Companion Plants for Shallots

Traditional companions for shallots include beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots and 11 more in the table below.

Keep bush beans, peas and pole beans away from them.

These are garden traditions, collected from 13 US extension guides. Few have been tested in trials, so treat them as a starting point: spacing, sun and rotation matter more.

Good companions for shallots

Spacing is per square foot, for a raised bed planted square by square. Cool-season companions can share the bed before or after a warm-season crop, or grow in its shade.

Traditional companions for shallots
PlantKindSpacingSeason
BeetsVegetable9 per sq ftCool season
Bell PeppersVegetable1 per sq ftWarm season
BroccoliVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
Brussels SproutsVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
CabbageVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
CarrotsVegetable16 per sq ftCool season
CauliflowerVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
CeleryVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
Cherry TomatoesVegetable1 per sq ftWarm season
Collard GreensVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
Head LettuceVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
Hot PeppersVegetable1 per sq ftWarm season
KaleVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
KohlrabiVegetable4 per sq ftCool season
Leaf LettuceVegetable4 per sq ftCool season
Romaine LettuceVegetable1 per sq ftCool season
TomatoesVegetable1 per sq ftWarm season

What not to plant with shallots

  • Bush Beans: usually planted in a different bed.
  • Peas: usually planted in a different bed.
  • Pole Beans: usually planted in a different bed.

What the evidence says

Companion planting charts come from long garden experience, and most pairs have never been tried in a replicated trial. Several extension services say so directly; one review gives traditional charts more entertainment than scientific value.

What reliably helps shallots: the right planting dates, enough space, and moving crops to a new bed each year (crop rotation).

Plant them side by side

Draw your beds, tap squares to plant shallots next to their companions, and get every crop's planting dates for your ZIP code. Free, in your browser.

Questions

What can I plant with shallots?

The traditional companions are beets, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery and 9 more listed above. Plant companions in neighbouring rows or squares rather than in the same hole.

What should not be planted with shallots?

The guides keep bush beans, peas and pole beans apart from shallots. Give them a different bed.

Does companion planting with shallots work?

Most pairings are tradition rather than tested results: extension services call companion planting promising but largely unproven. None of the pairs for this crop has been tested in a trial we could find. Good spacing, sun, water and rotation do more for a harvest than any single pairing.

How close can beets grow to shallots?

In a raised bed planted by the square foot, give shallots 4 per sq ft and beets 9 per sq ft, in neighbouring squares. In rows, shallots need 6 in between plants.

More companion plants

Sources

  1. UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
  2. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
  3. Oregon State University Extension Service: Companion Planting (Food Hero, 2021)
  4. Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
  5. Utah State University Extension, Utah 4-H: Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting (2025)
  6. Penn State Extension: Herbs Make Good Plant Partners and Companions
  7. SDSU Extension: Square-Foot Garden Sample Planting Layout (P-00379, 2026)
  8. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
  9. Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Plant Partners: 5 Benefits of Companion Planting (2025)
  10. N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home
  11. University of Vermont Extension: Creating a Biodiverse Vegetable Garden (2023)
  12. UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program: Companion Planting (FFL in a Minute, 2020)
  13. WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardeners: Trap Cropping (2020)