Companion Planting with Rhubarb: Friends and Foes

Rhubarb is not just a classic for pies—it’s also a fantastic neighbor in the vegetable garden. Choosing the right plants to grow alongside rhubarb can make your patch healthier, more productive, and less prone to pests and weeds. Here’s a guide to rhubarb’s best friends, plants to avoid, and how to design a more resilient garden bed.

Why Companion Plant with Rhubarb?

• Natural pest control: Some neighbors repel bugs that bother rhubarb or its friends.
• Better soil health: Deep roots like rhubarb’s break up hard soil, while cover crops and shallow-rooted companions balance nutrient use.
• Space efficiency: Early or shallow crops slot easily around slow-starting rhubarb crowns.
• Moisture retention: Ground covers keep roots cool and soil moist.

Rhubarb’s Best Companion Plants

1. Brassicas (Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli)

• Benefit from shade and microclimate created by rhubarb’s leaves.
• Rhubarb may repel some cabbage moths and whiteflies.

2. Beans (Bush & Pole)

• Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil—benefiting hungry perennials like rhubarb.

3. Strawberries

• Compact, shallow-rooted, and don’t compete for deeper nutrients.
• Help shade soil and reduce weeds.

4. Garlic, Onions & Alliums

• Their aroma deters aphids, beetles, and possibly leaf-curlers.

5. Borage

• Attracts pollinators and is thought to improve rhubarb’s growth.

6. Chives & Culinary Herbs (sage, parsley, basil)

• Deters aphids and other pests; most stay out of rhubarb’s way.

Plants to Avoid Near Rhubarb

• Melons, pumpkins, squash: Rambling and greedy, will shade out and compete for the same lush soil and water.
• Sunflowers and corn: Tall, sapping sun and moisture, they compete with rhubarb roots and shade prime leaves.
• Mint: Invasive roots that can choke crowns and dominate a bed.
• Potatoes: Compete for the same soil nutrients and may harbor similar pests.

Bed Design Tips

• Leave a “breathing ring” around each rhubarb crown (10–15cm/4–6in clear) to prevent rot.
• Mulch around rhubarb and companions to keep weeds at bay.
• Rotate locations of alliums and brassicas from year to year.

Using Rhubarb Leaves in the Garden – Caution!

• Never eat rhubarb leaves (toxic), but feel free to compost them or use as mulch between rows—their tough texture biodegrades slowly and discourages some bugs.

Wrapping Up

Rhubarb, with its giant leaves and robust roots, is both a garden star and a good neighbor. Pair it with the right companions, and you’ll get tastier stalks, easier beds, and a more beautiful patch—all season long!