Rhubarb is a cold-hardy perennial vegetable that will produce a harvest of delicious stalks year after year. This is one of our favorite crops that require minimal care once they are established.
Rhubard is a tart vegetable that is usually eated cooked in crisps, muffins, simple syrups, drink, and more.
In this guide we will share the best rhubarb companion plants for rhubarb as well as bad companion plants for rhubarb. These recommendations are based on our personal experience companion planting rhubarb as well as extensive research about how to grow the best rhubarb plants.
- Rhubarb leaves are poisonous when eaten in large quantities.
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What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a time-honored technique that involves cultivating different plant species in close proximity to create a harmonious and mutually beneficial ecosystem. This age-old practice not only maximizes space and promotes sustainable gardening but also helps in natural pest control and nutrient enrichment.
Many of the commonly used companion plant combinations have been handed down over the years and are the result of years of trial and error, while other companion plants are based more directly on science.
Some of the benefits of companion planting include:
- Natural Pest Control: Certain plant combinations help repel pests and insects, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and promoting a healthier, eco-friendly garden environment.
- Improved Plant Health: Companion planting can enhance soil fertility and nutrient uptake, leading to healthier and more robust plants.
- Maximized Garden Space: By strategically planting compatible species together, you can optimize space and increase overall yield in your garden.
- Weed Suppression: Some companion plants act as natural weed suppressors, minimizing weed growth and competition for nutrients.
- Enhanced Pollination: Attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies through companion planting can significantly improve fruit set and yield for many plant species.
- Disease Prevention: Certain companion plants have properties that can help prevent the spread of diseases, protecting vulnerable plants in your garden.
- Support for Climbing Plants: Companion planting can provide natural support for climbing plants, reducing the need for artificial trellises or stakes.
- Repelling Harmful Nematodes: Certain plants have the ability to repel or suppress harmful nematodes, protecting susceptible plant roots.
- Seasonal Succession Planting: Companion planting allows for seamless seasonal succession planting, maximizing the use of your garden space throughout the year.
- Enhanced Aroma: Mixing fragrant herbs and flowers in your garden can create a delightful and aromatic atmosphere.
- Complementary Growth Habits: Combining plants with different growth habits can optimize resource utilization and create a balanced garden ecosystem.
- Protection from Wind and Sun: Taller plants can offer shade and windbreak for more delicate or sun-sensitive companions, providing a microclimate that supports their growth.
- Beneficial Habitat for Beneficial Insects: Attracting beneficial insects through companion planting can help control harmful pests naturally.
See more about Companion Planting for a Better Harvest.
What are the benefits of Companion Planting Rhubarb?
Using companion plants for rhubarb offers a multitude of advantages for the rhubarb plant and the overall productivity of your garden. One of the key benefits lies in rhubarb’s natural pest-repelling properties, is that it emits substances that deter certain insects, helping to protect neighboring plants from potential infestations. Most of the benefits of companion planting rhubard are to improve the other crops, not neccessarily the rhubarb.
When strategically placed alongside heavy feeders like beans or tomatoes, rhubarb acts as an effective weed suppressor, minimizing competition for nutrients and space. The deep root system of rhubarb also aids in improving soil structure and nutrient retention, making it an excellent companion for nutrient-hungry crops.
The tall and leafy nature of rhubarb can serve as a natural shading agent for sun-sensitive plants, creating a microclimate that encourages their growth. By incorporating rhubarb into your companion planting scheme, you can create a resilient and mutually beneficial garden environment, where each plant thrives with the support of its companions.
The Best Rhubarb Companion Plants
Below you can see what to plant with rhubarb to improve the harvest of both the rhubarb and the other crops. This list include the best rhubarb companion plants
Alliums
Plants in the Allium family make a great rhubarb companion plant. Alliums are one of our favorite companion plants in general and they help to act as a natural deterrent, keeping bothersome pests like aphids, whiteflies, and weevils at bay, and even discouraging slugs from causing damage. Alliums can even help protect agains larger animals like rodents.
We grow chives and other alliums throughout the garden as a companion plant for rhubarb and other crops.
Alliums include onions, garlic, leeks, chives, ornamenal alliums, shallots and wild garlic.
Brassicas
Companion planting rhubarb with brassicas offers a range of benefits that enhance both plant groups. Rhubarb is a natural deterrent, repelling pests like cabbage worms and aphids that often plague brassicas. In return, brassicas can benefit from the nitrogen-rich soil provided by rhubarb, which aids in their growth and development. The shading effect of rhubarb leaves also helps protect young brassica seedlings from intense sunlight, preventing premature bolting.
Legumes
Companion planting rhubarb with legumes offers several benefits. Rhubarb’s natural pest-repelling properties help deter pests that can harm legumes, such as bean beetles and aphids. Meanwhile, legumes, as nitrogen-fixing plants, enrich the soil with nitrogen, providing a valuable nutrient source for rhubarb’s growth.
Strawberries
This is currently what we are companion planting with our rhubarb plants.
Rhubarb’s tall and leafy growth provides natural shading, protecting delicate strawberry plants from excessive sunlight and heat. In return, strawberries act as a living mulch, covering the soil around the rhubarb and helping to suppress weeds. This coexistence not only optimizes space but also fosters a healthier garden environment, promoting enhanced growth and flavor for both rhubarb and strawberries.
Herbs
Herbs are a great choice for a rhubarb companion plant. The strong aroma of herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage acts as a natural deterrent, keeping pests away from rhubarb. Additionally, the herbs contribute to a pleasant and aromatic garden environment. Rhubarb, with its tall and leafy nature, provides a protective shade for the herbs, creating a microclimate that encourages their growth.
Lettuce
The rhubarb’s tall and leafy growth provides natural shade for the lettuce, protecting it from intense sunlight and preventing premature bolting. In return, the shallow root system of lettuce doesn’t compete heavily with rhubarb for nutrients, allowing both plants to thrive.
Bad Companion Plants for Rhubarb
In addition to learning what grows well with rhubarb, it’s also important to know what plants you should not plant with rhubarb. Below you can see a few plants that don’t do well alongside rhubarb.
Squash
Companion planting rhubarb with squash is generally not recommended due to their differing growth habits and space requirements. Squash plants tend to spread and take up a lot of space, which can overcrowd and shade out the rhubarb. Additionally, squash plants have extensive root systems that may compete with the rhubarb for nutrients and water, potentially hindering its growth. Furthermore, the tall and leafy nature of rhubarb could hinder the squash’s access to sunlight, affecting its fruiting and overall productivity.
Melons
Companion planting rhubarb with melon is not recommended due to their vastly different growth habits and space requirements. Melon elon plants are vigorous vining plants that spread across the garden, potentially smothering and overshadowing the rhubarb. Rhubarb, on the other hand, grows upright with tall and leafy stems that might obstruct sunlight and hinder melon growth. Additionally, melon requires consistent watering and nutrient-rich soil, which could compete with the rhubarb’s needs.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are tall, sun-loving plants that can cast dense shade, hindering the growth and development of the rhubarb, which prefers partial shade. Additionally, sunflowers are heavy feeders and may compete with rhubarb for nutrients in the soil. Furthermore, the aggressive growth of sunflowers can overpower and overshadow the rhubarb, reducing its access to sunlight and hindering its productivity.
Common Questions about Companion Plan
Can rhubarb and tomatoes be planted together?
Can you plant rhubarb next to raspberries?
Looking to for More Gardening Tips and Tricks?
You can find more gardening resources on our gardening page see more on our favorite plants to grow in our vegetable garden.
Looking for more on companion planting? Check out our article on companion planting
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