What to Plant With Kale: Kale Companion Plants (and What to Keep Away)

Kale is one of the easiest and most forgiving vegetables to grow. It is a leafy member of the cabbage family, the same species as broccoli, cabbage and collards, and companion lists treat the whole group together. Kale also has a long season: you can plant it in early spring, again for fall, and keep picking leaves well after the first frosts. That long season shapes which neighbors work. This guide covers what extension sources list for kale, what to keep away, and how to plant, water and harvest it for sweet, tender leaves.

Good companion plants for kale

Onions and beets

Virginia Extension lists the onion family and beets as companions for the cabbage family. All three go in early in spring, so they share a bed and a schedule. Onions are slim and upright and fit between kale plants, and beets fill a row beside them without competing for height. See what to plant with onions and what to plant with beets.

Celery

Celery and the cabbage family are listed as companions in both directions of Virginia Extension's table. Both like cool weather and steady moisture, so one watering routine suits both. See what to plant with celery.

Potatoes

Potatoes are on the cabbage-family companion list too. They go in early in spring like kale. Leave room between rows so you can hill the potatoes without burying the kale. More in what to plant with potatoes.

Herbs, chard and flowers

Virginia Extension also lists aromatic herbs, chamomile and chard as cabbage-family companions, and its publication uses kale and zinnia as an example companion pairing. A few herbs or flowers at the end of a kale row add color and draw insects into the garden. Treat these as nice extras rather than pest control. See what to plant with Swiss chard.

What not to plant with kale

Virginia Extension lists tomatoes, strawberries and pole beans as incompatible with cabbage-family crops. Tomatoes are also big summer plants that would shade a spring kale row, so a separate bed makes sense anyway. Beans are a mixed case: the same table lists pole beans as incompatible with the cabbage family, while its bean row lists cabbage and cauliflower as bean companions. If you want beans near kale, keep to bush beans at the edge of the bed. Our tomato and strawberry guides list better neighbors for those crops, and every pair to separate is in the keep-apart chart.

Where sources disagree: dill and spinach

Penn State Extension notes that dill can discourage cabbageworms from laying eggs on cabbage-family plants, while Virginia Extension lists dill as incompatible with the group. If you want to try it, put a few dill plants at the end of the row rather than among the kale. Spinach appears on both sides of Virginia Extension's table, so treat it as a judgment call; both are quick cool-season greens, and spinach is usually harvested long before kale fills out. See what to plant with dill and what to plant with spinach.

Rotate the whole cabbage family

UMN Extension recommends growing kale where you have not grown any cabbage-family crop, including cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, mustard, turnip or rutabaga, for the past four years. Diseases and pests that affect one of these affect the whole group, so moving the family around the garden matters more than any single neighbor. Our broccoli guide covers the same family.

When to plant kale

• Spring: UMN Extension says to sow kale outdoors as soon as the soil can be worked, or start seeds indoors about four weeks before transplanting. NC State Extension suggests planting about four weeks before your last spring frost. Its cabbage-family cousins are timed in when to plant broccoli.
• Fall: UMN suggests direct seeding again about three months before your average first fall frost; NC State suggests about six weeks before the first fall frost. UMD Extension notes that fall may be the better season, because frost raises the sugar content and improves the flavor of the leaves.
• Frost tolerance: kale is hardy. UMD Extension notes kale and turnip greens can tolerate temperatures of about 15 to 20°F, and UMN says kale keeps producing new leaves well past the first fall frosts.

Our planting calendar gives a kale sowing window from your last frost date. See when to plant spinach and kale in fall for dates by frost.

Planting and spacing

• Depth: a quarter to half an inch deep.
• Spacing: UMN thins seedlings to 8 to 12 inches apart in rows 18 to 30 inches apart. For baby leaves only, plants can be as close as 4 inches apart.
• Soil: loamy, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter and a pH of about 6.0 to 7.5, following a soil test.
• Sun: full sun is best, but UMD Extension notes leafy greens like kale tolerate partial shade (about 4 to 6 hours of direct light).

A simple cool-season kale bed

1. Kale down the middle.

   Plants 8 to 12 inches apart; pick outer leaves all season.

2. Onions along one side.

   A listed companion that takes little room.

3. Beets along the other side.

   Another listed companion on the same early schedule.

4. Celery or a few herbs at the end.

   Listed companions that like the same steady moisture.

Keep tomatoes and strawberries in other beds. Our raised bed layouts include a 4×4 cool-season bed you can adapt.

Watering and harvest

UMN Extension says the best kale comes from fast growth without heat or water stress; overheated or thirsty plants make leaves bitter and tough. Aim for about an inch of water a week, more often in sandy soil, and mulch 3 to 4 inches deep with weed-free straw or herbicide-free clippings to keep the soil cool and moist.

Harvest single leaves as soon as they are big enough to use. NC State Extension suggests picking the large outer leaves and letting the center keep growing, which keeps one plant producing for months. Baby leaves are ready about 20 to 30 days after sowing, and full-size leaves about 50 to 75 days. For the sweetest flavor, keep picking into fall after the first frosts.

Pests

UMN Extension lists flea beetles, which chew small holes in leaves, and the caterpillars of the imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper and diamondback moth, which feed on the leaves. Young plants are the most vulnerable, so a well-anchored row cover in the first weeks of growth helps. UMN also notes that swede midge particularly likes red Russian kale varieties. Check the undersides of leaves when you harvest.

Kale in containers

Kale grows well in a container with drainage holes, one plant per medium pot or a few in a large one, and you can pick it leaf by leaf right outside the door. Check moisture often, since containers dry out faster than garden soil and dry kale turns bitter.

Frequently asked questions

What grows well with kale?

Extension-listed companions for kale in our checker are beets, celery, chard, onions and potatoes. As a cabbage-family crop, it shares its companion list with cabbage and broccoli. The table on this page explains why each pairing works.

What should you not plant with kale?

Our sources list strawberries and tomatoes as poor neighbors for kale. Sources disagree on dill and spinach.