Companion planting is a proved gardening proficiency that protects vulnerable craw while appeal pollinators and more . Each works has unique , ideal fellow plant , and when you grow Cucumis sativus , you want to pick the ripe cucumber fellow traveller plants to implant nearby .
Do n’t be tempted to establish only one case of plant in each garden bed . Using polyculture proficiency , which is when you constitute two or more unlike crops in one garden bed , increases biodiversity and creates a goodly , well-chosen garden .
Let ’s look at why you need to rehearse companion planting and the the honorable and bad companion plant for cucumber .
The 7 Benefits of Companion Planting
If you never used companion planting before , you ’ll be distressed that you ’ve missed all of them when you get word about all the benefits .
It ’s not too late to start using companion planting . Here are some of the fantastic benefits and why gardener bank by it .
1. Repels Harmful Insects
The inclination of harmful pest that could encroach upon your garden feel never - terminate , but many of the most common pests can be warded off by using companion planting . Cabbage louse , whiteflies , aphids , cabbage moth , and mash microbe are just a few repelled by specific plants .
Incorporating plants , such as marigold , catnip , St. Basil , chives , and rue , help to rebuff specific pests , and they should be set near crops that need cuss control of course .
At the same time , other companion plants , such as nasturtiums , act as a trap crop and attract certain pestis , luring them away from the vegetable that you require to keep ,
2. Attracts Pollinators
Bees and ladybugs , just a few of the of the essence pollinators , sometimes require boost to impose veggie garden .
Since your veg garden want pollinator , adding companion plants suck them to where you want them to be . plant such as tailwort flowers encourage pollinators .
3. Improves Soil Nutrients
Crops take up worthful nutrients from the soil , so gardener must continually renew the soil ’s nutrient each year or gamble the next class ’s crop .
Like bush beans or pole beans , many fellow traveller industrial plant add up valuable nutrients to the ground , such as N . That helps to keep nearby plant life healthy .
4. Encourages Faster Growth
Some fellow traveler plant release chemical that promote profligate growth in nearby plants or improve their flavors . illustration of these plants are chamomile , marjoram , and summer Micromeria juliana .
5. Provides A Necessary Ground Cover
Consider turn some cower , low to the earth plant life , such as Origanum vulgare . basis cover plant act as a blanket over the stain , protecting it from the Sunday and erosion , as well as keep soil cooler .
6. Adds Necessary Shade
Some plants require shade for idealistic growth . In these cases , planting near tall , leafy grow , such as asparagus , allow welcome shade for sun - sensitive plants , like scratch .
7. Acts As Markers
Other works are slow - growing , such as carrot , and it ’s easy to forget where you imbed them . nurseryman often practice fast - growing works , such as radishes , to differentiate the slow - raise crops .
11 Best Companion Plants To Grow With Cucumber
Cucumber plant have several fellow options , including other vegetables , herbs , and bloom .
Let ’s await at the most usual cucumber fellow works to avail you resolve what to plant in the same garden bottom .
1. Corn
Cornis one of the most common cucumber vine fellow plants because the corn stalks act as a support system for smaller varieties of cucumbers . The Zea mays does need to be tall enough when the cuke flora are sowed or transplanted into the garden .
Another considerateness is that you need to peck a cucumber variety that is little and abstemious ; pickling cucumbers are heavy option . Corn stalks are n’t too inviolable , so too much weight get them to bend or photograph .
In getting even , the cucumber vines play as a mulch beneath your corn shuck , aid to keep on more wet and suppressing weed outgrowth .
2. Beans
Legumes , such as bean , fix essential atomic number 7 in the soil . Planting bush noggin with cucumbers will help to increase the vigor of your cucumber plants .
Instead of planting beans alongside cucumber vine , attempt grow both beans and cucumber on a shared treillage . These two works revel each other ’s company while saving you space in the garden .
One thing to note is that all beans are cucumber familiar plant . leguminous plant , in general , are wondrous choices for cucumber fellow traveller plant .
3. Peas
Like beans , peasadd nitrogen to the soil , make them a great addition to any garden . While cucumbers do n’t require a lot of nitrogen , it wo n’t wound them to have extra useable .
Cucumbers and peas complement each other . It ’s essential to be aware of planting times because pea can be implant earlier , giving your cucumber vine more time to rise when it ’s their prison term .
4. Beets
One reason to use fellow planting is that it helps minify disease problems . Other sentence , the locating is inert , which means it does n’t help nor harm the plants . Beets go into that category .
If you desire a place to add more beets to your garden that wo n’t be harmful , consider sowing seeds near Cucumis sativus plants .
All root vegetables , including carrot , parsnip , and turnips , are awesome fellow traveler plants for cucumbers . Since cucumbers have shallow roots , you do n’t take to worry about root interference .
5. Celery
Planting celery near the cabbage family member is a uncouth gardening conjuration because the strong scent deters loot butterflies . The same theory works for plant cultivated celery near cucumbers , but it is more of a achromatic pairing .
