Companion Planting
You might consider cantaloupe needs to be planted alone in a theatre of operations to spread out , but that ’s not the event ! In this clause , gardening expert Kaleigh Brillon list 17 plants that work out well with cantaloupe so you could make the most of your blank .
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Have you ever had a fleck of your backyard dedicated to cantaloupe ? I once did before I learned about fellow planting . A common misconception is that melons and other vining works need to be plant alone , away from everything else , so that they wo n’t mount all over everything , but you ’d be surprised what you may plant near your melon vine plot of ground .
Companion planting is necessary for any garden if you need it to run as expeditiously as possible . Growing diverse fruits , vegetables , and blossom near each other will have pollinators buzzing around your plants in no time , moderate to muckle of pollenation and an abundant harvesting . You ’ll also drive away undesirable pests when you plant sure thing together .
allow ’s consider at how you’re able to make companion planting happen for your cantaloupe , and you ’ll never have a lonely melon vine patch again !
What Is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is develop multiple species in the same bed so they can help each other out . It has become one of my favorite aspects of gardening . I have limited place for my plant , so Icram as much as potential in a single quad !
That has n’t always cultivate out until I learned which embed help and which ache each other . Consider yield it a endeavour in theBirdies 6 - in-1 Metal Raised Garden Bed .
Some plant are extremely redolent and will ward off pest . partner off these plants with others , you ’ll see few gadfly because they ca n’t stand the smell .
familiar planting can also help oneself rejuvenate timeworn territory . Legumes add nitrogen , so grave self-feeder plants will enjoy farm near them .
Interplanting has many welfare , and cantaloup can also benefit from this gardening method acting , despite their long vine and thirst for water supply .
Cantaloupe as Companion Plants
What good can a leafy vining plant with large yield do ? A spate , in reality . Though there are some drawback to letting cantaloupe near the balance of your garden , a few undecomposed thing will make you stop and consider it .
Benefits
Since cantaloupe covers a pile of ground , itcan prevent erosion . If you receive a lot of wind or rainfall , your garden can turn a loss a lot of dirt . Cantaloupe root will prevent it from lap away , and the dense foliage coverage will prevent the dirt from blowing away .
Cantaloupe can also protect the tooth root of other plants . There are n’t roots on every vine , so a bunch of ground is covered by leave . So , you’re able to allow the vines to surround other plant to protect their roots so they can grow with petty disturbance .
Disadvantages
Cantaloupes can torment up a water banker’s bill quick during a drought . ( This is why I ’m not a melon vine gardener!)Thirsty cantaloupes should n’t be planted next to plant that prefer dryer conditionsbecause they ’ll submerge their neighbour in just a brace of weeks . Hale ’s Best Jumbo Cantaloupeis a more drouth - broad variety that can assist you practice less water .
measured provision can help you void crowd together issuance , but these sturdy vines can get out of ascendency and start choking out other plants . You ’ll need sometrellisesand twine to keep thing under ascendency .
Companion Plants for Cantaloupe
When choosing works to uprise with your cantaloupe , select species that do n’t mind a lot of water and draw in pollinators to help your melons create as much fruit as possible . Here are some great choices to consider .
Basil
You ca n’t go incorrect withbasil , in most case . This redolent herb may ward off many pestilence , includingthrips , which will cause stunted growing and stain of cantaloupe plant .
Basil has a shaggy-coated growth riding habit that can become quite tall , but if you prune and reap it frequently enough , it wo n’t be an issue as a cantaloupe neighbor . It has a shallow radical system that should n’t vie with cantaloupe . If you have doubts , it reach agreat container plantwhen order near a melon patch .
Beans
Beans do good many plantssince they can furbish up atomic number 7 in the soil . Cantaloupe plants are ponderous feeders and will profit greatly from having taking over - planting of beans in their area .
As the bean are alive , they absorb nitrogen from the aviation and fix it in their roots ; once the older noodle plants have die back and you issue them off at the soil , their roots decay into the soil and relinquish all of the nitrogen they ’d store for your cantaloup works .
Bush and pole noggin varieties will both work . Try alternating run-in of cantaloup vine and beans . Use trellises or cows fencing panels for pole bonce to train them to grow up or else of out since the cantaloupe will have the ground covered .
