Mint Companion Plants – What to Plant with Mint

Mint Companion Plants – What to Plant with Mint

Mint is a fabulous, refreshing herb that many people, me included, like to grow. This voracious herb is perfect for adding zing to many recipes, making the perfect mojito or super mint lemonade. Not only that, but mint is a master at keeping the pests away from the other plants in your garden.  However, you’ll want to grow more than just mint in your garden and that’s where companion planting comes in.  This method of planting, also known as polyculture, is about helping all your plants, whether they’re herbs, vegetables, fruits or indeed any plant, grow bigger, better and healthier.  Today we’re going to cover mint companion planting.  First, though, I’ll cover an introduction to companion planting and then I’ll describe what you need to look for in good companion plants for mint.  And finally, I’ll walk you through what are good companion plants for mint and which are bad and specifically what to plan with mint.

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There are a lot of plants that work really well with mint. Some plants don’t do well with mint at all. So, keep reading and I’ll go through what companion planting is, what you need to look for in companion plants and which plants work well with mint and which don’t.

If you’re looking for my guides on growing mint, then you’ll find them here:

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What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is the process of planting multiple crops in the same garden. It goes a bit further than that, though. For companion planting to work, you need to make sure that the plants will all get along.  Some plants will work together so that each species grows better. However, some plants simply don’t work together. Their growing requirements are too similar so they end up competing for nutrients.

There are a variety of reasons why certain plants do or don’t work well together, and we’ll go into that a bit later. The bottom line is that if you plant crops together that work together, your garden will likely grow better than you’ve ever seen it before.

Read my overview Companion Planting Guide for full details if you want to understand the detail, or continue reading for specifics about what to plant with mint, what not to plant with mint and how mint companion planting can help your garden.

How Companion Planting Works with Mint

There are five main reasons for companion planting mint.  These are

  • Deterring pests & attracting pollinators
  • Increasing nutrient supply
  • Structural support for weaker plants
  • Weed suppression
  • Shade for shorter plants

Let’s cover some of the key aspects of these reasons for using companion planting with mint and I’ll give you examples and then we’ll go onto what to plant with mint for the best results.  The main reasons for companion planting mint with other crops are to deter pests and attract pollinators

Companion Plant Mint to deter Pests

Mint, whether it’s spearmint, regular garden mint or peppermint produces a very strong aroma.  This strong aroma is displeasing to pests like insects and rodents.  The strong aroma of mint can often prevent such pests from entering your garden in the first place.  When planted among other crops, mint can deter pests from landing and feeding on their neighbours.

For some pests, the smell will simply confuse them. They don’t want to eat the mint itself, and the overwhelming aroma prevents them from finding the plant they really want. In other cases, the smell is simply too strong and they just don’t want to get near it.

Companion Plant Mint to attract Pollinators

Pollinators, however, tend to like the smell of mint and will actively seek it out. Spearmint, Peppermint and other aromatic crops are great for attracting pollinators to the garden. If you plant mint, you’re likely to see an increase in bee and butterfly visitors to your garden.

Along with pollinators, other good bugs may be attracted. Many aromatic plants, like mint, will attract ladybirds. Ladybirds aren’t pollinators, but they’re useful for eating pests, which helps if the smell of the mint didn’t put off the bugs that want to eat your plants!

What to Consider When Looking For Mint Companion Plants?

Mint grows very quickly and can easily smother the other plants in your garden.  Of course, some plants are compatible with mint, and there are ways to ensure that your mint doesn’t grow out of control.

When mint companion planting, you’ll want to keep in mind that some plants will do better with mint than others. So, what characteristics should you be looking out for when looking for a companion for your mint?  The main consideration is the voracity of the mint.

Consider Roots when Companion Planting with Mint

Mint has thick rhizomes that spread horizontally underneath the ground. They spread vigorously and can quickly overtake any garden. Because of this, you won’t want to get any plants with thin or delicate underground root systems. Rosemary is not, for example, a good plant to place near mint.  It is better to stick to plants that have a hardier and sturdier underground root system, or plants with an aboveground root system.

Companion Planting Mint: What to Grow With Mint

I’ve explained what to look for when searching for a companion plant for your mint.  But, let’s make it really easy.  Here are some of the best crops to grow near mint and how mint benefits them:

  • Beans:  mint helps protect them from rodents
  • Cabbage: mint helps protect them from flea beetles & white cabbage moths
  • Carrots: mint helps protect them from carrot root flies (carrot growing guide here)
  • Cauliflower: helps protect them from flea beetles
  • Kale: helps protect from flea beetles
  • Lettuce: helps protect from slugs
  • Marigolds: help protect from some pests and attract pollinators
  • Onions: helps protect from onion flies (onion growing guide here)
  • Peas: helps protect from rodents (pea growing guide here)
  • Sweetcorn: helps protects from deer(!!)
  • Tomatoes: helps protect from aphids & spider mites (tomato growing tips here)

Other good companion plants for mint include:

What Makes A Bad Mint Companion Plant?

Just as there are a lot of plants that are good to be planted with mint, there are plants that should never be planted with mint.  Here’s a list of what NOT to plant with mint.

Don’t plant Chamomile with Mint

Chamomile will prevent mint from releasing its essential oils. Without its essential oils, mint will not have its minty scent, which for me, defeats the object of growing mint!  It’s also bad for other plants relying on the smell of the mint to deter pests.

Don’t plant Mint near Strawberry Plants

Mint is susceptible to verticillium, a fungus that can quickly kill plants. Strawberry plants are also particularly susceptible to this fungus and are more likely to get it if they’re planted near the mint plant. 

Don’t plant Oregano near Mint

Oregano requires different soil conditions than mint, so they don’t grow well together.

Rosemary shouldn’t be planted near Mint

Rosemary requires different soil conditions than mint, so the two plants don’t grow well together. Also, rosemary has a very delicate root system that can easily be destroyed by the mint’s rhizomes.

Do not plant Parsley close to Mint

Parsley and mint have different growth requirements and do not grow well together.

Final Words on Mint Companion Plants

Companion planting is a great way to combine growing a host of different plants that will all act to protect each other. However, when you’re considering companion planting, you need to know which plants will go well with one another. Some plants will cause each other to suffer, while other plants will help each other to thrive.  There are a lot of plants that mint is compatible with. This mainly comes down to the mint’s strong odour that repels pests. However, there are considerations to planting mint close to the other plants and we hope this guide helps!

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