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The recurring cautions in university-extension guidance are beans and peas. The sources do not establish six distinct plants that should never grow near onions, so a six-item list would overstate the evidence. One Virginia Cooperative Extension chart also flags asparagus, but that pairing is not repeated consistently in the other onion-specific advice reviewed here.
Which plants should you avoid planting near onions?
Beans
Several extension sources advise against pairing onions with beans. Virginia Cooperative Extension lists bush and pole beans as incompatible with onion-family crops; UC Master Gardeners says onions can inhibit bean growth; and University of Vermont Extension and West Virginia University Extension advise keeping onions and beans apart. These are chart and gardening recommendations, not a guarantee that onions will harm every bean crop in every garden. Virginia Cooperative Extension, UC Master Gardeners, University of Vermont Extension, West Virginia University Extension.
Peas
Peas are the other repeatedly discouraged pairing. Virginia Cooperative Extension names English peas, while UC Master Gardeners and University of Vermont Extension also advise against planting peas with onions. The guidance is about a commonly listed incompatibility, not a universal outcome for every variety or growing condition. Virginia Cooperative Extension, UC Master Gardeners, University of Vermont Extension.
Asparagus: one chart’s additional caution
Virginia Cooperative Extension lists asparagus as incompatible with onion, garlic, and potato. This is an entry in that chart; the other consulted onion-specific guidance does not establish asparagus as a recurring avoid pairing. It therefore should not be presented as part of a proven six-plant list. Virginia Cooperative Extension.
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Why a six-plant list would be misleading
Some charts discuss the onion family, which includes related crops such as garlic and leeks. Counting those relatives as separate, independently supported onion-specific incompatibilities would inflate the list rather than strengthen it. The recurring extension advice supports beans and peas; one chart adds asparagus with the qualification above.
Companion planting itself also has evidence limits. Oklahoma State University Extension says, “There is no significant data to prove the value of companion planting or intercropping.” The same guidance describes compatible pairings as plants thought to have compatible growth habits and antagonists as plants believed to inhibit growth. Treat companion-planting charts as practical guidance, not settled proof that a particular neighbor will damage onions. Oklahoma State University Extension, “Earth-Kind Gardening Series Cultural Control Practices”.
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How to arrange crops when space is limited
If you grow beans or peas, the simplest cautious approach is to give them a separate bed or keep them apart from onions rather than interplanting them. West Virginia University Extension suggests keeping negatively associated plants two to three rows apart. That is its recommendation, not a universal spacing standard; the same source notes that results can vary by area. West Virginia University Extension.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can you plant alongside onions instead?
Extension charts suggest beets, carrots, lettuce, and cabbage-family crops as possible neighbors; University of Vermont Extension also lists strawberries, and Virginia Cooperative Extension lists summer savory. These are suggestions, not guaranteed benefits, and the charts do not fully agree. For example, Virginia Cooperative Extension lists onion-family crops as compatible with lettuce in one place while its chart also lists onion as incompatible with lettuce. Check the specific chart and use these pairings as tentative guidance rather than a promise of improved growth. University of Vermont Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, UC Master Gardeners.
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