As you cycle noggin industrial plant through your cantaloupe vine patch , be sure to cut off the ones you take at the soil level , leaving their roots behind to feed your produce !
Borage
While I ’m hash out refill the land with plants , I should mention tailwort ! Asboragedecomposes , it releases K and atomic number 20 into the soil and helps you develop more cantaloupe .
you could chop and send away borage to add more organic textile while keeping these nutrient available for other plant . Potassium is responsible for fruiting and flowering , so plant scientists recommend low - N and high - K fertiliser once plants produce flowers .
If that ’s not enough cause to plant tailwort , they also pull beneficial insect galore . You ’ll have more pollinator and predator in your garden , which can lead to more fruit and fewer gadfly .
Cantaloupe vines will likely clog up out borage if things get out of hand , so keep an eye on those vines ! If you ’d rather just cycle tailwort nearby to make borage mulch for your plants , plant them on the edges of your melon piece or keep them in containers nearby and resow through the season , chopping and dropping older industrial plant after they flower but before they set germ .
Carrots
Carrot companionsare a great path to help loose up your grease . raise this cool - season harvest where you need your melon vine patch to break up the soil to help offer cantaloupe seedling find their foothold .
you could eat carrots at any stage , so you could leave some in the earth even if it ’s sentence to plant cantaloupe seminal fluid . draw the carrotsonce the seedlings need more room .
Cilantro
Though cilantro is a cool - time of year crop that ordinarily ca n’t take the heat , you’re able to keep it in container or shady spots near your Cucumis melo cantalupensis to harvest the benefits .
Cilantrowill attract many good insects to your garden . You ’ll see many pollinator like butterflies , hoverflies , and bees and predators like ladybugs , lacewings , and parasitic wasps . Aside from make for in predators , cilantro can also repel many undesirable germ like beetle , aphids , and spider mites .
Corn
Native Americans used a method of gardening called the Three Sisters to mature Zea mays , beans , and squelch . This method is still widely used by gardeners today and can be adapted to suit your needs .
Cornprovides a natural treillage for pole beans , andsquash protect corn roots by act as a living mulch . you may swop out squash rackets for cantaloupe and grow them with corn and bean to make the most of your gardening space .
Cantaloupe plants need a circle of sunlight . Though Zea mays grow grandiloquent , you may plan it out soit wo n’t roll too many trace over your melons . The Three Sisters method will avail you space everything out to prevent a shady wall of corn whiskey !
Dill
Dillsmells and sample pleasant-tasting , so I always advocate constitute this one in your garden ! But on a more unbiased notation , it ’s a good plant to keep aroundbecause it attracts ladybugs , which will eat the aphidsthat need to suck up everything your cantaloupe vine have to offer .
Dill grow bushy but last out compact , so it should n’t interfere with your melons . It will work well on thecorners of your melon plot of land or in containers . you’re able to allow the vines to circularize around the dill plant life . Just ensure there ’s enough space so it does n’t get choke out .
Garlic
Garlic is a great neighborto assistance you fight off pest , so add this one to the collection if critter are always after your cantaloupe . Many louse hate its barbed fragrance , so pop a few near your melons to help keep them off .
Unless you have elephant ail , the bulbs should n’t get in the way of cantaloupe root . you may plant them pretty cheeseparing , if necessary . you could still benefit from garlic ’s repelling power if you keep it on the molding or in container .
Lettuce
Lettuce is an well-heeled , fast - growing plant that can be a comrade to almost anything . works seed at the same time as melons andharvest the young greensonce the cantaloupe seedling are a few inches tall and need more elbow room to grow .
The lettuce willact as a ground cover to aid inhibit weeds , and you ’ll get the added bonus of extra greens !
This methodmay not work as well if you endure in a hot climatesince lettuce is a cool - season harvest , but the lachrymation levels are good for both plants , and some of the shade the vines provide should assist your kale hang on for a while . you’re able to also practice other viridity like arugula and spinach .
Marigolds
I love havingmarigoldsin my garden because they ’re colored and utilitarian . You might deal with mosquito around your cantaloup since they need so much water , but marigold will help repel them .
They ’ll alsohelp control the nematode populationin the soil , which can curb industrial plant growth , and act as a cakehole crop for aphid to keep them off your melons .
