What plants should never be grown near potatoes?
Written by
Olivia Mitchell
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Using the wrong companion plants for potatoes opens the door to disease and poor yields, which I learned the year blight took out mine. Some plants eat their food and leave the potato competitors, or worse, move pests to the potato bed. Knowing what these are helps protect your own patch, since simple strategies exist for keeping things secure.
Disease Carriers
- Tomatoes and eggplants share fungal blight and viruses
- Pumpkins spread powdery mildew through ground contact
- Infection risk increases by 80% when planted nearby
Resource Competitors
- Cucumbers drain phosphorus needed for tuber development
- Sunflowers release growth-inhibiting chemicals into soil
- Raspberries attract Colorado beetles that attack potatoes
Blight transmission from the tomatoes is the worst of all. They have over fifteen diseases in common. Now I separate them by a horsepower barrier of corn or beans.And, I never stay in one place for more than a year or two. Our Earth has been covered for a long time. Never plant tomatoes in a bed where tomatoes or their kind red have preceded.
Instead, use beneficial companion plants. Horseradish naturally repels Colorado beetles. Cabbage enhances the growth of potatoes without competing with them for nutrients. Planting Marigolds as border plants can help deter nematodes. Together, these three plants work to create healthier potato plants and greatly increase potato yields.
Check regularly (every week) for signs of pest migration between you and other plants. Look for beetle larvae on the underside of leaf surfaces. Cover crops with floating row covers at peak times of infestation. Remove all infested parts of the plant as soon as possible. Reasonable spacing of plants will help control most cross-contamination problems between crops.
Read the full article: How to Grow Potatoes: Essential Gardening Guide
