Sacrificial aphid trap that rambles happily between rows.
Brings in beneficial insects and copes with rough ground.
Common questions
What can I plant with potatoes?
Beans and peas are the best partners — they feed nitrogen into the soil the potatoes are hungry for. Sweetcorn shares the space well, brassicas make a good rotation neighbour, and marigolds or nasturtiums keep aphids in check. Horseradish at the corners is a traditional health booster.
Why can't you plant potatoes and tomatoes together?
They're both nightshades and share the same diseases — most importantly blight. Grown side by side, an outbreak can wipe out both crops at once. If you remember only one companion-planting rule, make it this one.
What should not be planted near potatoes?
Keep potatoes away from tomatoes (shared blight), from courgettes, squash and pumpkins (greedy competitors that make harvesting a nightmare), and from carrots and other roots that get disturbed when you earth up and dig.
Do marigolds help potatoes?
They help indirectly — marigolds bring in the hoverflies and ladybirds whose larvae eat aphids, and a ring of them brightens the patch. They're a useful supporting act alongside good rotation and healthy seed potatoes, not a cure-all.
Want the whole picture?
The complete companion planting guide →