Why You Shouldn't Plant Garlic Next to Strawberries: Experienced Gardeners Know the Secret

Gardeners are always looking for optimal plant combinations to get the maximum yield and protect plants from pests.

However, there are some combinations that are best avoided. One such combination is planting garlic next to strawberries.

Anastasia Kovrizhnykh , an expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", a scientist, agronomist and landscape designer, spoke about growing strawberries.

Although both garlic and strawberries are popular vegetables and berries, their proximity is not always ideal.

Here are some reasons why it is not recommended to plant garlic next to strawberries.

Diseases

Strawberries and garlic have different soil preferences and often suffer from different diseases.

An unfortunate combination can put both plants at risk of becoming infected and spreading disease.

For example, strawberries can be susceptible to fungal diseases such as gray mold or botrytis, which can be transmitted to garlic.

Parasites

Strawberries and garlic can also attract different pests. For example, strawberries can attract mites or moths, which can harm garlic.

At the same time, garlic can attract insects such as onion flies, which can damage strawberries.

Competition for Nutrients: Garlic and strawberries have different nutrient needs.

When they are grown next to each other, they can compete for available resources in the soil, such as water and minerals, which can negatively affect both plants and reduce their yields.

Growth and development

Different plants have different conditions for growth and development. Strawberries, for example, have shallow roots, often stretch out and spread along the ground.

Therefore, garlic, with its deeper roots and vertical growth, can overgrow and choke the strawberries, causing damage.

Although there are recommendations for other plants that can act as protective barriers for strawberries and garlic, in general, it is best to avoid planting these two crops next to each other.

If you want to have a bountiful harvest, it is better to choose other plants to pair with strawberries that are beneficial to them and do not create conflicts of interest or problems for both plants.

Previously, we talked about what crops to plant next to garlic to get a rich harvest .