Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

Brassicaceae

Radish

Raphanus sativus

Brassicaceae

Can you plant cabbage and radishes together?

It depends. The sources disagree about cabbage and radishes. A shared bed gave about 42% more harvest than separate beds in 5 field trials, but both are in the Brassicaceae family, so they share pests and diseases.

Why it depends

Mixed results on growth. In a greenhouse or pot trial, results on growth were mixed.
Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)
More harvest from the same bed. In 5 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 42% more harvest than the same space split into a cabbage bed and a radish bed.
Indicators of Production Sustainability in Intercropped Vegetable Farming on Montmorillonitic Soils in India (Varghese · 2000)
and 4 more sources
Same family, shared pests. Cabbage and radishes are both in the Brassicaceae family, so the same pests and diseases can move from one to the other.
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

What to plant with cabbage and radishes

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

Fava beanWith cabbage: 117% more harvestWith radishes: Better soil and nutrient uptake
EggplantWith cabbage: 54% more harvestWith radishes: Recommended by garden charts, not tested

How each one was tested, with the evidence

What to keep away from cabbage and radishes

CarrotWith radishes: 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

Same family, shared pests and diseases. Both in Brassicaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insects. Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden

Tradition

No chart mentions this pair.

Research

Bad

avoidgood

2 papers found: 0 positive, 1 negative, 1 mixed.

otheryield / land use

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

Good

0.87

0.62

Cabbage gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.

5 field trials. 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.

What is going on (4)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Cabbage RadishCabbage and Radish are close relatives, so the same insects and diseases can hop from one to the other.

Same familyextension guidance x1

Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

Cabbage RadishGrown together, Cabbage and Radish gave less food from the same ground than apart.

Researchfield trial x1

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc I · 2006 · Journal of sustainable agriculture)

Cabbage RadishMedian land equivalent ratio 1.42 over 5 trials: growing them together gave 1.42 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Cabbage 0.89 + Radish 0.64. Range across treatments 1.42 to 1.42. Medians are taken separately, so the parts need not add up to the median LER. LER above 1 is biased upward by publication bias.

Yield trialfield trial x5

Indicators of Production Sustainability in Intercropped Vegetable Farming on Montmorillonitic Soils in India (Varghese · 2000)

Intercropping based on cauliflower: More productive, profitable and highly sustainable (Yildirim · 2005)

3 more sources

Desempenho do consórcio entre repolho e rabanete com pré-cultivo de crotalária, sob manejo orgânico X1 - Performance of cabbage and radish intercropping under organic management (Oliveira · 2005)

Studies on Effect of Intercrops on Yield and Monetary Returns of Cabbage (Gawade · 2004)

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc · 2006)

Cabbage RadishAnother interaction between Cabbage and Radish is recorded; see the sources.

Researchgreenhouse / pot trial x1

Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)

Companion plants for both cabbage and radishes

Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.

Plant	With cabbage	With radishes
Fava bean	117% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 5 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and fava beans	Better soil and nutrient uptakeField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for radishes and fava beans
Eggplant	54% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and eggplant	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for radishes and eggplant

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

ResearchBad2 entries

Mixedothergreenhouse / pot trialauto-classified

Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings.
Intercropping affects the physiology and cadmium absorption of pakchoi, lettuce, and radish seedlings. (Liang L · 2023 · Environmental science and pollution research international)

Relevance 93% · effect confidence 20%
Badyield / land usefield trialauto-classified

Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production
Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc I · 2006 · Journal of sustainable agriculture)

Relevance 98% · effect confidence 92%

Yield trialGood5 entries

GoodLER 1.84field trial

India, 1999; Additive design; median LER 1.84 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.81, Radish 1.03
Indicators of Production Sustainability in Intercropped Vegetable Farming on Montmorillonitic Soils in India (Varghese · 2000)
GoodLER 1.18field trial

Turkey, 2000-2002; Additive design; median LER 1.18 over 3 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.91
Intercropping based on cauliflower: More productive, profitable and highly sustainable (Yildirim · 2005)
GoodLER 1.60field trial

Brazil, 2000-2001; Additive design; median LER 1.60 over 2 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.885, Radish 0.71
Desempenho do consórcio entre repolho e rabanete com pré-cultivo de crotalária, sob manejo orgânico X1 - Performance of cabbage and radish intercropping under organic management (Oliveira · 2005)

Show 2 more

GoodLER 1.42field trial

India, 1995-1998; NA design; median LER 1.42 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.85, Radish 0.57
Studies on Effect of Intercrops on Yield and Monetary Returns of Cabbage (Gawade · 2004)
GoodLER 1.07field trial

Turkey, 2000-2002; Additive design; median LER 1.07 over 3 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.91, Radish 0.16
Increasing Productivity with Intercropping Systems in Cabbage Production (Guvenc · 2006)

Same familyShares pests1 entry

Both in Brassicaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insects
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

Plan a bed with cabbage and radishes

All neighbours of cabbage and of radish, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.

Have you grown cabbage and radishes 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.