Tradition
No chart mentions this pair.
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Brassicaceae
Sweet corn
Zea mays
PoaceaeCan you plant cabbage and corn together?
It depends. The sources disagree about cabbage and corn. A field trial found no clear difference to competition for light and water, while a shared bed gave about 15% more harvest than separate beds in one field trial.
Why it depends
No clear effect on competition for light and water. In a field trial, growing them together made no clear difference to competition for light and water.
[Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the crop root in intercropping system]. (Zhang E · 2003 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)More harvest from the same bed. In one field trial, a bed with both crops gave about 15% more harvest than the same space split into a cabbage bed and a sweet corn bed.
What to plant with cabbage and corn
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
ParsleyWith cabbage: 181% more harvestWith corn: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
CilantroWith cabbage: 70% more harvestWith corn: 42% more harvest
SpinachWith cabbage: 46% more harvestWith corn: 57% more harvest
CarrotWith cabbage: 19% more harvestWith corn: 50% more harvest
DillWith cabbage: 55% more harvestWith corn: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
What to keep away from cabbage and corn
CeleryWith corn: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
The evidence in detail
For readers who want to dig in: every chart entry, study and yield trial behind the answer above, with the numbers.
Tradition, research and yield trials
Research
Mixed
avoidgood
3 papers found: 0 positive, 0 negative, 2 mixed, 1 no effect.
yield / land use x2competition
auto-classified not reviewed by a person
Yield trial
Good
0.37
0.76
Sweet corn gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.
1 field trial. Published LERs lean high.
It's complicated
What happens above and below ground
Each animation illustrates a mechanism a study reported for this pair. Pick a card to focus on it.
Everything at once.
Companion plants for both cabbage and corn
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With cabbage | With corn |
|---|---|---|
| Parsley | 181% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and parsley | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for corn and parsley |
| Cilantro | Draws in pest-eating insects70% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 7 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and cilantro | 42% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and cilantro |
| Spinach | 46% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and spinach | 57% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and spinach |
| Carrot | 19% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and carrots | 50% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and carrots |
| Dill | Draws in pest-eating insects and lures pests away55% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and dill | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for corn and dill |
 Pea | 11% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and peas | Better soil and nutrient uptake40% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 11 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for corn and peas |
 Basil | 12% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and basil | Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and basil |
Harvest from the same space compares a bed with both crops against the same area split into single-crop beds, counting the harvest of both crops (the land equivalent ratio in yield trials).
The evidence, with sources
- Mixedyield / land usefield trialauto-classifiedOptimizing row combinations of an intercrop of maize with cabbageOptimizing row combinations of an intercrop of maize with cabbage (Sun D · 2024 · European Journal of Agronomy.)Relevance 92% · effect confidence 91%
- Mixedyield / land usefield trialauto-classifiedPhotosynthetically active radiation determining yields for an intercrop of maize with cabbagePhotosynthetically active radiation determining yields for an intercrop of maize with cabbage (Wang Q · 2015 · European Journal of Agronomy.)Relevance 91% · effect confidence 82%
- No effectcompetitionfield trialauto-classified[Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the crop root in intercropping system].[Temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of the crop root in intercropping system]. (Zhang E · 2003 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)Relevance 94% · effect confidence 23%
- GoodLER 1.15field trialChina, 2009-2010; Replacement design; median LER 1.15 over 4 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.37, Sweet corn 0.76
All neighbours of cabbage and of sweet corn, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown cabbage and corn together?
Tell other gardeners what happened: spacing, pests, harvest, or ask a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.