PlantAlong

What to plant with potatoes

Sources list Marigold and Beans as good companions for potatoes. Keep potatoes apart from Tomatoes, Zucchini, Cucumbers and Peas. None of these pairings has been tested in a study we found.

Pairings
6
Last reviewed
Photo: Pixabay / Pexels
Good neighbors first, then plants to keep apart. Each one says how strong the evidence is.

Helps

  • Marigold Traditional pairing12

    UF/IFAS ENY-056: interplanting marigolds with nematode-susceptible crops does not control nematodes and is risky; use marigold as a cover crop 2+ months before.

  • Beans Traditional pairing1

Keep apart

  • Tomatoes Extension guidance

    Shared late blight: the pathogen overwinters mainly on infected potato tubers and spreads by wind to nearby tomatoes.31

    WSU HortSense advises against planting the two close together. The UC tradition chart also lists them as incompatible (without giving a reason); we did not find a field study of planting distance.

  • Zucchini Traditional pairing1

    The chart says "squash", not zucchini by name.

  • Cucumbers Traditional pairing1

  • Peas Traditional pairing1

Traditional pairings come from a UC Master Gardener chart that traces to the UC Davis Edible Landscaping Handbook and ATTRA. The chart gives no reasons, and we found no trial of these pairs; treat them as garden lore.

Sources

  1. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCCE Master Gardener Program), Companion Planting Chart: Companion planting in the vegetable garden, File dated 2023-09 in URL path; no date printed. Retrieved 2026-11-02.
  2. University of Florida, IFAS Extension (Entomology and Nematology Department), Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) for Nematode Management (ENY-056), reviewed Reviewed November 2019; page footer "Reviewed: 01/2024". Retrieved 2026-11-02.
  3. Washington State University Extension (HortSense), Tomato: Late blight (HortSense fact sheet), reviewed Last review date: 2026-08-28. Retrieved 2026-11-02.