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Lettuce is a improbable leafy inexperienced vegetable. Not solely are you able to pop it right into a sandwich or salad, nevertheless it additionally works splendidly in kitchen gardens, rising rapidly and producing many leaves—which might be why pests prefer it a lot. Because of this, lettuce is a superb candidate for companion planting, whereby crops are grown collectively to profit each species.
The perfect lettuce companion crops embrace a various array of choices, from lovely flowers which might be nice bug-repelling crops to different greens. However not all crops make a very good companion for lettuce. With this in thoughts, we reached out to gardening specialists to search out out precisely what crops they suggest rising with lettuce to make sure this tasty crop thrives.
- Annette Thurmon, founding father of Azure Farm and writer of Easy Nation Dwelling.
- Kemp Harper, inside designer and gardener behind the favored Instagram account, The Colonial on Park.
- Nancy Trautz-Awot, horticulturist at Burpee, an organization that grows and sells flowers, shrubs, edible crops, and gardening provides.
Beets
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Beets (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) get alongside rather well with lettuce. “They’ll coexist with lettuce with out competing for a similar vitamins, and their leaves can present some shade,” says Annette Thurmon, writer and founding father of Azure Farm.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 1 to 2 ft tall x 1 foot broad
- Care necessities: Full to partial solar; loamy, sandy, silt, moist, well-drained soil
Nasturtiums
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Not solely are they lovely, however nasturtiums (Tropaeolum spp.) naturally deter pests from the backyard. “These appeal to aphids away from lettuce and entice helpful predatory bugs,” Thurmon says. “Nasturtium flowers are edible too.”
- Zones: 9 to 11
- Measurement: 1 to 10 ft tall x 1 to three ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; moist however well-drained soil
Marigolds
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Speak about flower energy. Marigolds (Tagetes) can defend your lettuce (and plenty of different crops) from pests like aphids, beetles, and nematodes whereas additionally attracting helpful bugs. Kemp Harper, inside designer and gardener, suggests planting them as a protecting border round your lettuce patch. The blooms emit a scent that helps deter bugs from coming into, Harper says.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 5 inches to 4 ft tall, relying on the species x 6 inches to 1 foot broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; well-draining soil
Garlic
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Garlic (Allium sativum) is nice within the backyard for a lot of causes however is particularly useful as a companion plant to lettuce. “This allium repels pests like aphids and slugs—each of which assault lettuce,” says Nancy Trautz-Awot, a horticulturist at Burpee.
- Zones: 4 to 9
- Measurement: 12 to 18 inches tall x 1 foot broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; moist, well-drained soil
Strawberries
Sharing area properly, strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) are a helpful companion plant for lettuce. “Their roots have completely different depths and progress habits,” says Trautz-Awot. And they’re surprisingly efficient at averting pests. “Strawberries additionally appeal to helpful bugs similar to parasitic wasps and predation mites.”
- Zones: 5 to eight
- Measurement: 8 to 12 ft tall x 1 to 2 ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; sandy loam, well-drained soil
Bush Beans
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Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are nice for newbie gardeners since they’re really easy to develop, plus they may also help your lettuce crops. “These crops launch nitrogen into the soil, a chemical compound nice for lettuce,” says Harper.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 2 ft tall
- Care necessities: Full solar; clay or silt loam soil
Arugula
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Certain, arugula (Eruca vesicaria) and lettuce pair nice in a salad, says Harper, however in addition they make nice backyard mates for his or her comparable soil preferences. “Each crops like cool soil,” he says. On the identical time, since lettuce is taller, it could possibly supply shade to arugula, which prefers much less solar, making lettuce good for arugula as properly.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 2 ft tall to three ft tall, relying on the species x 1.5 ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar to half shade; loamy, moist, well-drained soil
Carrots
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Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) develop deeper in soil than lettuce. Consequently, carrots churn the soil for different crops. “Carrots assist to interrupt up and loosen soil from beneath the bottom,” says Harper. “This helps your lettuces not fall to root rot.” Thurmon agrees, noting that “carrots enhance soil aeration and permit lettuce roots to develop extra simply.”
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 3 to 36 inches tall x 2 to three inches broad
- Care necessities: Full solar to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil
Tomatoes
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Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are nice for creating shade, one thing lettuce loves. “Lettuces can develop into careworn and ‘bolt,’ making them inedible and really bitter,” says Harper. The tomatoes in his backyard prepare on a big obelisk construction, offering shade to the remainder of the crops like lettuce.
- Zones: 3 to 11
- Measurement: 3 to 10 ft tall x 1 to 4 ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; loamy, well-drained soil
Radishes
As a result of they develop so quickly, radishes (Raphanus sativus) can inadvertently make room for lettuce. “Radishes develop rapidly and could be harvested earlier than lettuce, releasing up area and lowering competitors for vitamins,” says Thurmon.
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 6 to eight inches tall x 1 to 2 ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; loamy, sandy, moist, well-drained soil
Peas
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Like different nice backyard crops, peas (Pisum sativum) add vitamins to the soil. “Peas are legumes which suggests they will repair nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil,” says Thurmon. “This may also help enhance soil well being and supply crucial vitamins for progress and improvement of lettuce.”
- Zones: 2 to 11
- Measurement: 12 to 18 inches tall x 6 inches to 1 foot broad
- Care necessities: Full to partial solar; moist, well-drained soil
Basil
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Basil could make the crops that develop beside it style higher. “It will possibly improve the flavour of lettuce when planted close by,” says Thurmon. “Plus, it could possibly repel pests like aphids and thrips.”
- Zones: 10 to 11
- Measurement: 18 to 24 inches tall x 1 to 2 ft broad
- Care necessities: Full solar; wealthy soil
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