The Popular Vegetable That Will Thrive Near Your Onions
Pairing certain vegetables is often a great idea because the right match can help both plants grow better than they would on their own. When growing onions or shallots, you should consider growing lettuce as a companion plant. Lettuce and onions can thrive next to each other because they don't use the same parts of the soil, with lettuce's roots being shallower than onions'. They grow well next to each other and can allow you to make better use of your space.
There are many gardening mistakes that'll kill your lettuce, and one of them is overlooking pest problems. Fortunately, onions can help deter certain pests that try to eat lettuce. Spider mites, for example, can stunt lettuce growth, but onions can help keep them away. Onions also repel aphids, carrot flies, and flea beetles, as well as other pests that would otherwise come near. Lettuce is a plant that you should generally avoid growing if you want to keep rabbits away, but onions can also help to repel them and other rodents.
This companion planting relationship isn't just a one-way street, either. Lettuce works as a smother crop and will help reduce the weed growth around onions and shallots. This ensures they aren't competing with weeds for nutrients.
Tips for onions and lettuce as companion plants
If you plan on growing onions with lettuce, there are a few things to be aware of. For the onions, remember to avoid growing them in rows, since this can make it easier for onion maggots travel between each root. Space onions out well, and scatter them a bit to keep them safe.
You can also swap in lettuce after you harvest your onions instead of growing them at the same time. Once you pull an onion out of the ground, there will be a fairly deep hole that will be well-suited for planting lettuce. You'll also get some of the same benefits as growing them at the same time. The leftover compost will benefit the lettuce, and the onion smell will remain to some extent and help to repel pests.
There are other companion plants that you can grow with these two vegetables as well. Planting onions next to carrots in your garden can work well since they also won't compete for soil space. Carrots get nutrients from deeper in the ground than both onions and lettuce and can also benefit from the protective scent of onions.