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How to Use Onions in Companion Planting

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In the organic home garden, it is easy to use onions as a companion plant. Companion planting is a technique in which plants are planted near each other to benefit one, or both, plants. Onions fit in well with this and can easily be tucked in where appropriate and take up very little space. Due to the amount of time until they can be harvested (usually not until late summer, early fall), they will provide protection throughout many plants' growing seasons. They thrive in well-draining soil that retains moisture. They perform well if a little compost is mixed into the soil but do not require rich soil. They prefer soil with a pH balance between 6.0 and 7.5.

Things You Will Need

Onions
Garden gloves
Garden hose
Garden spade

Plant onions near fruit trees, theyfend off some diseases. Onions help apple trees fight off apple scab.

Onion also makes a good companion plant to strawberries as it helps them ward off disease and many harmful garden pests.

Plant them throughout the organic garden to ward off pests such as aphids, slugs, carrot flies and cabbage worms.

Carrots and onions make good companion plants for each other as their smell will confuse the carrot flies.

Plant them near other vegetables such as tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi to assist in pest control and disease reduction.They need very little room to grow and will mature nicely amongst the foliage of these vegetables.By the time the last of the broccoli and cabbage are ready to harvest in the cool fall weather, the onions will also be ready for harvesting.

Plant onions away from green beans, peas, asparagus and parsley. They are not good companion plants for these vegetables, they will interfere with growth and production of these plants in the organic garden.