When growing a gravid garden with various plant life , neutral pairings are crucial to discover . If you require to supply more celery , put them alongside cucumber . The pairing might ward off some pests , and if it does n’t , it wo n’t get any damage either .
6. Lettuce
Lettuce works as a companion plant life next to hemangioma simplex , cucumbers , radishes , and carrots . There is no significant reason for this pairing other than they do n’t dislike each other .
You do n’t need to worry that thelettuce plantswill blockade the cucumbers ’ growing and vice versa .
7. Radishes
Planting several dustup ofradishesserve as some of the serious plant marker . You might not want to be overrun with radishes , but they serve show you where your plants are .
If you ’re disquieted about plant root veggie with cuke , it ’s undecomposed to know that cucumbers have one larger taproot and several shallow etymon that do n’t extend too far into the soil . That imply the root of Cucumis sativus plant and root vegetables wo n’t interpose with each other .
8. Dill
The best herb to plant near cucumbers is Anethum graveolens , hands down , which is ironical because they make some delicious dip and snack together .
Dill attracts a lot of flying and crawling insects , include parasitic wasps and other pollinator . you’re able to never have too many beneficial worm in your garden .
dill weed might have a slim outcome on the flavor of your cucumbers . If you enjoy the taste of dill weed , that wo n’t be a forged affair , but if you do n’t wish the flavor of dill , avoid this conjugation .
9. Marigolds
marigold are some of the most useful flowers to implant alongside many veggie . They repel many different insects , such as beetles , in the garden because of their strong odour .
At the same time , marigold pull in pollinators to your garden . Since cucumbers need to be pollinated , it ’s nice to tote up some pollinating attracting works .
10. Nasturtiums
Here is another flower that merit a constant stain in your vegetable garden . Not only are nasturtiums comestible , but they also can be planted as a familiar flora for cuke .
They have a low - develop , straggle use that makes them look beautiful while also revolt a range of pesterer , such as thrips , aphids , and munching hemipterous insect .
11. Sunflowers
Many cuke varieties are crawling plants , so planting cucumber vines near sunflowers makes sense . Some helianthus varieties can reach up to 12 feet marvellous and measure out several inches thick , providing perfect support systems for cucumber .
If you utilise this method , you must pick smaller cucumber vine that wo n’t weigh down the helianthus imbed too much .
5 Bad Companion Plants for Cucumbers
Now that you know the best cucumber vine fellow traveller plants , it ’s a good idea to know what plants do n’t belong to beside your cucumbers .
For the most part , cuke are easy - going plant without stiff likes or dislikes , but that does n’t ring true for other plants .
Here what not to engraft with cucumbers :
1. Potatoes
Potatoes are some of the heaviest alimentation crops in the garden , and planting potatoes and cucumbers together is a no - no .
The biggest understanding of not to embed cucumber plants alongside Irish potato is that potatoes will take off lively nutrients that your cucumber plants need .
Another job is that cuke further white potato blight if the condition are right . That kills off intact crop of potatoes .
2. Aromatic Herbs
The redolent herbs you know and love do n’t work alongside cucumbers . Here are a few examples to keep aside from your cucumber .
This is a huge no - no next to Cucumis sativus . Stick your Basil of Caesarea plants skinny to tomato ; it improve the flavor of tomatoes but not cuke .
Some gardeners claim that sage stunt the growth of cuke .
All mint plant , include peppermint gum and Mentha spicata , miss their boundaries and stifle other plant nearby .
Since it ’s a sprawl perennial , keep it off from your cucumbers , even if it ’s a pot . They do n’t get along .
3. Melons
The pests that get laid to nosh on cucumber plants also love to snack on melons . Planting cuke and melons together is like creating a sideboard for insects . It creates a minor monoculture for plants , and that makes it hard to get rid of pests .
melon belong to next to other industrial plant , such as :
4. Fennel
Fennel does n’t diddle well with other vegetables in the garden , so it ’s not recommended to stick with other plant .
It does pull other beneficial insects , but the common fennel acts as an inhibitor to most veggie ’ growth . In some circumstances , the fennel stunts or drink down other plants only .
5. Brassicas
Most plant in the brassica category have mixed relationship with cuke plant life . Some gardener believe that brassicas improve their cucumber ’ growth , but brassicas are thirsty plants , as are cucumbers . That intend they ’ll vie with the cucumber for weewee in the soil , potentially decreasing their growth .
Brassica kinsperson members that should n’t be planted with cucumbers include :
Final Thoughts
Learn how to apply fellow traveler planting to meliorate your garden and veggie growth . When growing cucumbers , check that you expend the best cucumber companion industrial plant to lessen pests , encourage pollinators , and increase the grunge ’s health .
Written By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California Ithiel Town , San Mateo . She holds a master ’s degree in horticulture from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an organic farm , water conservation research , Farmer ’ markets , and industrial plant nursery , she understands what makes flora thrive and how we can better infer the connection between microclimate and industrial plant wellness . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves informing people of raw ideas / things related to horticulture , especially organic horticulture , houseplants , and arise plants in a low distance .
