The Vegetable You Should Keep Far Away From The Strawberries In Your Garden

Few things are more rewarding for a homeowner than watching their garden bloom, blossom, and flourish. As eye candy for your lawn and a conversation starter for you and your neighbors, gardens are a monumental asset for any home. Naturally, you want to keep everything in your garden growing in a safe, healthy, and optimal environment. However, certain plants should not be grown in close proximity to one another because they run the risk of harming or hindering one another's growth patterns and overall health. Strawberries and broccoli are among these pairings that shouldn't be grown together. 

If you are growing strawberries in your garden, keeping broccoli far, far away from your strawberry vines is imperative. If grown in the same garden, broccoli will begin to rob strawberries of their nutrients and steal moisture from them as well. This will leave your strawberry harvest very underwhelming and certainly not very tasty. 

Broccoli is a member of the Brassica genus. Plants of this genus are commonly and informally known as cruciferous vegetables, or in other words, members of the cabbage family. Aside from broccoli, types of Brassica include cauliflower, collard greens, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, and radishes. Brassica plants are known to be heavy "feeders" within the plant world, meaning they require abundant nutrients from garden soil. They will compete with neighboring crops to receive these nutrients and will, in turn, leave those other crops at a nutrient deficit. This is why broccoli and other Brassica plants must be kept away from your strawberry vines at all times. Generally, only grow cruciferous vegetables around other types of cruciferous vegetables.

Instead, consider planting garlic and onions alongside your strawberries. These are known to be beneficial companion plants for strawberries because the pungent odors of garlic and onions can help repel and ward off pests that would otherwise feed on your berries. Similarly, fennel also has pest-repelling properties that can benefit your strawberry plants.