Tradition
No chart mentions this pair.
Fava bean
Vicia faba
Fabaceae
Turnip
Brassica rapa subsp. rapa
BrassicaceaeCan you plant fava beans and turnips together?
It depends. The sources disagree about fava beans and turnips. Results on pests were mixed in a field trial, while a field trial found no clear difference to pollinators.
Why it depends
Mixed results on pests. In a field trial, results on pests were mixed.
Trait-based cropping of brassicaceous plants: Effects on ecosystem services and crop yield (Ruhanen HM · 2023 · Biological control : theory and applications in pest management)No clear effect on pollinators. In a field trial, growing them together made no clear difference to pollinators.
Intercropping of insect-pollinated crops supports a characteristic pollinator assemblage (Järvinen A · 2022 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)Draws in pest-eating insects. In a field trial, fava beans drew in insects that eat the pests of turnips.
Intercropping shifts the balance between generalist arthropod predators and oilseed pests towards natural pest control (Järvinen A · 2023 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)Better soil and nutrient uptake. In a field trial, growing them together improved the soil and nutrient uptake.
Cover crop crucifer-legume mixtures provide effective nitrate catch crop and nitrogen green manure ecosystem services (Couëdel A · 2018 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)
What to plant with fava beans and turnips
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
BroccoliWith fava beans: Lures pests awayWith turnips: Recommended by garden charts
What to keep away from fava beans and turnips
Nothing in our data is a bad neighbour of fava beans or turnips.
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
4 papers found: 2 positive, 0 negative, 1 mixed, 1 no effect.
trap cropnatural enemiespollinatorsnutrients / soil
auto-classified not reviewed by a person
Yield trial
No intercropping yield trial.
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 fava beans and turnips
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With fava beans | With turnips |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | Lures pests awayField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for fava beans and broccoli | No effect on pestsSame family (Brassicaceae): shares pests and diseasesField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for turnips and broccoli |
The evidence, with sources
- Mixedtrap cropfield trialauto-classifiedTrait-based cropping of brassicaceous plants: Effects on ecosystem services and crop yieldTrait-based cropping of brassicaceous plants: Effects on ecosystem services and crop yield (Ruhanen HM · 2023 · Biological control : theory and applications in pest management)Relevance 88% · effect confidence 30%
- Goodnatural enemiesfield trialauto-classifiedFava bean helps TurnipIntercropping shifts the balance between generalist arthropod predators and oilseed pests towards natural pest controlIntercropping shifts the balance between generalist arthropod predators and oilseed pests towards natural pest control (Järvinen A · 2023 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)Relevance 81% · effect confidence 77%
- No effectpollinatorsfield trialauto-classifiedIntercropping of insect-pollinated crops supports a characteristic pollinator assemblageIntercropping of insect-pollinated crops supports a characteristic pollinator assemblage (Järvinen A · 2022 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)Relevance 94% · effect confidence 66%
- Goodnutrients / soilfield trialauto-classifiedCover crop crucifer-legume mixtures provide effective nitrate catch crop and nitrogen green manure ecosystem servicesCover crop crucifer-legume mixtures provide effective nitrate catch crop and nitrogen green manure ecosystem services (Couëdel A · 2018 · Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.)Relevance 85% · effect confidence 76%
All neighbours of fava bean and of turnip, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown fava beans and turnips 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.