Planting avocado trees is an exciting endeavor for many garden enthusiasts. They’re rich in healthy fats, delicious, and can provide an abundant harvest when grown under optimal conditions.
However, what if you could enhance the productivity, health, and resilience of your avocado trees with the strategic use of companion plants? Well, you can. Here’s our guide to the 17 best companion plants for avocado trees.
17 Best Companion Plants for Avocado
The process of choosing the right companion plants for your avocado trees is vital to enhancing their health and productivity. Here are the 17 best companion plants for avocado:
- **Marigold**: A vibrant protector, the marigold’s potent aroma deters various insects and nematodes.
- **Chives**: This subtle helper masks the scent of the avocado tree, confusing pests, while attracting beneficial pollinators.
- **Beans**: Known as nitrogen-fixing powerhouses, beans boost the overall health and vitality of avocado trees.
- **Lemon Balm**: As an aromatic guardian, lemon balm deters pests and outcompetes weeds.
- **Borage**: Attracting bees with its striking blue flowers, borage also improves soil structure and nutrient accessibility.
- **Cilantro**: Serving dual purposes, cilantro deters unwanted insects and attracts beneficial ones.
- **Nasturtium**: This pest distractor diverts pests away from avocado trees and attracts pollinators with its vibrant flowers.
- **Tansy**: Known for its strong scent, tansy is particularly effective at keeping ants at bay.
- **Radish**: An unexpected friend, radishes suppress weeds and repel beetles and nematodes.
- **Dill**: Beneficial insects, especially wasps, are attracted to dill, offering an ecological method of pest management.
- **Comfrey**: Enhancing soil health with its nutrient-packed leaves, comfrey provides a nourishing foundation for avocado trees.
- **Yarrow**: With its deep root system, yarrow improves soil quality and attracts beneficial insects for natural pest control.
- **Sunflower**: Providing shade and acting as a natural wind barrier, sunflowers also attract a variety of beneficial insects.
- **Fennel**: An irresistible draw for pollinators, fennel assists in the essential process of avocado pollination.
- **Mint**: The strong scent of mint acts as a potent force against unwanted insects such as ants and aphids.
- **Rue**: Though requiring careful handling, rue’s distinct odor effectively wards off detrimental pests.
Remember, the key is to choose companion plants that complement the needs and growth habits of your avocado trees.
Understanding Companion Planting with Avocados
The strategy of companion planting is about cultivating plants in proximity to each other for mutual benefit. Companion plants can ward off pests, attract beneficial insects, or enhance soil health. They can even improve the yield and health of your avocado trees.
The key to successful companion planting with avocados lies in selecting the right partners that complement the needs and growth habits of the avocado tree. A wisely chosen companion plant can have a significant positive impact on your avocado yield.
Marigold – A Vibrant Protector
Marigolds bring a burst of color to your garden and play a protective role for your avocado trees. The potent aroma they emit serves as an effective repellent to a wide range of insects, keeping them at bay.
Even more beneficial, marigolds are known to deter nematodes, which are common and troublesome pests for avocado trees. So, not only do marigolds enhance the aesthetics of your garden, but they also protect your avocado trees from harmful pests.
Chives – A Subtle Helper
Don’t underestimate the power of chives in your garden. Beyond their culinary use, chives are a beneficial companion to avocado trees. The strong, onion-like aroma of chives serves as a natural deterrent against a variety of pests, masking the scent of the avocado tree and confusing potential invaders.
The attractive flowers of chives are also a bonus, luring helpful pollinators to your garden. They work subtly in the background, providing a layer of defense for your avocado trees while adding beauty and flavor to your garden.
Beans – Nitrogen-Boosting Friends
Beans are well-known as a nitrogen-fixing powerhouse in the garden. They have a unique ability to take nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a form that is readily usable by other plants, like avocado trees.
This remarkable process reduces the necessity for added chemical fertilizers, promoting a more natural, healthier garden. With beans as a companion plant, you can expect your avocado trees to flourish, exhibiting robust growth and vitality.
Lemon Balm – Aromatic Guardian
Lemon balm, known for its delightful scent, plays a crucial role in protecting avocado trees. As an aromatic guardian, it produces a natural fragrance that deters various pests from infesting your trees.
In addition to its pest repelling properties, it’s a fast-growing herb that outcompets weeds that may try to encroach on your avocado trees’ space. The growth rate of lemon balm not only preserves the overall health of your avocado trees but also contributes to maintaining a tidy, well-manicured garden.
Borage – The Bee Attractor
The striking blue flowers of borage make it an attractive herb that lures pollinators like bees to your garden. This not only promotes efficient pollination for your avocado trees but also results in a more vibrant and lively garden scene.
Borage plants also have an added benefit of deep-rooted structures that enhance the soil by improving its structure and making nutrients more accessible for surrounding plants, including your avocado trees.
Cilantro – Dual-purpose Companion
Cilantro works two-fold in its role as a companion to avocado trees. Its potent fragrance deters a host of unwanted insects, safeguarding your trees from potential harm. Simultaneously, this herb is a magnet for beneficial insects such as ladybugs, creating a natural line of defense against pests.
To top it off, cilantro offers culinary benefits, making it a useful addition to your garden. By planting cilantro alongside your avocado trees, you ensure a protective barrier and add a fresh ingredient to your kitchen.
Nasturtium – Pest Distractor
Sporting bright colors, the nasturtium plant functions as a “trap crop” that diverts pests away from your avocado trees. In addition to its decoy role, the blossoms of the nasturtium are attractive to pollinators, thus fostering enhanced fruit production for your avocado trees.
By integrating nasturtiums into your garden, you’ll gain not only an eye-catching plant that brings color and vitality but also a strategic partner that helps safeguard your avocado trees from harmful pests.
Tansy – The Insect Repellant
An excellent choice for your avocado garden is tansy, recognized for its insect-repelling abilities. Its secret lies in the strong scent it emits, which is particularly effective at keeping ants at bay.
This is crucial as ants are notorious for transporting aphids to your precious avocado trees. With its potent fragrance, tansy assists in maintaining a pest-free environment for your avocados to thrive.
Radish – Unexpected Friend
You might not typically consider radishes as a companion to your avocado trees, but they offer unique benefits. Fast-growing radishes act as natural weed suppressors, taking up space that might otherwise be invaded by unwanted growth.
Notably, radishes also repel pesky beetles and nematodes, which can harm your avocado trees’ health. Despite being an unconventional choice, planting radishes alongside your avocado trees could provide unexpected advantages for your garden.
Dill – Beneficial Insect Attractor
Incorporating dill into your avocado garden comes with the significant advantage of attracting beneficial insects. Particularly, wasps, which are natural predators to a range of garden pests. This establishes an effective, ecological method of pest management, reducing the need for synthetic pesticides.
As these beneficial insects are lured to the dill, they inadvertently contribute to a healthier, pest-free environment for your avocado trees. Furthermore, dill adds a delicate, feathery texture and anise-like aroma to your garden, enhancing its overall aesthetics.
Comfrey – Soil Enhancer
Comfrey is a key player in maintaining a nutrient-rich environment for your avocado trees. Its deep roots delve into the subsoil, drawing out essential nutrients that are then stored in the plant’s leaves. These nutrient-packed leaves can be used as compost or mulch, serving as a natural fertilizer to enrich the surrounding soil.
This process aids in providing a nourishing foundation for your avocado trees to grow and produce bountifully. Hence, integrating comfrey into your garden setup offers a sustainable, organic way to enhance soil health and boost your avocado tree’s overall growth and productivity.
Yarrow – A Helpful Neighbor
Yarrow is a powerful companion plant for avocado trees. Its deep root system works to improve the quality of your soil, making it a better environment for your avocados to thrive. Its flowers, in contrast to the lush green of the avocado tree, add a burst of color to your garden.
More importantly, yarrow’s flowers are a hot spot for beneficial insects. These helpful critters are attracted to yarrow and in turn provide natural pest control for your garden, contributing to the health and productivity of your avocado trees.
Sunflower – Tall and Supportive
Sunflowers stand as silent sentinels in your garden, their tall stalks providing much-needed shade for your younger avocado trees. Their height also offers another advantage – acting as a natural wind barrier to safeguard your avocado trees from any wind damage.
In addition, these sun-loving plants attract a variety of beneficial insects to your garden, aiding in the healthy development and growth of your avocado trees.
Therefore, by incorporating sunflowers, you’re not only bringing a vibrant splash of color to your garden but also a supportive companion for your avocados.
Fennel – Pollinator Magnet
The distinct, sweet aroma and yellow flowers of fennel make it an irresistible draw for pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Their frequent visits to the fennel plants aid in the essential process of pollination for your avocado flowers, increasing the likelihood of a successful fruit set.
Not only does the presence of fennel encourage a bustling hub of pollinators, but it also adds a touch of visual interest to your garden with its feathery foliage and vibrant flowers. Therefore, the addition of fennel serves as both an aesthetic and functional companion to your avocado trees.
Mint – Aromatic Deterrent
The strong, refreshing scent of mint is a potent force in keeping unwanted insects such as ants and aphids at bay, offering a protective shield for your avocado trees. But gardeners beware – mint is known for its aggressive, invasive growth habits.
To prevent mint from overrunning other plants in your garden, consider planting it in a container or confined area. This approach allows you to harness mint’s pest deterrent properties while managing its expansion. Remember, it’s all about balance in creating a healthy, harmonious avocado garden.
Rue – A Potent Ally
Rue stands as a strong ally in your avocado garden. Its strong, distinct odor works effectively to ward off detrimental pests such as aphids and beetles, providing a line of defense for your avocado trees.
While its benefits are notable, gardeners should exercise caution. Rue can trigger skin irritations when handled directly. This potent ally, though requiring mindful care, plays a crucial role in maintaining a pest-free environment for your avocado trees to thrive.
Companion Plants for Avocado FAQs
**Q: Can you plant avocado trees with any other tree?**
A: Avocado trees have certain growth needs and can potentially compete with other trees for resources. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose companion plants or trees that complement the needs and growth habits of avocado trees.
**Q: Do all companion plants repel pests?**
A: No, not all companion plants repel pests. Some companion plants, like beans and comfrey, improve soil health and nutrients, while others, like sunflowers and fennel, attract beneficial insects. Each companion plant offers unique benefits to avocado trees.
**Q: Can you use multiple types of companion plants?**
A: Absolutely! You can combine different companion plants to meet the various needs of your avocado trees. For example, marigold can deter pests, while beans can enhance soil health.
**Q: Does the size of the companion plant matter?**
A: Yes, the size of the companion plant can influence its effectiveness. For instance, taller plants like sunflowers can provide shade and act as wind barriers.
**Q: Can companion plants harm avocado trees?**
A: While companion plants are generally beneficial, some plants like mint can become invasive if not properly managed. It’s important to balance the benefits of each companion plant with the needs of your avocado trees.
**Q: How close should companion plants be to avocado trees?**
A: There’s no hard-and-fast rule as it can depend on the specific companion plant and the needs of the avocado tree. It’s best to refer to the planting instructions for each specific plant.
