Best Companion Plants for Eggplants (Full List)

So, you want to grow some companion plants with your eggplant.

Did you know that companion planting, when properly done, benefits both plants in a harmonious, symbiotic relationship?

This means that both your eggplant and the partner plant will benefit together.

This can produce larger crops, offer pest protection, put more nutrients in the soil, enhance NPK, offer shade from the sun, or “grow each other” in other ways.

In other words, they help each other out just from being planted next to each other. They’ll produce more yield and grow bigger and healthier than if planted individually.

Isn’t that neat?

The venerable eggplant has a lot of different herbs, spices, vegetables, and some fruits that can be planted with it.

Let’s dive in and see which plants eggplant can be planted with.

What’s companion planting?

Companion planting is the act of simply grouping one or more different plant species together so they benefit as a whole rather than individually. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Let that sink in.

In other less-philosophical words, companion planting allows you to grow multiple plants and mix them together while they benefit each other.

It’s a science and an art to balance the ecosystem and benefit all organisms.

Some of the known benefits of companion planting include:

• Pest prevention
• Soil fertilization
• Symbiotic relationships between different plant types
• Improving flavor of the plants
• Reduce weeds
• Provide support as a trellis for other plants
• Shade sensitive plants from the sun
• Adding more NPK to the soil
• Enhance nutrients in the substrate
• Attract pollinators
• Conserves garden space (good for tiny gardens)
• Increases yield

Some people group by type of plant, like only planting vegetables together, fruits, or herbs together. Others mix it up and put different types of veggies with different types of herbs or fruits.

Just make sure that the plants are compatible and benefit each other, rather than one parasitically leaching from the other. If that fits the bill, then you’re good to go for companion planting.

In this guide, we’ll talk about what you can grow with eggplant to get the most out of all the plant species.

How to companion plant with eggplant

Eggplant’s main concern is nitrogen. They appreciate soil with a high N percentage composed of potassium or phosphate.

This is why every guide you read tells you to supplement with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, commonly read as an NPK of 15-5-10.

Choose a plant that helps benefit the eggplant by adding more nitrogen to the soil. Or choose something that helps keep bugs away. Or both.

This list will cover some of the best plants to companion plant with eggplant so you can pick and choose whatever suits your garden.

Is there anything I should know before I start?

Eggplant isn’t a good plant for beginners, so if you’re growing it while trying to companion plant, you may have some difficulties raising two species at the same time.

I would consider eggplant to be a moderate plant in terms of need. It’s not extremely hard to care for, but at the same time, it’s not easy. So if you’re new to growing eggplant, maybe you should focus your efforts on JUST that.

Eggplant requires a lot of sunlight and is picky with its nutritional profile in the soil. They also have a strict watering regimen and are commonly infested with insects.

You’ll have enough on your hands to deal with so planting two at the same time may be too much effort.

But if you’re up for the challenge or you’ve done this before, read on.

What can I companion plant with eggplant?

Eggplant is a versatile plant that can be grown with a wide variety of other plant types.

Some benefit from being grown with eggplant more than others. Here we’ll cover those companion plants that are best planted together.

Additionally, if you grow legumes or pea plants, they grow tall. This may block the sunlight your eggplant needs to thrive, so you’ll have to watch out for that.

Put your eggplants in the front of the tall plants in the back in a row so they can get the sunlight they need without blocking it.

Choose nightshade plants

Eggplant is a nightshade, which makes it the ideal candidate to be planted with other members in the same group.

They all have similar soil requirements, sunlight requirements, pH, watering, and fertilizer needs, so they go hand in hand.

At the same time, a drawback is that if you get a pest infection, all of your plants will be infested. There also may be competition between the plants since they all are similar in their nutrient needs.

But if you provide enough by using high-quality organic soil and supplementing what’s needed (use a soil meter), you can have a plot of veggies that all can be treated the same way.

Other nightshade plants that are good companions are tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.

Tomato

Tomatoes do well with eggplants and many dishes call for the same ingredients, so you can harvest and grow them together. Watch out for tall or large leaves that block the eggplant from getting its precious sunlight.

Potato (select cultivars)

Potato is a versatile crop that is pretty much a staple for a lot of recipes. Just be sure that the variety you’re planting doesn’t suck up all the nutrients and nitrogen from the soil.

You may have read online that potato isn’t compatible with eggplant, but if you do it right, it’s perfectly fine.

Be sure to check the soil’s nutrient composition often and add plant food or supplements as needed.

Mixing in some eggplant can make your dishes more flavorful. These will help cool your plants during the heated days by providing shade and prevent burning foliage.

Peppers (most cultivars)

Peppers can be planted with eggplants and the type doesn’t matter.

