Best and Worst Companion Plants for Cucumbers

Crisp, refreshing, and packed with water, cucumbers are a garden superstar. Perfect for salads, pickling, or snacking straight from the vine!

What are Cucumbers?

• Cucumbers are a type of vining plant in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which includes pumpkin and zucchini.
• They are widely cultivated for their edible fruit, which is usually eaten fresh in salads, sandwiches, or as a snack.
• Cucumbers are grown as annual plants and are typically harvested in the summer months.
• There are many different varieties of cucumbers, ranging in size from small pickling cucumbers to large, smooth-skinned slicing cucumbers.
• Cucumbers are believed to have originated in India over 4,000 years ago and are now grown in many parts of the world. They are valued for their refreshing flavor, crisp texture, and high water content.

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is an organic method of preventing or protecting plants from pests and diseases, attracting the right types of insects for pollination, enhancing nutrient uptake, and increasing crop production simply by growing specific plants near each other. In essence, companion planting helps bring a balanced ecosystem to your landscape, allowing nature to do its job.

Benefits of Companion Planting

1. Organic Pest control
Some plants can emit scents that either repel insects, attract them, or confuse insects or disease organisms in search of their favorite host plants. They make insects less likely to land on your garden vegetables.

2. Attracts beneficial insects
Some plants help attract beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, bees, and butterflies, that pollinate and help control harmful bugs. Beneficial insects feed on common garden pests, like aphids and caterpillars.

3. Provides necessary shade
Tall sun-loving plants offer shade to smaller shade-loving plants. This results in better products and can also potentially provide pest control. A good example is The Three Sisters Garden. Practiced by Native Americans thousands of years ago, this garden includes corn, beans, and squash. The tall corn provides shade for the lower squash but also stops the squash vine borer beetle.

4. Shelters plants
Some plants can provide windbreaks and prevent soil erosion. Strong winds can damage gardens by removing mulch, topsoil, and eroding beds and hillsides. Rain can also cause severe damage by beating down young seedlings. By carefully selecting the right ground cover, you can help prevent soil erosion.

5. Provides natural supports
Some companion plants can physically support each other, reducing the need for staking. The example of planting corn, beans, and squash together applies here again. Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines.

6. Saves space
Interplanting different crops greatly maximizes space and improves productivity in small gardens.

7. Enhances flavors
Some plants can subtly enhance the flavor of other plants. Most herbs have been found to enhance the flavor of fruits and vegetables grown nearby, and Basil grown beside tomatoes is an excellent example. Similarly, chamomile has an aromatic scent that is believed to improve the growth and flavor of cabbages, cucumbers, and onions when grown beside them.

8. Better soil quality and fertility
Some crops help fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and reduce fertilizer needs. Similarly, planting plants with different root structures together can aerate the soil and allow plants to pull nutrients from different parts of the soil.

Not only can companion planting helps your plants to grow better, but it also makes the vegetable garden more attractive thanks to the addition of colorful flowers that help or hinder nearby vegetables. Companion planting combines beauty and purpose to create an enjoyable, healthy environment.

Best Companion Plants for Cucumber

Cucumbers are a popular vegetable in many gardens, and planting them with certain companion plants can help improve their growth, health, and yield. Here are some good companion plants for cucumbers:

• Beans: Beans are a great companion plant for cucumbers because they fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit the growth of cucumbers. They also help to keep the soil moist and provide a living mulch that can help to keep the soil cool.
• Catnip: attracts beneficial insects (soldier beetles), particularly fond of cucumber beetles.
• Chamomile: has a strong aromatic odor and is an excellent companion plant for cucumbers as it can improve both their vigor and flavor.
• Corn: Corn can be a great companion plant for cucumbers because it provides a trellis for the cucumber vines to climb.  Cucumbers seem to be offensive to raccoons, so it’s good to plant them near your corn.
• Dill: Dill is an excellent companion plant for cucumbers because it attracts beneficial insects like pollinators and parasitic wasps, which can help to control pests like aphids and cucumber beetles.
• Garlic: repels aphids, so plant it near your cucumbers.
• Lovage: improves the flavor and vigor of most plants and offers a suitable habitat for ground beetles.
• Marigolds: Marigolds are among the most popular companion plants because they repel many pests, including aphids.
• Marjoram: helps improve growth and flavor.
• Nasturtiums: Nasturtiums are colorful flowers that can be planted around the edge of the cucumber patch. They attract beneficial insects like bees and hoverflies, which can help to pollinate cucumber plants and control pests like aphids and whiteflies. Nasturtiums also improve the cucumbers’ growth and flavor.
• Radishes: Radishes are fast-growing plants that can be planted as a cover crop between rows of cucumbers. They help to break up the soil, which can make it easier for cucumbers to grow. They also deter cucumber beetles.
• Sunflowers: Sunflowers are a beautiful addition to any garden, and they also attract beneficial insects like bees, which can help to pollinate cucumber plants. They also provide support to your vining cucumber.
• Tansy: contains volatile oils, making it an excellent insect repellant. It repels cutworms, cabbage worms, squash bugs, striped cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles, ants, flies, mosquitoes, and fruit moths.
• Yarrow: is a good companion for vegetables, in particular cucumbers.