Cilantro Companion Plants

Cilantro Companion Plants: Choosing Good Neighbors for Your Garden

Companion planting is the simple process of growing two or more plants in close proximity for mutual benefit. This benefit can take place as pest control, a way to attract beneficial insects, to provide shade, or even as sacrificial plants. Today, we will discuss the best cilantro companion plants to grow in the garden for healthier fruit and vegetables. But first, a bit of background information on the herb cilantro!Botanically known as Coriandrum sativum, cilantro belongs to the carrot family, Apiaceae. It is grown for its leafy herb greens known as ‘cilantro’ in American English and its seed known as coriander. In other English-speaking nations, both the leaves and the seed are called coriander.Cilantro is popular in Thai, Indian, Mexican, and Chinese cuisine, is eaten fresh in salads and salsas, can be added to soups, stews, and curries, or used on its own as a herb garnish. Most people love the citrusy-parsley flavor of cilantro leaves, while for others, their genetics predispose them to find cilantro completely unpalatable, with a soapy, metallic flavor. Even if you don’t like the taste, Cilantro is a good companion plant to grow in the garden. The flowers attract beneficial insects and their aromatic foliage keeps pests away from plants you wish to protect.

Good Cilantro Companion Plants

Cilantro is a cool-season, nitrogen loving plant that prefers moisture-retentive soil. Legume family plants like beans and peas make a good companion plant to grow near cilantro. Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, an important nutrient for strong healthy growth. Added nitrogen in the form of garden compost or blood and bone is easily leached from the soil, whereas nitrogen fixed by legumes provides a constantly available supply. Peas and beans can also provide much-needed shade to cilantro which tends to bolt in hot weather. Once cilantro flowers, its leaves become bitter and inedible, but the cilantro flowers attract beneficial insects to protect their legume neighbors and the seeds can also be harvested.Other garden plants that may provide shade for cilantro include tall flowers such as cosmos, sunflowers, yarrow, coreopsis, tansy, and sweet alyssum. Even tall tomato vines can be paired with cilantro for shade as long as they’re not next to legumes, as the high nitrogen levels encourage lush leafy growth at the expense of fruit. Cilantro may also be planted near other herbs that require similar growing conditions like mint, anise, dill, parsley, and chervil. Anise also helps with cilantro seed germination.Many fruits and vegetables will grow well when planted near cilantro. Cilantro foliage has an aroma that repels aphids, flies, spider mites, moths, and potato beetles. Grow leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, spinach, and kale as well as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers next to cilantro to help ward off these pests. Cilantro also attracts beneficial insects into the garden like bees, parasitoid wasps, hoverflies, ladybugs, and lacewings which will pollinate fruiting vegetables and feast on nuisance insects.

What Not To Plant With Cilantro

Garden herbs like rosemary, thyme, and lavender that require full sun and dry, free-draining soil are not natural growing companions for cilantro. Fennel should also be avoided as it can stunt the growth of cilantro. Cilantro does not like competition for nutrients and water, so avoid planting it near aggressive spreaders like mint or chamomile.

Benefits of Companion Planting With Cilantro

Here are some of the major benefits of introducing cilantro to any garden:

• Fresh herbs – obviously, one of the best things about planting your own herbs is having them available at all times, fresh and ready to use.
• Deterring pests – cilantro is known for being able to keep damaging insects away from the surrounding area.
• Attracts beneficial bugs – predatory insects like ladybugs, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps, tend to gravitate toward cilantro.
• Protects crops – both from keeping the bad bugs out and introducing good bugs that feed unwanted pests, cilantro protects your garden and the plants you decide to plant in it.

Best Companion Plants for Cilantro

Here are some of the best plant options for cilantro companion planting:

Vegetables

Brassicas
Leafy greens like cabbage, spinach, lettuce and many more will greatly benefit from being planted next to cilantro, as it will attract beneficial insects to prey on pests like spider mites, beetles, and others.

Potatoes
Similar to the leafy veggies, potato crops will be protected when next to cilantro, which attracts natural predators to get rid of pests.

Asparagus
Cilantro will protect asparagus during its delicate growing phase by repelling insects. Also, these two plants won’t compete for food.

Herbs

Chervil
This herb will not compete with cilantro while also protecting it from cilantro-preying pests. It’s often considered the best cilantro companion plant.

Anise
Although a less popular herb, anise and cilantro go great together since cilantro is known to accelerate and improve the germination of anise seeds. Some also say anise does the same for cilantro seeds as well.

Fruit

Tomatoes
Cilantro will protect tomatoes by deterring pests, and tomatoes will provide much-needed shade and cool soil during summer. The downside is they have different nutritional needs, and tomatoes might be affected by the nitrogen-rich soil that cilantro requires.

Flowers

Sweet alyssum
This flowering plant attracts beneficial insects like lady beetles, which will feed on aphids and protect not only cilantro but also other surrounding plants.

Coreopsis
This small, daisy-like flowering plant provides shade with its dense foliage while also attracting good insects to its surroundings. It also has the benefit of being low maintenance.

Zinnias
Besides their large flower heads and dense foliage that provide shade to cilantro, these plants attract pollinators and other beneficial insects into your garden.

Legumes

Sugar snap peas
This legume supplies nitrogen to the soil, an essential nutrient for cilantro’s development and overall health. It also promotes microbe diversity, which enriches the soil by making more nutrients available.

Green beans
Green beans, much like sugar snap peas, are great as a companion plant for cilantro, as they offer shade, are nitrogen-fixing plants, and promote microbe diversity.

FAQ

1. What plants should I avoid planting with cilantro?

Herbs that require full sun and dry soil like rosemary, thyme, and lavender are not good companions for cilantro. Fennel should also be avoided as it can stunt cilantro’s growth.

2. How does cilantro attract beneficial insects?

Cilantro attracts beneficial insects like bees, parasitoid wasps, hoverflies, ladybugs, and lacewings with its small flowers. These insects will pollinate fruiting vegetables and feed on pests like aphids and spider mites.

3. What are some good shade providers for cilantro?

Tall flowers like cosmos, sunflowers, and zinnias provide good afternoon shade for cilantro. Tomato vines and leafy greens like lettuce and spinach can also offer shade.

4. Why are legumes a good companion for cilantro?

Legumes like beans and peas fix nitrogen in the soil, providing a constant supply of this essential nutrient for cilantro’s growth. They can also provide shade.

5. How does cilantro help protect other plants?

The strong aroma of cilantro foliage repels many common garden pests like aphids, flies, spider mites, moths, and potato beetles. Planting it near vegetables like brassicas, potatoes, and tomatoes helps protect them from these pests.

Source: Companion Planting