What to grow: recommendations and good neighbours
Two questions decide most of a kitchen garden: what is worth growing this year, and what should not be planted next to what. Below is a starting list of reliable crops with real numbers (days to harvest, spacing, sun and water), then the classic companion-planting pairings and the combinations that compete or share pests.
Start with these
Sixteen crops that forgive beginner mistakes, with the spacing they need and how long they take from sowing to first harvest.
| Crop | Days to harvest | Spacing (cm) | Sun | Water | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥗 Arugula | 35 | 10 | Full sun | Medium | Fast-growing, cool-season salad green with distinctive peppery, nutty flavour |
| 🌿 Basil | 68 | 25 | Full sun | Medium | The king of culinary herbs — tender annual with glossy, aromatic leaves ranging from large and sweet (Genovese) to purple, ruffled, or spicy (Thai) |
| 🌰 Beetroot | 60 | 10 | Full sun | Medium | Each "seed" is a cluster — thin to one plant |
| 🥦 Broccoli | 78 | 45 | Full sun | Medium | Cool-season brassica grown for its dense green flower heads and thick stalks |
| 🥕 Carrot | 68 | 5 | Full sun | Medium | Root vegetable prized for its sweet, crunchy taproot |
| 🥒 Cucumber | 62 | 30 | Full sun | High | Warm-season vining annual producing crisp, refreshing fruit eaten raw or pickled |
| 🥬 Kale | 65 | 45 | Full sun | Medium | Cold-hardy leafy brassica in the Acephala (headless) group |
| 🥗 Lettuce | 58 | 25 | Full sun | Medium | Cool-season leafy green available in four main types: butterhead (tender, loose heads), crisphead/iceberg (tight, crunchy heads), romaine/cos (upright, crisp leaves), and loose-leaf (open growth, cut-and-come-again) |
| 🧅 Onion | 120 | 10 | Full sun | Medium | Globe-shaped allium bulb grown worldwide |
| 🌿 Parsley | 75 | 20 | Full sun | Medium | Biennial herb with tightly curled (Moss Curled) or flat (Italian) dark green leaves |
| 🫛 Pea | 62 | 5 | Full sun | Medium | Cool-season legume in three main types: shelling/English peas (eat only seeds), snow peas (flat edible pods, eaten whole), and snap peas (plump edible pods, sweet and crunchy) |
| 🫑 Pepper | 70 | 45 | Full sun | Medium | Loves warmth; transplant only after nights stay above 12°C |
| 🌶️ Radish | 46 | 5 | Full sun | Medium | Fastest-maturing garden vegetable — some varieties ready in 21 days |
| 🥬 Spinach | 42 | 10 | Full sun | Medium | Cool-season leafy green extremely rich in iron, vitamins, and antioxidants |
| 🍅 Tomato | 70 | 45 | Full sun | Medium | World's most popular garden crop — tender perennial grown as annual |
| 🥒 Zucchini | 52 | 60 | Full sun | Medium | Prolific summer squash harvested immature when skin is tender |
Good neighbours: plant these together
Companion planting works through shade, scent and root space: herbs that confuse pests, deep roots that open the soil for shallow ones, tall plants that shelter tender leaves.
| Pairing | Plant family | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato + Basil | Solanaceae · Lamiaceae | Basil is said to improve tomato flavour and repel whitefly |
| Tomato + Carrot | Solanaceae · Apiaceae | Carrots loosen soil for tomato roots |
| Tomato + Onion | Solanaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Onions deter aphids |
| Pepper + Basil | Solanaceae · Lamiaceae | Basil shades pepper roots |
| Carrot + Onion | Apiaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Onion scent confuses carrot fly |
| Carrot + Pea | Apiaceae · Fabaceae | Classic carrot–pea pairing |
| Carrot + Leek | Apiaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Leeks repel carrot fly |
| Lettuce + Radish | Asteraceae · Brassicaceae | Radishes break soil for lettuce |
| Lettuce + Strawberry | Asteraceae · Rosaceae | Strawberries and lettuce share space well |
| Lettuce + Parsley | Asteraceae · Apiaceae | Parsley attracts beneficial insects |
| Cabbage + Onion | Brassicaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Alliums deter cabbage pests |
| Cabbage + Mint | Brassicaceae · Lamiaceae | Mint repels cabbage moth |
| Radish + Cucumber | Brassicaceae · Cucurbitaceae | Radish is a trap crop for cucumber beetles |
| Bean (bush) + Cucumber | Fabaceae · Cucurbitaceae | Beans feed nitrogen to hungry cucumbers |
| Bean (bush) + Beetroot | Fabaceae · Amaranthaceae | Beans and beets grow well together |
| Cucumber + Basil | Cucurbitaceae · Lamiaceae | Basil deters cucumber pests |
| Zucchini + Bean (bush) | Cucurbitaceae · Fabaceae | Beans feed nitrogen-hungry zucchini |
| Pumpkin + Bean (bush) | Cucurbitaceae · Fabaceae | Three Sisters style pairing |
Keep these apart
Most bad pairings come down to two things: plants from the same family sharing a disease, or one crop out-competing the other for light, water and nutrients.
| Pairing | Plant family | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato + Potato | Solanaceae · Solanaceae | Same family — shared blight risk |
| Tomato + Cabbage | Solanaceae · Brassicaceae | Cabbage and tomato compete heavily |
| Tomato + Cucumber | Solanaceae · Cucurbitaceae | Shared fungal disease pressure |
| Pepper + Bean (bush) | Solanaceae · Fabaceae | Beans can overwhelm peppers |
| Cabbage + Strawberry | Brassicaceae · Rosaceae | Strawberries stunt brassicas |
| Broccoli + Tomato | Brassicaceae · Solanaceae | Tomatoes compete with broccoli for calcium |
| Bean (bush) + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Alliums inhibit bean growth |
| Pea + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Alliums inhibit pea growth |
| Melon + Potato | Cucurbitaceae · Solanaceae | Potatoes stunt melon vines |
| Strawberry + Cabbage | Rosaceae · Brassicaceae | Brassicas and strawberries compete |
| Chickpea + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Inhibits legume growth |
| Soybean + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Inhibits legumes |
| Lentil + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Inhibits legumes |
| Rye + Wheat | Poaceae · Poaceae | Same diseases — rotate |
| Wheat + Barley | Poaceae · Poaceae | Shared diseases — rotate |
| Cumin + Fennel | Apiaceae · Apiaceae | Cross-pollinates — avoid nearby |
| Lima Bean + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Inhibits legumes |
| Common Bean + Onion | Fabaceae · Amaryllidaceae | Inhibits beans |
Rotate by family, not by crop
The single most useful habit in a small garden: never grow the same plant family in the same bed two years running. Solanaceae (tomato, pepper, potato, aubergine) take the most from the soil and share blight; Brassicaceae (cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish) share clubroot and flea beetle; legumes put nitrogen back and belong in front of hungry leaf crops; roots (carrot, beet, onion) like the bed after that.
HobbyPlot keeps this per bed: the rotation view shows which family is due back in each bed and warns you before you plant into a tired spot.
Turn these lists into a plan for your own beds
Make a free account, draw your beds and drag crops in: HobbyPlot checks the spacing, keeps sowing and harvest dates in a calendar, remembers what grew where last year and reminds you what to do next.