by Bethany Hayes
Cucumber plants are prostrate to pests and disease , and one natural fashion to prevent pests from taking over is to include some cucumber vine fellow plants in your garden . While this technique is n’t the only agency to head off pests , it helps and encourage healthier growth just by put certain plants nearby !
Companion plants are one of those horticulture tricks that many gardener ignore for years , adopt that it ’s all just a myth . However , the truth is that these share lessons from gardener to nurseryman offer more wisdom sometimes than scientific discipline .
Using the benefits of companion plant life helps you come up with a purposeful plan for your garden , growing plants near each other that dissuade specific pests or offer extra food into the earth .
While it might not make a lot of common sense why it works , if you ’re dying for a bumper crop of cucumbers , utilizing companion plants to your advantage make sense . Best of all , it does n’t require too much work on your end .
rent ’s look at why using companion plants with cucumbers is such a good idea and a few industrial plant to deal planting nearby .
Why Your Cucumber Plants Benefit from Companion Plants
All plants gain from fellow plants in some form , and when you pass a pile of time plant a garden , using this simple technique offers a lot of benefits without too much study on your end .
Here are some of the benefit you should know !
1. Increases the Productivity of Your Plants
Cucumber works need plenty of nutrients to grow , and a few types of crop on this list add together nutrients back into the soil .
That ’s right – some plants fix nutrient deficiencies rather than only taking what they involve . These crops are great to spring up nearby because your cuke plants will slow draw the benefits , lead to increase productivity .
2. Naturally Deters Pests
If you ’ve struggled with cucumber pest before , one natural way to stop them from finding your plants is to set crops nearby that pests do n’t care . Typically , these are unlike plants with strong scents , but that ’s not always the fount .
Some of these cucumber comrade plant detercucumber beetlesand other troublesome insect . These are progressively helpful for gardeners .
3. Attracts More Pollinators
Here ’s another way that associate plants profit your cucumbers – theyattract pollinators .
Pollinators are needed for cucumber to produce fruit . So you should see slews of bees and other insects buzzing from blossom to flower on your flora .
You might have a pollinator problem if you do n’t , but planting flowers and other plant that these worm love nearby will solve this problem .
4. Saves Space in Small Gardens
Cuke plants get on tall vines , so they need a support organization , such as a treillage or an archway . Some tall and robust plant , such as sunflowers , set aside cuke vines to grow up the chaff . They represent as a natural support system for your plant , saving your quad in your humble garden .
Another elbow room companion plants save up you space in your garden is by admit you to plant crops with taproots with those who have deep root . It ’s possible to pair these types of crop together , saving space in your garden that you might otherwise waste .
14 Cucumber Companion Plants
Let ’s take a look at some of the best cucumber companion industrial plant and why they aid your plants arise in the garden .
1. Beans
Beansbelong to the legumes family , along with peas , that sterilize essential N in the soil . So , when you plant bush attic close to cucumbers , it lead to increased plant dynamism .
One of the sluttish way to acquire noodle and cucumber vine near each other is to plant cucumbers on a trellis and put bush edible bean around the base of the trellis or arch . Another mind is to grow pole beans and Cucumis sativus on a partake in treillage ; this helps save blank space .
However , if you have the plants on the same support , they will compete for sun and quad , so examine to space them appropriately .
2. Beets
Beetsare one of those works that are neutral – they are n’t harmful but do n’t pop the question any significant benefit either . put beets near your other plants is a way to save up and share infinite , but call back – beet do n’t provide any real benefit to cucumber plant .
3. Borage
Borageis a friendly herbaceous plant that bring pollinators to your garden . The flowers are edible and taste similar to cucumbers , even when not found close together .
Borage is a beautiful works with blue flower , and it ’s have sex as a ego - seeding annual herbaceous plant . It adds nutrients to the soil and repels several different pests , such as hornworms , that destruct crops throughout your garden .
4. Calendula
Often referred to as pot marigolds , calendula are n’t marigold , but they both have cheerful , orange blooms that bet great in your garden . Calendula is an annual flowering herbaceous plant know for attracting a compass of good insects to your garden .
One of the dear elbow room to apply calendula with cucumber plants is as a hole that pull aphids away from the vines . But , at the same clip , they also attract hoverflies , a beneficial insect that eats aphids , and leechlike wraps that rust cuke beetles .
5. Carrots
Everyone knows that carrots areroot cropsthat take plenty of root space to grow , but other than that , they ’re pretty stocky and soft to grow . But then , cucumbers grow upwardly but want little space in the soil because of inadequate taproots .
That mean these pair well together , saving you space in your garden .
carrot grow well when planted in the bound with wad of meter for them to germinate – they take quite a while ! Then , once the grunge is quick , you add together the cucumber vine into your garden . Both plant appreciate well - till soil .
6. Celery
Gardeners oftenplant celerynear cabbage family members because the strong scent deters cabbage butterflies , one of the most troublesome pests for wampum . However , when it comes to cucumbers and Apium graveolens dulce , they are n’t one of the most good cucumber fellow plant .
Apium graveolens dulce is another inert familiar industrial plant that does n’t have any real reason to plant it next to the craw but also has no real reason not to do so . However , it ’s easier to space these in your garden compared to the other impersonal fellow industrial plant .
7. Corn
If you farm smaller varieties of cucumber vine plants , cornstalk act as a support arrangement . The trick is ensuring the corn stalks are grandiloquent enough to do so when the cucumber plants are planted or transplanted .
That means you have to cautiously plant these crops if you need to reap the benefits of a natural support system .
8. Dill
Dillis one of the serious herbs to implant in your garden ; it ’s various , and even the seeds pretend as spice in your culinary ravisher . When grown as one of the cucumber companion plant , Anethum graveolens draw in a lot of beneficial insects to your gardens , such as parasitic wasp and pollinators .
you’re able to never have too many pollinator !