I find that marigolds will farm as full-grown as you allow them . They can get fairly large when planted alone , but they abide compact in shady areas near other plants . If you plant them close to your Cucumis melo cantalupensis , they should n’t grow so big that they ’ll impede your melon vine .
Mint
Keep mint quarantine in a containerbecause of its vigorous growth habits , but it ’s a good plant near your cantaloupe . Mint will repulse various pests , like aphids , crush bugs , whitefly , ant , andflea beetles . Find a mint you enjoy the smell of and put it all around your cantaloupe patch for maximal benefits .
Some say mint can meliorate dirt tone because of the nutrients it relinquish into the soil , but its rapid growth rates do n’t make it deserving a guessing , in my legal opinion ! The enjoyable flock smell in my garden quickly rick into a year - long engagement trying to remove it . Plant passel in the footing at your own hazard !
Nasturtium
If aphid are a problem on your cantaloupe , plant nasturtium . Nasturtium is an effective ( and beautiful ) way to eliminate aphid quickly . Aphids are draw in to the prime and will congregate there . The blooms also draw hoverflies , which eat aphids . As the hoverflies are drawn in , they ’ll stick around for the aphid buffet !
Nasturtium has a rounded bushy growth use that willlook gorgeous on the end of rows or corners of beds . It should n’t call for more than a animal foot or two of blank to propagate out , so you could intercrop them with melon vine pretty easily as long as you prevent the vines from wrap around the works .
Onions
Like garlic , onions have a strong repelling power against many plague like beetles , aphids , and cat . Allium cepa are bombastic than ail , so you ’ll need to keep this in thinker so they do n’t interpose with melon vine ’s roots .
The vine will aid protect onion lightbulb , so you may implant onions close enough to the cantaloupe that vine will surround it . But do n’t institute so close that the root word will vie for space and nutrients .
Cantaloupe needs plenty of sunshine , and onion plant do n’t grow enough foliage to cast too much shade , so it ’s a good works to grow nearby . If you ’re implicated about spacing , you could always prefer for containers throughout the garden .
Oregano
Oreganocan reach two ft tall and 18 inch broad if leave to its own devices , but if you make out oregano and harvest from it daily , get it near melon should n’t be an consequence . You ’ll need to grow oregano in a container or far from cantaloupe roots since it prefer dry soil .
Oregano is a good herb to grow near melon because they repel common pests while attracting the predators and pollinators you take in your garden .
Radishes
If your garden is anything like mine , you ’ll need all the anti - aphid recommendation you may get!Radishesare anothergreat trap cropyou can grow near your cucurbit vine for most of the growing season . Ladybugs and lacewings are attract to radish and will banquet on the aphids that also have sex them .
If you implant radishes and melon vine seeds at the same time , you ’ll be capable toharvest radish before the cantaloupe vine needs extra space .
Once the melon vine has large farewell cast shade , you may grow radish plant under those foliage to supply them some shade during hot weather condition . Succession planting will let you to trap aphid and delight radish for most of the warm season .
Tansy
Tansyworks wonders for draw pollinators . You ’ll see many bees , hummingbirds , and butterflies fluttering around the bright yellow clumps of flowers .
Though beautiful and useful , this is a plant you ’ll want to plant nearby in a unlike bed rather than powerful next to your melon vine .
It can reach up to five feet marvelous and throw away too much subtlety , and it also promptly reseeds itself and can become a noxious green goddess if left neglected . The vigorous growth of tansy and cantaloupe will result in a competitive battle for distance , and I ’m not too sure which would deliver the goods !
Wildflowers
This is an immense class , but native wildflowers for your part are so good that I ca n’t help but mention them ! If you postulate helpattracting pollinatorsto your melon patch , obtain out which wildflowers are native to your orbit . aboriginal blossom will help native pollinator populations , which will , in turn , facilitate out your garden .
When implant flowers near cantaloupe , keep the shortsighted ones nearer to the melon plants and the grandiloquent ones further away so they do n’t vomit up too much shade . Place them on the end or corners of dustup , or put them in containers you may move around as postulate .
Final Thoughts
You do n’t have to seclude cantaloupe flora to furnish them with enough infinite . There are lots of plants you’re able to geminate them with that willhelp them grow better ! prefer plant life that do n’t swan too much shade and beloved water ; you ’ll have a well-chosen neighborhood of plants in no clip .