HOMESTEAD HOW-TO
Leafy lettuce provides essential shade for delicate young celery plants, while anecdotal evidence from gardeners suggests that celery can improve the flavor of lettuce. Both plants thrive in rich, moist soil and can be grown close together.
The pungent aroma of radishes can also deter pests like aphids and flea beetles. As they grow so rapidly, radishes can be harvested before lettuce starts to spread outwards, giving two delicious crops in the same space.
In our super-scorching location, this combination is the only way we can grow lettuce in the summer! Vertically grown cucumbers provide vital shade for lettuce during the hottest part of the day, making it less likely to bolt.
Beets and lettuce complement each other in the garden by making efficient use of the soil without competing. Beets draw nutrients from lower soil levels than lettuce, so growing them in alternate rows can work well.
Onions are a natural pest deterrent, especially against slugs that commonly target lettuce and other soft-leaved vegetable crops. Their tall, narrow growth habit means they won’t crowd out your greens.
Carrots and lettuce work well together because they occupy different root zones. Lettuce grows shallow roots while carrots dig deep, so there’s no competition for space or nutrients.
Garlic is an especially helpful plant in organic pest management, as its pungent smell can repel slugs and aphids. Like onions, garlic grows upright and doesn’t interfere with lettuce’s low growth habit.