However , it ’s important to note that dill weed will somewhat move the flavor of your cucumber . So , make certain you like the taste of dill before plant these craw side by side .
9. Lettuce
It does n’t get much well-off thanlettuceif you ’re looking for an easy companion plant for cucumber . All you have to do is sow a line of seeds , and plants will finally issue .
wampum acts as an easy , inert comrade plant for Cucumis sativus , along with radish , strawberries , and carrots . They wo n’t make any problem if you plant them , but they wo n’t help either .
10. Marigolds
Marigoldsare one of those industrial plant that I swear have benefits for most plants ; that ’s why they terminate up on most companion plants lists . These flowers repel dissimilar pests and beetles that might taint your garden .
While you and I might not think that marigolds have a strong perfume , pest believe so , and that ’s why these are some of the best cucumber companion flora .
11. Nasturtiums
Another one of the just efflorescence to add to your garden isnasturtiums . Not only are these flower edible , but they have multiple purpose , like making infused bottles of vinegar or using them as a natural antibiotic !
When you plant cucumbers and nasturtiums together , the nasturtium flowers help repel pests , such as thrips , aphids , and other common cucumber pesterer . One of the in effect ways to utilize nasturtium as a companion plant is to establish them as snare crops ; the aphids will constellate to them rather than your cuke plants .
At the same clip , beneficial insects beloved nasturtiums , such as ladybeetle , that use up cucumber beetles and other pest . Ladybugs also eat up aphids , one of the most mutual cucumber pests .
These plants also have similar low - arise nature and sprawl habits that make them depend beautiful when constitute close .
12. Peas
Peas add more nitrogen to the soil , so while cucumber plants do n’t ask high-pitched nitrogen levels , it help fix any lack and keeps the soil around the plants healthy . imbed pea in your garden slowly adjusts the NPK levels , not rapidly .
cucumber and pea plant complement each other as long as you clock the plants appropriately . It ’s honorable to start the peas betimes , and since they glean too soon , it gives your cucumber plants pile of time to sprawl and grow .
13. Radishes
Are you still searching for the best Cucumis sativus companion plants?Radishesare one of the fastest - develop veggie crop , so you ’ll have a harvest time in less than two month .
When it comes to growing cucumbers and radishes together , there are three reasons to do so . First , the roots of cucumber flora are semi - shallow when compare to other plants so that they wo n’t incommode each other .
secondly , daikon discourage cucumber beetles , one of the most devastating cuke pests that you do n’t want in your garden . Some gardeners recommend always planting two or three radish semen near your cucumber plant to repel these pests .
Third , if you get the radish plants continue to grow until they flower , you wo n’t be able to eat the ancestor , but the plants will flower , attracting different pollinator .
14. Sunflowers
Cucumbers have a sprawling , vining nature , sosunflowersmake sodding sense as a companion plant . Sunflowers produce a natural treillage that the cucumber vine plants can raise up , saving space in your garden .
By the clip that you harvest your sunflower , the cucumber plants will be glean and done . However , if you do need to use sunflowers for a natural trellis , regard spring up pickle Cucumis sativus because the vines tend to be lighter weightiness and wo n’t strain the sunflower stalks too much .
What Not to Grow Near Cucumber Plants
While most plants are either a companion flora for cucumbers or a achromatic crop , a few are not friends of Cucumis sativus . These crops are comfortably not grown nearby for various reasons .
1. Aromatic Herbs
Some herbaceous plant grow well with cucumbers , like dill , but some redolent herbaceous plant do n’t mate well . Here are a few examples of herb you do n’t want near cucumbers .
If there is one herb you do n’t want to plant next to cucumbers , it ’s basil . It will cause serious problems for your Cucumis sativus plants .
Another aromatic herbaceous plant that is a no - no is salvia ; this plant will stunt the growth of your plant .
In general , all great deal plants are a no - no next to cucumber plant since they be given to sprawl and take over all surrounding plants without mercifulness .
2. Other Cucurbits
Cucumber plants belong to the Cucurbitaceae category , along with gourds , squash , and watermelon . It ’s a good idea to keep all of your cucumber plants away from them because they all attract the same pesterer .
When planted as neighbors , they also spread diseases , so these works end up vulnerable to almost all the same issue .
3. Fennel
Fennelis one of those plants that does n’t work well with others . So , if nursing home gardeners decide to grow them , it ’s essential to do so in a freestanding garden bed . Do n’t plant anything with finocchio , including cucumbers .
This crop might draw in beneficial insects , but it also roleplay as a growth inhibitor for most industrial plant , including cukes . In some cases , fennel stunt the increase wholly or even pop plant .
4. Melons
You do n’t require to plantmelonsand cucumbers in the same area because the same blighter that eat melons also eat cucumbers . So when you plant them together , you create a monoculture that is never a good thing .
That mean you will need to work out even hard with pesticide to keep pests out . So instead , keep your melon vine plant near broccoli , lettuce , okra , carrots , kale , and cauliflower .
5. Potatoes
Potatoesare known for being one of the heaviest feeder in your garden , so if you plant Cucumis sativus nearby , they ’ll take nutrients away from your plants . You ’ll end up with a significant divergence in the quality and sizing of your fruits if you plant potato near your cucumber plant .
Another reason that you do n’t put Cucumis sativus and white potato vine close together is because Cucumis sativus advance the growth of potato blight in the correct conditions . Therefore , you need to keep them spaced far away to avoid this trouble .
Final Thoughts
If you want to have a enceinte harvest time this year , examine adding cucumber companion plants near your plants to increase productiveness and deter pests from finding your crops .
