Garden Vegetable Garden Ideas 8 Vegetables You Should Never Plant Near Your Carrot Crop Some plants make beneficial neighbors for carrots—but here are the ones that do more harm than good. By Heather Bien Heather Bien Heather Bien is a writer experience contributing to some of the industry's top lifestyle, design, and wedding websites. She's covered event planning ideas and tips, weddings both traditional and eclectic, and she brings her love and knowledge of art history and design to every celebration she covers. Editorial Guidelines Published on June 22, 2024 Close Photo: samael334 / Getty Images Want an easy-to-grow vegetable that will give you a months-long harvest? Carrots are a favorite of home gardeners thanks to their extended growing season (May to December in some regions!) and their low-maintenance nature. All they need is moist soil, sunny skies, and temperatures that don’t get too hot. But, to make sure you have the exact right conditions to grow a bright bunch of carrots, you have to be careful about the companions that you plant nearby. While there are lots of helpful companion plants that will give your carrots a boost—lettuce, peppers, and tomatoes, to name a few—there are others that will inhibit growth or attract troublesome pests to your plants. To make sure you have all the carrots you need for carrot cake, roasted carrots, and even carrot soup, here are eight plants you should never grow with carrots, according to the experts we spoke to. Clara Reitz, owner of Bashavia Gardens, a native plant nursery and ecological garden services firm Alex Kantor, a horticultural expert with over 20 years of experience and owner of Perfect Plants Nursery Use Our Companion Planting Chart to Grow a Thriving Vegetable Garden 01 of 08 Dill If you love the herbal, spicy smell of dill, then you’re in good company—with carrot rust flies, that is. The strong smell of dill will attract carrot rust flies in addition to spider mites and aphids, so you might want to keep your dill plants far away from your bunches of carrots. Carrot rust flies will feed on the roots, while aphids will attack young carrots, and spider mites will feed on their leaves. 02 of 08 Parsnips duckycards / Getty Images Parsnips and carrots are like peas in a pod. These similar crops grow well in the same environment, come from the same family, and even physically resemble each other. But this is exactly why you shouldn’t plan parsnips and carrots together. They will attract the same pests and diseases, giving you a double whammy of trouble. 03 of 08 Potatoes Getty Images While you might think two root vegetables would thrive in the same garden, that’s not always the case—especially when space is at a premium. “Both carrots and potatoes are root vegetables and require a lot of room in the soil to grow. Planting them together can inhibit both plants' growth,” explains Alex Kantor, a horticultural expert with over 20 years of experience and owner of Perfect Plants Nursery. Plus, carrots prefer a slightly more neutral soil than potatoes, so they won’t thrive in the same spot. How to Grow and Care for Potatoes—Including Martha's Favorite Planting Method 04 of 08 Celery YuriyS / Getty Images "I would not recommend celery with carrots. Celery attracts the same pests that can harm your carrot crop,” says Kantor. The main culprit is the carrot rust fly, which burrows underground and can do major damage to your carrots. Aphids are another pest that both of these root vegetables struggle with. 05 of 08 Fennel GomezDavid / Getty Images "Although they are in the same Apiaceae family, carrots shouldn’t be planted near fennel,” says Clara Reitz, owner of Bashavia Gardens, a native plant nursery and ecological garden services firm. She says that fennel releases a chemical called anethole that can inhibit the growth of carrots and other plants. “Because they’re in the same family, they can attract the same pests. It’s better to companion plant carrots with something that attracts beneficial insects—like nasturtiums or marigolds," she says. 06 of 08 Asparagus Getty Images Carrots and asparagus don’t get along in the garden because of their opposing root structures. Carrots grow deep into the ground, while asparagus spreads out horizontally. It’ll be difficult to harvest one without harming the other. How to Plan Your Vegetable Garden the Right Way 07 of 08 Parsley Helen Camacaro / Getty Images Parsley is another member of the same family as carrots, and it will also attract the same pests. Unless you want aphids sucking the color from your carrots’ leaves or attacking young carrots before they ever get a chance to grow, keep the parsley far, far away. Additionally, these two can cross-pollinate, which can sometimes impact the flavor of your harvest. 08 of 08 Carrots DimaSobko / GETTY IMAGES Surprising that carrots would be on their own “what not to grow” list, right? Carrots take up a significant amount of room underground, so they need their own space to spread out. If you plant too many carrots too closely together, you’ll end up inhibiting the growth of the entire crop! When growing from seeds, make sure to sow them in rows at least 1 to 1 1/2 feet apart. How to Grow Carrots in Your Own Backyard, According to Gardening Experts Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit