Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Why you need basil in your vegetable garden

Basil is easy to grow in the garden. It doesn’t need much care and you can harvest as you need. As a bonus, basil will actually improve the taste of neighboring vegetable plants, and its strong smell will scare away garden pests like spider mites and aphids. Here are the best companion plants to grow with basil:

Tomatoes. If it’s the first thing you thought matches well with basil, you’re correct! Tomatoes help improve the flavor of the basil while enhancing its growth. Basil repels hornworms and attracts insects to pollinate the tomatoes, which is necessary for a bumper crop. 

Carrots. Carrots loosen the soil structure which helps the basil’s root structure. Leave at least 12 inches of space between the basil and the carrots to keep the basil roots safe when you harvest the carrots. Basil also repels weevils, mites and armyworms that harm carrots. 

Zucchini. Another garden favorite to plant with basil. Basil prevents fungus from spreading on zucchini leaves. Basil also enhances zucchini flavor thanks to chemicals it releases into the soil. Basil flowers also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. 

Parsley and oregano. These herbs are a great companion for basil. They all have a great aroma that deters pests and pollinators love it too. 

Peppers. All peppers from sweet red to the hottest habaneros benefit from planting with basil! Again, basil repels many pests. The two plants also have similar heat, sun and water needs, so growing them together is easy. 

Lettuce. As it grows taller, basil will give shade- loving lettuce just what it needs and will stretch your lettuce harvest longer into the summer. It will also give that lettuce a good flavor with its aromatic properties.

So if you want to pump up the flavor of your vegetables, and ward off pests, add some delicious basil to the garden!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago