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Best and Worst Companion Plants for Pole Beans

Increase Crop Yields, Improve Soil Health, Use Garden Space Efficiently and Keep Pests at Bay

Beans, Black Beans, Bush Beans, Cannellini Beans, Cranberry Beans, French Beans, Green Beans, Kidney Beans, Lima Beans, Navy Beans, Pinto Beans, Pole Beans, Snap Beans, String Beans, Wax Beans

A staple in many vegetable gardens and kitchens, beans are members of the pea family, along with peas, peanuts, and lentils. Rich in health benefits and delicious, they are easy to grow and enrich the soil thanks to their nitrogen-fixing capabilities.

What are Pole Beans?

Beans are classified by growth habit into two major groups: bush beans (dwarf) and pole beans (climbing).

Pole beans grow as tall twining climbers, usually up to 10-15 feet tall (300-450 cm). They require trellis, tepees, or bamboo supports to stay upright. Pole beans need more time than bush beans to produce beans. However, they yield more beans over a longer period and are more disease-resistant.

Learn more about the differences between bush beans and pole beans

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is an organic method of preventing or protecting plants from pests and diseases, attracting the right types of insects for pollination, enhancing nutrient uptake, and increasing crop production simply by growing specific plants near each other. In essence, companion planting helps bring a balanced ecosystem to your landscape, allowing nature to do its job.

Benefits of Companion Planting

1. Organic Pest control
Some plants can emit scents that either repel insects, attract them, or confuse insects or disease organisms in search of their favorite host plants. They make insects less likely to land on your garden vegetables.

2. Attracts beneficial insects
Some plants help attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, bees, and butterflies, that pollinate and help control harmful bugs. Beneficial insects feed on common garden pests, like aphids and caterpillars.

3. Provides necessary shade
Tall sun-loving plants offer shade to smaller shade-loving plants. This results in better products and can also potentially provide pest control. A good example is The Three Sisters Garden. Practiced by Native Americans thousands of years ago, this garden includes corn, beans, and squash. The tall corn provides shade for the lower squash but also stops the squash vine borer beetle.

4. Shelters plants
Some plants can provide windbreaks and prevent soil erosion. Strong winds can damage gardens by removing mulch, topsoil, and eroding beds and hillsides. Rain can also cause severe damage by beating down young seedlings. By carefully selecting the right ground cover, you can help prevent soil erosion.

5. Provides natural supports
Some companion plants can physically support each other, reducing the need for staking. The example of planting corn, beans, and squash together applies here again. Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines.

6. Saves space
Interplanting different crops greatly maximizes space and improves productivity in small gardens.

7. Enhances flavors
Some plants can subtly enhance the flavor of other plants. Most herbs have been found to enhance the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown nearby, and Basil grown beside tomatoes is an excellent example. Similarly, chamomile has an aromatic scent that is believed to improve the growth and flavor of cabbages, cucumbers, and onions when grown beside them.

8. Better soil quality and fertility
Some crops help fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce fertilizer needs. Similarly, planting plants with different root structures together can aerate the soil and allow plants to pull nutrients from different parts of the soil.

Not only can companion planting helps your plants to grow better, but it also makes the vegetable garden more attractive thanks to the addition of colorful flowers that help or hinder nearby vegetables. Companion planting combines beauty and purpose to create an enjoyable, healthy environment.

Guide Information

Genus Phaseolus

Excellent companion plants for Pole Beans

Anethum graveolens (Dill)
Borago officinalis (Borage)
Cucumis sativus (Cucumber)
Cucurbita pepo – Zucchini
Lactuca sativa (Lettuce)
Nepeta cataria (Catnip)
Ocimum basilicum (Sweet Basil)
Origanum vulgare (Oregano)
Pisum sativum (Pea)
Raphanus sativus (Radish)
Rheum rhabarbarum (Rhubarb)
Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
Satureja hortensis (Summer Savory)
Solanum melongena (Eggplant)
Zea mays (Corn)

Why are they excellent companion plants for pole beans?

  • Basil is a valuable addition to the vegetable garden and an excellent companion plant for beans.
  • Borage flowers are pretty and attract beneficial insects, and can deter pests from your beans. As a bonus, they are edible.
  • Catnip attracts beneficial insects and helps to repel flea beetles, a common pest found on many vegetable crops, including beans.
  • Chamomile attracts hoverflies and wasps, repels Mexican bean beetles, and accumulates calcium, potassium, and sulfur, later returning them to the soil. Growing chamomile is considered a tonic for anything you grow in the garden.
  • Corn benefits from the nitrogen added to the soil by the beans. In addition, Pole beans may be planted with corn to climb on their stalks.
  • Cucumbers are great to plant with beans—the two plants like the same conditions: warmth, rich soil, and plenty of moisture.
  • Dill attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps and repels aphids, Mexican bean beetles, and spider mites to some degree.
  • Eggplants growing among green beans will be protected from the Colorado potato beetle since the beetles find the beans repellent. In addition, beans help the eggplant receive enough nutrients by fixing the nitrogen and increasing the nutrients in the soil.
  • Fruit trees (apricot, peach, nectarine) do better with nitrogen-fixing plants like beans planted at the base of the trees.
  • Marigolds in bean rows help repel the Mexican bean beetle.
  • Nasturtium deters bean beetle pests.
  • Oregano planted with beans enhances their flavors. It also attracts hoverflies and Syrphidae and repels aphids.
  • Petunias repel garden pests such as tomato worms, beetles of Mexican beans, aphids, leafhoppers, and asparagus beetles.
  • Pumpkins can be planted near beans. When these creepers establish themselves, they suppress weeds. This benefits their companion plants by allowing them to get their required nutrients without the competition of weeds.
  • Rhubarb protects beans against the black fly.
  • Rosemary repels insects and is good at deterring carrot flies, bean beetles, and cabbage moths.
  • Spinach benefits from the natural shade provided by the beans.
  • Summer savory improves the growth and flavor of beans and deters bean beetles. It is good to attract honey bees too.

Worst Companion Plants for Pole Beans

Allium cepa (Onion)
Allium sativum (Garlic)
Allium schoenoprasum (Chives)
Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’
Beta vulgaris (Beet)
Capsicum annuum (Pepper)
Foeniculum vulgare (Fennel)
Solanum lycopersicum (Tomato)

Why are they bad companion plants for pole beans?

  • Do not plant beans near garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, shallots, peppers, wormwood, fennel, or gladioli.
  • Alliums such as garlic, onions, chives, leeks, scallions, and shallots will stunt the growth of the beans.
  • Beets are beneficial to Bush beans. However, pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth.
  • Fennel. Most plants dislike fennel, and it has an inhibiting effect on them.
  • Do not plant pole beans with broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, beet, and tomatoes.

Discover These Helpful Guides for Further Reading

Bush Beans or Pole Beans – Which One Should You Grow?
Best and Worst Companion Plants for Bush Beans
Best and Worst Companion Plants for Fava Beans
Why Beans Are Good for Your Health
Companion Planting With Annuals
Best and Worst Companion Plants for Tomatoes
Wonderful Plants That Repel Insects
Best and Worst Companion Plants for Basil
Best and Worst Companion Plants for Lettuce
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Phaseolus (Beans)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Genus Phaseolus
Compare All Phaseolus (Beans)
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