Corn (Zea mays)

Corn plays a vital role in companion planting, especially in the traditional Three Sisters method, where it grows alongside beans and squash. Its tall stalks provide support for climbing beans, while the beans enrich the soil with nitrogen, benefiting the heavy-feeding corn. Squash spreads along the ground, shading the soil to retain moisture and suppress weeds. This natural partnership creates a balanced ecosystem where each plant supports the others, leading to a healthier and more productive garden.

Beyond the Three Sisters, corn also thrives when paired with pest-repelling flowers and other beneficial companions, while some plants should be avoided to prevent competition for nutrients.

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11 Companion Plants for Corn

Beans Beans are a great companion to corn, fixing nitrogen in the soil to nourish heavy-feeding corn while using its stalks for support. This partnership enhances soil health, boosts growth and improves stability.
Cucumbers Cucumbers thrive with corn, benefiting from its tall stalks that provide partial shade and wind protection. In return, cucumber vines help retain soil moisture and suppress weeds. This pairing creates a balanced growing environment.
Dill Really is a great herb to grow with corn. Earworms, cutworms, and aphids often gobble up corn. Dill attracts beneficial insects that prey on those pests, such as parasitic wasps that go after caterpillars and ladybugs that eat aphids.
Peas Another legume that fixes nitrogen in the soil, making it a perfect corn companion plant. Peas are planted as early as possible in spring, while corn is not planted until the soil is warm.
Zucchini What applies to cucumbers also applies to summer squash and zucchini. The sprawling plants keep the soil around the corn plants moist and cool and choke out weeds, and the corn stalks can serve as a trellis.
Nasturtium Nasturtiums are pretty flowers that attract aphids. While this may seem counterintuitive, many gardeners plant nasturtiums a short distance away from their vegetable garden to attract aphids away from their crops.
Watermelon Corn plants dense foliage covers the base of the watermelon plants, preventing weed growth and keeping the soil cool and moist.
Mint Is aromatic and able to detract deer with its heavy scents. Of course, this doesn’t work a hundred percent of the time, but nothing does that. Sometimes you just have to work with nature.
Nasturtium Helps to keep voracious insects away from the other foods you wish to harvest and eat. Nasturtiums can also be used as a delicate ground cover. Planted under corn they will do well growing under the dappled light.
Thyme With thyme being very aromatic, you might need a little more inspiration to plant it in your garden. It is reputed to repel corn earworms.
Lettuce Most lettuce varieties don’t grow well in the summer heat; growing it next to corn where it gets welcome shade lets you grow lettuce all summer long without it bolting or tasting bitter.

4 Neighbor Plants to Avoid near Corn

Tomatoes Share common enemies with corn. Grown near each other, they will attract both the corn earworm and the tomato hornworm. Also both are heavy feeders and will compete for nutrients in the soil.
Eggplant Both corn and eggplant are targets for the tomato hornworm, and if planted together can attract these pests even more.
Fennel Fennel is a garden crop that doesn’t grow well with most other vegetable garden plants, it can actually serve as an inhibitor to the growth of most other plants.
Brassicas Corn isn't a great choice next to broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, or kohlrabi. Corn provides too much shade, and they are all heavy feeders, it means corn and cabbage family plants will compete.