Potato

Solanum tuberosum

Solanaceae

Sweet corn

Zea mays

Poaceae

Can you plant potatoes and corn together?

It depends. The sources disagree about potatoes and corn. Results on disease were mixed in 2 field trials, while a shared bed gave about 39% more harvest than separate beds in 5 field trials.

Why it depends

Mixed results on disease. In 2 field trials, results on disease were mixed.
The potential of strip cropping to suppress potato late blight (Homulle Z · 2024 · Field Crops Research.)
and 1 more source
More harvest from the same bed. In 5 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 39% more harvest than the same space split into a sweet corn bed and a potato bed.
Productivity, economic viability and energy efficiency of intercropping winter maize (Zea mays) and rajmash bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in potato (Solanum tuberosum) with border ridge technique (Tripathi · 2014)
and 4 more sources
Less disease. In a field trial, potatoes had less disease next to corn.
Quantifying the relative importance of disease-suppressive mechanisms in species mixtures: a case study of late blight in strip-intercropped potato. (Brandon M · 2026 · Journal of experimental botany)
A positive effect. In a field trial, growing them together helped.
Intercropping enhances stable soil organic carbon pool through macroaggregate protection and biochemical recalcitrance interactions (Wang D · 2025 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)
Better soil and nutrient uptake. In a field trial, growing them together improved the soil and nutrient uptake.
Maize/potato intercropping improvs aggregate stability and AMF community diversity in red soil of southern China (Lu M · 2025 · Research Square)
Garden charts recommend it. 2 garden chart entries recommend growing them together. None of them cites a source. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
List of companion plants (uncited entry) (Wikipedia)

What to plant with potatoes and corn

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

GarlicWith potatoes: Recommended by garden charts, not testedWith corn: 33% more harvest

How each one was tested, with the evidence

What to keep away from potatoes and corn

CarrotWith potatoes: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
CucumberWith potatoes: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
Squash & pumpkinWith potatoes: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
AsparagusWith potatoes: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
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

Tradition

Good

avoidgood

2 chart entries: 2 recommend, 0 advise against.

0 cited, 2 uncited.

Research

Mixed

avoidgood

6 papers found: 4 positive, 0 negative, 2 mixed.

disease suppression x3otheryield / land usenutrients / soil

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

Good

0.65

0.69

Both crops did about equally well. 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 (5)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Sweet corn PotatoStudies disagree. At best, sweet corn helps shield Potato from disease, for example by interrupting spread or disturbing the insects that carry it.

Researchfield trial x3

The potential of strip cropping to suppress potato late blight (Homulle Z · 2024 · Field Crops Research.)

Disease-suppressive mechanisms in contrasting potato-based strip-cropping systems. (Homulle Z · 2025 · Eur J Plant Pathol.)

1 more source

Quantifying the relative importance of disease-suppressive mechanisms in species mixtures: a case study of late blight in strip-intercropped potato. (Brandon M · 2026 · Journal of experimental botany)

Potato Sweet corn HelpsPotato changes the soil for Sweet corn, sharing nutrients or feeding the fungal threads that link their roots.

Sweet corn Potato HelpsSweet corn changes the soil for Potato, sharing nutrients or feeding the fungal threads that link their roots.

Researchfield trial x1

Maize/potato intercropping improvs aggregate stability and AMF community diversity in red soil of southern China (Lu M · 2025 · Research Square)

Potato Sweet cornGrown together, Potato and Sweet corn gave more food from the same ground than apart.

Researchfield trial x1

Intercropping enhances soil multifunctionality by restructuring microbial community and biogeochemical cycles. (Chen L · 2025 · The Science of the total environment)

Potato Sweet cornMedian land equivalent ratio 1.39 over 5 trials: growing them together gave 1.39 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Potato 0.59 + Sweet corn 0.70. Range across treatments 1.35 to 1.59. 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

Productivity, economic viability and energy efficiency of intercropping winter maize (Zea mays) and rajmash bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in potato (Solanum tuberosum) with border ridge technique (Tripathi · 2014)

Determination of Effective Spatial Arrangement for Intercropping of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Using Competition Indices Ethiopia (Bantie · 2015)

3 more sources

Effects of Row Intercropping System of Corn and Potato and Row Spacing of Corn on the Growth and Yields of Atlantic Potato Cultivar Planted in Medium Altitude (Hamdani · 2015)

Effect of Intercropping of Zea Maize with Potato Solanum tuberosum, L. on Potato Growth and on the Productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio of Potato and Zea Maize (Al-Dalain · 2009)

Maize and potato intercropping: A technology to increase productivity and profitability in tigray (Kidane · 2017)

Potato Sweet cornAnother interaction between Potato and Sweet corn is recorded; see the sources.

