Arugula may be small in size, but it brings big, peppery flavor to salads, sandwiches, and pestos. In the garden, it’s a surprisingly easygoing green—happy in cool weather, tolerant of light frost, and even willing to grow in less-than-perfect conditions. But like any plant, arugula does best when surrounded by the right companion plants. Plant it next to the right neighbors, and you’ll see healthier leaves, fewer pests, and a longer harvest season. Choose poorly, and your arugula might struggle before it’s had a chance to shine. That’s where companion planting arugula comes in.

What Is Companion Planting—And Why Should You Care?

Think of companion planting as the art of setting your plants up with the right roommates. Certain plants simply get along better with others. They can help each other by sharing nutrients, keeping pests away, inviting pollinators over, or even boosting each other’s production.

When it comes to arugula companion plants, the best neighbors are those that either scare off the bugs that love to snack on it or call in the good insects that will happily eat those pests for you. The best part? They need to enjoy the same growing conditions as arugula—cooler weather, consistent watering, and space to thrive without competing too much.

Let’s explore which herbs, flowers, and vegetables are arugula’s best garden friends, and which plants you should never seat next to it at the garden dinner table.

How Arugula Likes to Grow

Arugula is part of the brassica family, rubbing shoulders with kale, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, and other nutrient-packed greens. Most of its relatives are fussy about sticking to cool weather, but arugula is the laid-back cousin who doesn’t mind bending the rules.

Yes, your seed packet will say to plant it when temperatures are above freezing but below 75°F, but in reality, arugula can handle more heat than most leafy greens and even tolerate a bit of frost. In many warm climates, it can grow year-round.

You can grow arugula in raised beds, pots, or containers. Its roots are shallow, so 6 inches of soil depth will work, though 12 inches gives them a little more breathing room. Arugula thrives with 6 or more hours of sun a day, but it can survive on as little as 4.

I always recommend starting arugula from seed rather than buying starter plants. Direct-sown seeds adapt better, grow faster, and cost far less. If you’re planting intensively, scatter seeds closely. If you want each plant to reach full size, space them about 4 inches apart in staggered rows.

The Best Companion Plants for Arugula

Arugula grows best when surrounded by plants that protect it from pests, enrich the soil, and make the most of your garden space. Many of the best arugula companions do all three at once.

Arugula’s biggest pest problems come from aphids, cabbage worms, flea beetles, slugs, and snails. Companion planting for arugula lets us fight back naturally, using herbs and flowers with strong scents to confuse pests and beneficial blooms to invite nature’s own pest patrol.

The Best Arugula Companions for Organic Pest Control

The Onion Family

Chives are garden champions, easy to grow, unfussy, and reliable. Their bold scent wards off everything from tiny aphids to hungry deer, and they’re especially good at keeping cabbage worms and slugs away. I plant them near nearly every leafy green, including arugula.

Green onions work in much the same way. They share chives’ pest-repelling aroma, keeping aphids, cabbage worms, and slugs at bay. Unlike chives, they’re usually grown annually, so I like to tuck them into the middle of raised beds, often threading them right between rows of arugula for a natural pest barrier.

Herbal Helpers

Oregano is a hardy perennial that deserves a permanent spot in your garden. Its trailing growth looks beautiful spilling over the corners of raised beds, and its strong fragrance repels aphids and cabbage worms year after year.

Sage brings both beauty and defense, with silvery leaves that deter flea beetles, snails, and slugs. I love planting it along the long side of a raised bed where it has room to shine.

Cilantro and dill don’t just deter pests, they attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps that naturally protect your organic arugula crop.

Calendula blooms brightly during the same cool seasons arugula loves, acting as a trap crop to lure aphids and caterpillars away from your greens. Even if pests visit, the flowers remain edible, and their presence attracts ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies to control other pests. Calendula’s scent also helps repel rabbits and hides the aroma of tender greens from pests like slugs.

The Best Arugula Companions to Improve Plant Health

Good garden friends don’t just help with pests, they pull double duty by nurturing soil health, boosting vigor, and enriching your arugula’s flavor and resilience. Here’s how:

Bush beans, peas, and other legumes are nitrogen-fixing champs. They take nitrogen from the air and anchor it in the soil, delivering just what hungry arugula craves to grow strong, lush leaves and a peppery flavor.

Garlic is another powerhouse companion. Its pungent scent not only turns away pests, but its sulfur-rich roots also bring anti fungal benefits, strengthening the soil and safeguarding arugula from stealthy soil-borne threats.

The Best Arugula Companions to Maximize Garden Space

When space is precious, savvy gardeners pair plants that complement each other, above and below ground, to squeeze every drop of abundance out of the soil.

Root crops like carrots, beets, and onions are stellar roommates for arugula. They reach down deep while arugula keeps company on the surface, so there’s no crowded competition for nutrients. Plus, beet and carrot foliage provide just enough shade to keep arugula from bolting too soon—or overheating in warm spells.

Leafy greens, like spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard, make perfect partners. They share arugula’s love for cool, moist growing conditions. Plant them together and you build a living, harvest-ready salad bed that’s as efficient as it is beautiful.

And don’t forget cucumbers, when trained upward, their leaves cast welcome shade that protects arugula from summer heat and keeps the soil cool and moist.

What Would a Raised Bed Filled with Arugula and Companion Plants Look Like?

Here’s a planting plan that optimizes space, boosts plant health, deters pests, and attracts beneficial insects. In fall, surround your arugula with a border of cilantro, calendula, dill, thyme, and sage for natural pest control. Inside, plant arugula and radishes along the edges, with peas climbing a central trellis, flanked by two neat rows of carrots.

The Worst Companion Plants for Arugula

Not every plant is a good neighbor for arugula. Some plants to avoid with arugula include:

• Members of the nightshade family, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, tend to be heavy feeders. They pull a lot of nutrients from the soil, leaving less for your arugula’s leafy growth. Nightshades also thrive in warmer conditions, so planting them alongside cool-season arugula can create a microclimate mismatch, pushing arugula to bolt before you’re ready.

• Strawberries may be sweet in the kitchen, but in the garden, they compete fiercely for space and nutrients. They spread by runners, quickly taking over valuable garden real estate.

To give your arugula the best shot at growing lush, peppery leaves, keep these plants in separate beds or containers. This way, each crop can have the conditions, nutrients, and attention it needs without stepping on the other’s roots—literally.

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