Companion Plants for Pole Beans and Peppers

Low-Growing Moisture Control

• Both pole beans and peppers benefit from being next to low-growing, leafy plants. Spinach and squash are low-growing crops that shade the soil, reducing moisture loss due to evaporation. Pole beans benefit from the extra shade around root systems, while peppers do better with the added humidity. Spinach and squash benefit from interplanting with beans: Legumes add nitrogen to the soil through root-colonizing bacteria.

Tall and Supportive

• Tall, sturdy crops like corn benefit both pole beans and peppers, but in different ways. True to its name, pole beans will grow up a vertical support, and thick corn stalks make for an excellent vertical run. The tender fruit of the peppers are protected by dappled shade provided by a tall, leafy stalk of corn. Corn, too, benefits from interplanting with beans as corn is a nitrogen-hungry feeder.

Bug Off, Pests!

• Keep unwanted garden pests away from your pole beans and peppers with companion planting. Marigolds release chemicals both above and below the soil that keep a number of garden pests a bay. Above ground, the flower's fragrance keeps beetle varieties, leaf-hoppers and tomato horn worms away. The Mexican marigold variety keeps rabbits out of the garden space. Below ground, chemicals from the marigold's root deter root-knot nematodes, known to damage root systems of tomato and pepper plants. Similarly, summer savory's fragrance protects bean plants from Mexican bean beetle, and basil deters whiteflies and aphids.

Avoid These Combos

• Not all plants "play" well together. One plant family may hinder the growth of another. For instance, the beneficial bacteria associated with the root system of bean plants are harmed by the antibacterial properties of the root system of members of the onion family. Likewise, plants in the same family may attract the same pests and diseases, resulting in a localized concentration of pathogens. Consider that broccoli should not be planted with peppers as each are attractive to cut worms; while cucumbers, peppers and a host of other vegetables are susceptible to cucumber mosaic virus.