Researchfield trial x1

Intercropping enhances stable soil organic carbon pool through macroaggregate protection and biochemical recalcitrance interactions (Wang D · 2025 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)

Tradition saysGood

2 gardening-lore entries, 2 without a specific citation. Lore is a starting point, not proof.

None of the 2 tradition entries cite a specific source.

Companion plants for both potatoes and corn

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

Plant	With potatoes	With corn
Garlic	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for potatoes and garlic	33% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for corn and garlic

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

ResearchMixed6 entries

Mixeddisease suppressionfield trialauto-classified

The potential of strip cropping to suppress potato late blight
The potential of strip cropping to suppress potato late blight (Homulle Z · 2024 · Field Crops Research.)

Relevance 84% · effect confidence 25%
Mixeddisease suppressionfield trialauto-classified

Disease-suppressive mechanisms in contrasting potato-based strip-cropping systems.
Disease-suppressive mechanisms in contrasting potato-based strip-cropping systems. (Homulle Z · 2025 · Eur J Plant Pathol.)

Relevance 84% · effect confidence 28%
Gooddisease suppressionfield trialauto-classified

Sweet corn helps Potato
Quantifying the relative importance of disease-suppressive mechanisms in species mixtures: a case study of late blight in strip-intercropped potato.
Quantifying the relative importance of disease-suppressive mechanisms in species mixtures: a case study of late blight in strip-intercropped potato. (Brandon M · 2026 · Journal of experimental botany)

Relevance 82% · effect confidence 86%

Show 3 more

Goodotherfield trialauto-classified

Intercropping enhances stable soil organic carbon pool through macroaggregate protection and biochemical recalcitrance interactions
Intercropping enhances stable soil organic carbon pool through macroaggregate protection and biochemical recalcitrance interactions (Wang D · 2025 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)

Relevance 89% · effect confidence 65%
Goodyield / land usefield trialauto-classified

Intercropping enhances soil multifunctionality by restructuring microbial community and biogeochemical cycles.
Intercropping enhances soil multifunctionality by restructuring microbial community and biogeochemical cycles. (Chen L · 2025 · The Science of the total environment)

Relevance 85% · effect confidence 79%
Goodnutrients / soilfield trialauto-classified

Maize/potato intercropping improvs aggregate stability and AMF community diversity in red soil of southern China
Maize/potato intercropping improvs aggregate stability and AMF community diversity in red soil of southern China (Lu M · 2025 · Research Square)

Relevance 87% · effect confidence 83%

Yield trialGood5 entries

GoodLER 1.50field trial

India, 2006-2008; Replacement design; median LER 1.50 over 4 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.59, Potato 0.91
Productivity, economic viability and energy efficiency of intercropping winter maize (Zea mays) and rajmash bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in potato (Solanum tuberosum) with border ridge technique (Tripathi · 2014)
No effectLER 1.03field trial

Ethiopia, 2011-2012; Replacement design; median LER 1.03 over 12 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.52, Potato 0.585
Determination of Effective Spatial Arrangement for Intercropping of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Using Competition Indices Ethiopia (Bantie · 2015)
GoodLER 1.40field trial

Indonesia, 2014; Replacement design; median LER 1.40 over 5 treatment(s)
Effects of Row Intercropping System of Corn and Potato and Row Spacing of Corn on the Growth and Yields of Atlantic Potato Cultivar Planted in Medium Altitude (Hamdani · 2015)

Show 2 more

GoodLER 1.39field trial

Jordan, 2006-2008; Additive design; median LER 1.39 over 3 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.8, Potato 0.59
Effect of Intercropping of Zea Maize with Potato Solanum tuberosum, L. on Potato Growth and on the Productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio of Potato and Zea Maize (Al-Dalain · 2009)
GoodLER 1.38field trial

Ethiopia, 2012; Replacement design; median LER 1.38 over 3 treatment(s) · partial LER Sweet corn 0.85, Potato 0.53
Maize and potato intercropping: A technology to increase productivity and profitability in tigray (Kidane · 2017)

TraditionGood2 entries

GoodPotato helps Sweet corn
Corn / Maize: helped by and potato
List of companion plants (uncited entry) (Wikipedia)
GoodPotato helps Sweet corn
Potato: helps corn
List of companion plants (uncited entry) (Wikipedia)

Plan a bed with potatoes and corn

All neighbours of potato and of sweet corn, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.

Have you grown potatoes 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.