Grow your favorite hot peppers or mild peppers. Whatever works. They can also help keep bugs out of your plant bed. Both sweet and hot varieties have the same growing necessities and will make good partner plants.

Pepper helps aid the root system by adding a chemical that helps prevent rot and fungus under the soil.

Just be sure to constantly monitor your soil metrics using a soil meter and test it often. The competition will cause smaller crop yield and plant growth in multiple nightshade species planted together, so keep this in mind.

Also, your soul will deplete over time and will need to be reseeded with fresh soil.

So practice crop rotation when necessary (typically every 1-3 growing seasons). Keeping your crops constantly rotated and on a schedule will prevent reoccurring pests and soil competition between nightshade members.

What herbs can I plant with eggplant?

Eggplant can be grown with a variety of different herbs. Herbs are known for their strong aromatic scents and can help repel pests naturally or attract pollinators to the plot.

Herbs that can be planted with eggplant include basil, dill, and celery. These are all good eggplant companion herbs.

Because of the high sunlight and nitrogen requirements, it doesn’t play well with most herbs which will melt in direct sunlight for hours a day.

Some of the most popular herbs to plant are:

• French tarragon (repels multiple insects that commonly feed on veggies)
• Oregano
• Thyme (helps repel garden moths)
• Chamomile
• Sage
• Dill
• Catnip (good for everything)
• Rosemary
• Chamomile

All of these herbs can help control the insect population around your eggplant and deter other pests from attacking it.

These are all excellent companion plants to grow in the same plant plot. They don’t extract or compete for nutrients and will symbiotically benefit each other.

Catnip

Catnip has a special exception: Don’t plant any beans or peas next to it, because they’ll compete for the nutrients into the soil and both become stunted and not reaching their full crop yield.

Catnip should be planted with eggplant and no other legumes nearby. If you have cats, watch out.

They may step over the eggplant sprouts to get to the catnip. Use wire or fencing to prevent them from doing so.

Basil and parsley both are also for repelling bugs.

Greek oregano

Greek oregano will attract overlies, which are a predator of beetles. This can reduce the Colorado beetle population.

Cilantro

Cilantro also brings natural predators to the yard that eat beetles and can help protect your veggies from being eaten by pests.

They can be used to repel pests and keep your garden smelling great.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm is another herb that goes well with eggplants. It has a natural citrus scent to keep bugs like snails, slugs, spiders, pillbugs, and others out of your plant bed.

Beans and more beans

Bush beans, pole beans, and other legumes add nitrogen to the soil.

Eggplant benefits from this and may even eliminate the need for you to add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil if you have enough.

Use a soil meter to keep tabs on the soil’s nutrient profile because you don’t want too much nitrogen either. This can force your eggplant to produce smaller flesh and more foliage instead.

This enriches the soil and helps growth and development for more crop yield.

Peas and legumes

Peas will add more nitrogen to the soil as they collect it from the air and then put it into the substrate. If your soil is potash rich or naturally lacking N, you can plant peas to help fertilize the growing medium.

Lentils

Lentils also can be grown in the same plot as eggplant and will stimulate nitrogen production in the growing substrate. This can eliminate the need for any N supplements.

Pea plants can be cut off after their growing season so your eggplants can take over the unused space and eat the roots as compost.

Pole beans and bush beans

Pole beans also help provide a natural “trellis” for plants to climb. Vine plants will develop runners that naturally wrap around taller objects, whether they’re a plant or not.

Be careful of using pole beans around eggplants since the height of these beans will tower over them and possibly block sunlight from reaching your lowriding eggplant.

Bush beans help repel the infamous Colorado potato beetle as well.

If you’re dealing with potato beetles eating your veggies, pole beans may help keep these beetles away. Some people have trouble with Colorado beetles eating the foliage of their eggplant. Using pole beans can naturally repel them.

Squash

Squash can be planted within the same plot because it benefits from full sun to produce large fruit- just like eggplant.

They both like 6 hours or more of sunlight per day, so both plants can be sunlight hardy and planted together. Just watch out for organic matter because squash is a hungry plant.

Green beans

Green beans are easy and cheap to grow.

Plus, they’re extremely profitable by propagating them in your yard each growing season. You can use them to help keep Colorado beetles out of your yard and as a natural pest repelling plant.

Green beans can be used in the same recipes as eggplant, like eggplant string-bean stir fry. See our guide for propagating beans.

What vegetables can I plant with eggplant?

Here’s a list of vegetables that pair well with eggplants. They offer similar nutrient profiles, pest protection, or other symbiotic relationship that benefits both in some way.

Find out what grows well in your hardiness zone and go for it!

Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green that can be used for its long foliage. It’s one of the best companion plants.

The large leaflets can protect your eggplant from the harsh sunlight on sunny days over the summer.

The shade it offers is a benefit so your harvest doesn’t burn in the sun, plus it can help shield the soil from evaporating water so you water less often.

It offers shade, water retention, and also helps keep weeds out of the plot. Harvesting both spinach and eggplant together?

You got a meal, friend.

They have a symbiotic relationship as spinach helps develop the eggplant and the eggplant provides soil equalization for the spinach.

Cabbage

Cabbage can be used as a trap crop similar to nasturtium as it’ll lure insects away from your eggplant and they’ll go right to the leafy green. This works especially well against beetles like the flea beetle.

Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage attracts flea beetles and steers them away from eggplants.

They favor the cabbage over the eggplant so it can be used as a decoy plant to stop pest attacks overall.

While not cheap nor easy to grow, it can still be utilized in the garden.

Radish

Radishes are also a “rad” choice to companion plants. If you’re growing in a compact space and don’t have the room for a bunch of needy plants, radish takes up very little space and can be planted together.

Okra

Okra can help increase nitrogen concentration in the soil and has similar watering requirements as eggplant.

You can water, feed, and plant both simultaneously in the same place. Because their needs are so similar to each other, you can care for them the same.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a bitter leafy green that can be used as a pest repellent. Aphids and cabbage beetles both will stay away from your plot if you use this as a barrier crop.

Plus, it can help shield your eggplant from the scorching sun on hot days.

Although eggplant does like full sun, it doesn’t like sun that burns from direct contact all afternoon.

Amaranth

Amaranth takes up the same amount of eggplant, so they can be divided equally in the same plant bed.

If you’re looking for something that goes well in similar growing conditions to harvest, amaranth can be an excellent companion. It also helps keep the soil loose for drainage and repels some insects.

Are there any fruits I can plant with eggplant?

How about flowers?

Flowers can do very well with eggplants.

Marigold

Marigold is one of the best flowering plants to use as a partner because of its natural pest repelling properties. It also brings a ton of attention from bees and birds to help pollinate surrounding plants (and themselves).

If you have aphids, ants, flies, or flea beetles eating your eggplant, try using some marigold to help deter them. The flower also helps keep nematodes away.

Mexican marigold helps keep beetles away but will introduce toxicity to the substrate for beans and peas. So watch out for that if you’re growing multiple beans near your eggplant. Or if you plan to do so in the future.

Borage (oregano)

Borage helps keep beetle larvae and worms away. It also brings in bees and birds and can be used if you notice worms or caterpillars eating your eggplant.

Less known than its cousins, but still definitely can be useful around the garden.

Sunflowers

Another good choice is sunflowers. Versatile, easy to grow, and pretty.

Sunflowers can help bring in some pollinators to your yard, but don’t have the pest repelling power of marigolds. They’ll attract birds to your garden which will eat the beetles that may be present.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium can be grown near eggplants to help as a decoy (trap crop) to bait wandering insects.

They’ll be drawn to the nasturtium rather than the eggplant itself. It’s cheap, easy to grow, and can be sacrificed to the pests to keep your eggplant producing.

If you have a problem with aphids in your garden, they will gravitate to this plant rather than your eggplant.

Use it around the eggplant as a wall to keep aphids away. It also helps prevent weeds from sapping the nutrients in the soil from your harvest.

What about mint plants?

Mints are very good at repelling pests and keeping them away from wherever.

Some mint plants that do well with eggplant are peppermint, spearmint, and winter mint. These are all extremely easy to grow and can keep bugs away- including aphids, whiteflies, flea beetles, and more..

They also use very little water and can work on a drip system.

You can place the mints around the eggplant like a barrier to keep bugs out.

What can I NOT plant with eggplant?

There are some plants you should avoid growing next to eggplants.

They may stunt the growth, increase competition for nutrients, or even attract negative insects.

Here’s a list of what to avoid:

• Geraniums
• Corn
• Black walnut
• Fennel
• Zucchini

Further reading

Some additional references to help you get the biggest yield of eggplants every season:

• I need advice growing eggplant. : gardening – Reddit
• First time growing eggplant. : gardening – Reddit
• Growing Eggplant – Bonnie Plants

Eggplant is a friendly companion plant

Now you know all the plants that can be planted with eggplant.

This veggie can be grown with a bunch of partner plants for beneficial, symbiotic growth.

With the wide variety of plants that are compatible in the same plot of soil, you should be able to find at least a few herbs, veggies, or flowers that go well with eggplant.

What will you be planting? Let us know in the comments section below!