Companion planting with eggplant can boost your plants’ growth, improve their flavor, and reduce pest issues. But how does it work? What should you grow alongside your eggplant, and what should you avoid?
First, it’s good to know that eggplant belongs to the nightshade family—just like tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.
Below, you’ll find a list of eggplant companion plants that help prevent pests and diseases—plus a rundown of what to keep far from your eggplant bed.
Eggplant Companion Plants for a Better Harvest
Peas: A great match for eggplant! Since peas prefer cooler weather and eggplant loves heat, plant peas first, then add eggplant around them. Once peas finish producing, trim them above the soil—this frees up space for the eggplant to take over.
Beans: Like peas, beans are nitrogen-fixing legumes. All types—pole beans, green beans, bush beans—work well with eggplant.
Peppers: Both hot and sweet peppers pair nicely with eggplant. Since they’re in the same nightshade family, they have similar nutrient needs. Bonus: Hot peppers help prevent Fusarium infections in the soil.
Tomatoes: Another nightshade buddy! Just make sure tomato plants don’t shade your eggplant—plan your garden spacing carefully.
Spinach: These two help each other out—spinach boosts eggplant’s health, while eggplant provides shade for spinach in the summer heat.
Eggplant Companion Plants for Pest Control
Flea beetles are my biggest eggplant pest—they’ll demolish seedlings before they even get started. Wormwood can help, but since it’s invasive, plant it around the garden’s edge. My best defense? Diatomaceous earth (applied early, before flowering).
Colorado potato beetles also attack eggplants (since they’re nightshades). Luckily, green beans planted nearby can repel them.
Other beetle-deterring plants:
- Tansy, nasturtiums, coriander
- French tarragon (keeps multiple insects away)
- Thyme (deters garden moths)
- Mexican marigolds (great for eggplants and most crops—they repel beetles and diseases).
What NOT to Plant with Eggplant
Eggplant isn’t too picky, but fennel is a no-go. (Fennel doesn’t play nice with many plants, so just keep it separate.)
After harvesting, check out these guides:
- 50+ Eggplant Recipes
- How to Preserve Eggplant
- How to Store Eggplant for Best Results
- Vegetarian Baked Eggplant “Meatballs” (Watch the video below!)