How to Plant Onions Next to Other Vegetables

Onions grow well with many other kinds of vegetables.

Onions create the base of many meals, and growing your own onions in a vegetable garden can be an economical way to have a rich supply throughout the year. While you can place onions in one row or bed all to themselves, they also grow well scattered in the garden with other vegetable plants, so long as the other vegetables can tolerate them. To plant onions next to other vegetables, you'll want to select the right companion plants for your onions, and space them accordingly to make a diverse garden bed.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Compost
• Onion sets
• Vegetable plant seedlings

Instructions

1. Select the vegetables you want to grow alongside your onions. Suitable vegetables include beets, lettuce, strawberries, summer savory, tomatoes and peppers. Do not plant beans or peas next to your onions.

2. Dig the bed area where you will be planting to loosen the soil 8 inches deep. Layer 3 inches of compost over the bed, and dig the soil to mix the compost into the soil.

3. Plan where you want the vegetable you selected in Step 1 to be placed and where you want the onions to go inside your prepared bed. Onions can run between large plants, be set staggered and interspersed with smaller plants or placed around the perimeter of the bed. If planting with tall plants, place the onions facing south.

4. Plant your onion sets starting in early spring 3 to 5 inches apart approximately an inch deep into the soil and cover lightly. Leave sufficient spacing for your selected vegetables based on their variety's needs and plant your other vegetables when suitable to do so, which may be up to a month after the onions were planted.

5. Water the garden often to keep the soil moist as the onions and other vegetables grow for the first month or two. Once you see new growth on your onions and companion plants, switch to heavier watering once or twice a week.

Tips & Warnings

• Before treating the blended garden area with any pesticides or fungicides check the packaging to make sure the product is suitable for both the onions and the companion vegetable.

• Avoid placing onions with other bulb or tuber plants, such as potatoes and carrots, which mature slowly and may compete for growing space and water.

References

• "Vegetable Gardening: Your Ultimate Guide"; Robert J. Dolezal; 2000
• "Growing Fruit and Vegetables"; Richard Bird; 2003