Companion Plant Guide
Carrot
Nitrogen fixing benefits carrot.
Vegetable · Legume family
Pea companion plants
Pisum sativum
What to plant with peas, what to keep apart, and how to grow them — sun, spacing, soil and the reason behind every pairing.
Photo: Michelle Tresemer on Unsplash
Overview
Growing peas beside the right neighbour
Pea (Pisum sativum) is a vegetable in the Legume family. Cool-season legume that fixes nitrogen for other plants.
Follow peas with a hungry crop — the nitrogen they leave behind is free feed.
Give plants 2–3 in in sun or part shade. Aim for well-draining, moderate fertility. In most gardens the crop sits in USDA zones 2-11 and is ready in about 60-70 days.
Grows well with
What to plant with peas
The best companion plants for peas in this guide are Carrot, Turnip, Corn, Radish, and Cucumber. Each pairing below is a reason to share a bed — pest masking, roots that do not compete, or insects that hunt the pests drawn to peas.
Turnip
Root crop benefits from nitrogen.
Corn
Natural trellis and nitrogen fixation.
Radish
Fast crop that uses the row before the peas spread.
Cucumber
Cucumbers use the nitrogen peas leave behind.
Keep apart
What not to plant with peas
Keep peas away from Onion and Garlic. These neighbours compete for the same food, release chemicals that stunt growth, or otherwise hold the crop back.
Onion
Inhibits pea growth.
Garlic
Alliums stunt peas and slow nitrogen fixation.
In the bed
How to grow peas
| Sun | Sun or part shade |
|---|---|
| Spacing | 2–3 in |
| Soil | Well-draining, moderate fertility |
| Hardiness | Zones 2-11 |
| Days to maturity | 60-70 |
These notes sit beside the companion lists — they are how pea actually occupies the bed, not a substitute for local climate.
- Sow in early spring for spring crop
- Provide trellis or fence for climbing
- Harvest pods when young and tender
- Nitrogen fixation benefits next crop
Questions
Pea companion planting FAQ
What can I plant next to peas?
Plant Carrot, Turnip, Corn, Radish, and Cucumber beside peas. Carrot: Nitrogen fixing benefits carrot. Turnip: Root crop benefits from nitrogen. Corn: Natural trellis and nitrogen fixation. Radish: Fast crop that uses the row before the peas spread. Cucumber: Cucumbers use the nitrogen peas leave behind.
What should I not plant with peas?
Keep peas apart from Onion and Garlic. Onion: Inhibits pea growth. Garlic: Alliums stunt peas and slow nitrogen fixation.
How much sun do pea plants need?
Pea plants want sun or part shade. Space them 2–3 in apart in well-draining, moderate fertility.
How long do pea plants take to mature?
Most pea plants are ready in about 60-70 days. Pea grows in USDA hardiness zones 2-11.
Compare every pairing at a glance
Open the guide, pick pea, and see what thrives alongside it — and what quietly holds it back.
Open the pairing guide