Several plants can be grown locally. This vibrant crop demands lots of sunlight and moisture, making it a great plant partner. Rootless beets like chard should be planted away from beet cousins to reduce insect infestations.
1. Bean
Beans complement chard even when not grown together. Let bean roots degrade in your future chard space. Beans improve soil by releasing nitrogen when their roots break down.
2. Cabbage
Although cabbage is large, it doesn't hurt chard. Large cabbage leaves shade the earth, keeping it moist and helping chard and cabbage thrive. Since chard roots grow deeper than cabbage, interlaced root systems won't compete for water and nutrients.
3. Celery
Celery and chard go well together. Celery grows vertically and has a shallow root system, making it compact above and below ground. It likes damp circumstances and won't block your chard. Growing celery and chard together is possible.
4. Chamomile
Chamomile repels aphids, making it ideal for chard. Although its powerful aroma is pleasant, it makes it tougher for aphids to discover plants, which can lower their population. Depending on your climate, chamomile may thrive in containers.
5. Cilantro
On the dish and in the garden, chard and cilantro go well. In this friendship, cilantro helps chard. The scent repels flea beetles and attracts hoverflies and wasps that eat chard pests.
6. Garlic
As garlic bulbs don't compete with chard roots, they fit almost anywhere. Containers may grow elephant garlic and other huge varieties, but spacing is an issue. Growing chard and garlic together is easy in moist soil and sunlight. Garlic controls chard insects.
7. Lavender
Chard is said to taste better with lavender. More specifically, lavender and chard don't compete for nutrients or water, so they can peacefully share space without interfering. The beautiful lavender blooms you'll grow will attract many pollinators.
8. Lettuce
Chard and lettuce are unrelated but grow well together in the garden. In cooler weather, both plants need water and sun. Provide shade with taller plants or shade cloth to extend their summer lifespan. Shallow root systems prevent these two plants from competing for space.
9. Marigold
Marigolds complement various plants. They won't push out neighbors because they have short roots and keep compact above ground. Marigolds are grown for their pest-control properties. They catch aphids and resist root-knot nematodes.
10. Mint
Mint deters aphids, flea bugs, and rodents. Minty smells good to humans but bad to pests. Keep mint in a separate container if you plant it near chard. Mint spreads quickly, develops a thick mat, and chokes out other plants despite its shallow root system.
11. Nasturtium
Nasturtiums are beautiful flowers that help control pests in food gardens. Aphids adore it, making it a viable trap crop Nasturtiums near chard have more aphids than chard leaves. Many pollinators, useful insects, and predators visit the brilliant tubular blossoms.
12. Radishe
Radishes grow easily. These fast-growing plants satisfy your cravings and keep insects away from your chard. Radish leaves attract aphids, so let them eat them and remove them when you harvest the root. Radishes grow best in full light, but they may tolerate shade.