Companion planting for cucumbers will help you get the most out of your homegrown crop of this favorite salad vegetable. Cucumbers from your garden are undoubtedly the best, and they can make a big difference in the flavor of a salad or sandwich.
Cucumber companion planting is the easier method of growing them besides herbs, flowers, or vegetables that are known to help them grow.
Companion planting cucumbers will benefit whether you grow them in a greenhouse or a warm, protected place outside.
If you plan to produce cucumbers in an unheated greenhouse or outdoors, start sowing cucumber seeds inside in April and think about what you'll plant with them.
Within a few months, most cucumbers will be ready to harvest, allowing you to reap the benefits of your vision and planning.
What is a Good Companion Plant for Cucumbers?
Companion planting may be enhanced by developing a community of mutually beneficial plants.
Cucumber companion planting may provide benefits such as preventing pests from attacking young cucumber plants, boosting soil nutrients accessible to the food plant, and increasing yields.
Companion planting, according to Rob Smith, Horti Expert at Dobies (opens in new tab), is a "great method to stop hungry insects from feasting on your crops while remaining completely natural and organic."
Allowing mother nature to maintain the balance in your garden is also beneficial for the environment. By carefully planning and gardening, you may create a community of mutually beneficial plants that will help your crops thrive while avoiding the need for harmful pesticides,' Rob says.
Cucumber companion planting may also attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to the vegetable plants, as well as improve the growing environment by giving needed shade, acting as a ground cover to keep moisture in, or breaking up the soil.
Cucumber Companion Planting- With Vegetables
Cucumber companion planting with different vegetables can have a range of benefits
Peas and Beans are helpful because of their root systems. “They enrich the soil with nitrogen, which the cucumbers will benefit from,” adds Rob Smith.
Cucumber companion planting is best done with Carrots, Parsnips, Radishes, and Onions since they do not invade one other's land. Cucumbers send down one big tap root as well as a few shallow roots that don't extend very far. Root vegetables develop mostly beneath the earth, whereas cucumbers send down one larger tap root as well as a few shallow roots that don't reach quite far. This implies that the cucumber's roots will not interfere with the companions' roots and vice versa.
Cucumber Companion Planting- With Herbs
When it comes to cucumber companion planting, herbs also play a role.
Oregano repels insects using its essential oils, which work as insect repellents.
'Dill attracts predatory insects like wasps, which will help clear your plot of those bothersome pests,' adds Dobies' Rob Smith.
Dill also attracts helpful pollinators, which help in the pollination of cucumber plants - and with an organic garden, you can never have too many pollinators!
Chives are an excellent cucumber companion plant because their oniony aroma deters the cucumber beetle from feasting on your salad vegetable's leaves, blossoms, and fruit.
Cucumber Companion Planting- With Flowers
Marigolds repel a range of pests, including aphids, which are a frequent cucumber leaf problem.
Nasturtiums, which attract aphids, are another popular and attractive cucumber companion plant. While it may seem contradictory, aphids and black flies attack them but keep away from your food, according to Emma O'Neill of Garden Organic (opens in new tab).
Sunflower stalks give both support and shade to the cucumber vines as they climb up in the hot summer sun.
What can you not plant near Cucumbers?
Some aromatic herbs, such as Sage and Mint, should be avoided for cucumber companion planting since they have a strong scent and flavor that may affect the flavor of your cucumbers.
Potatoes will compete heavily with cucumbers for water and nutrients, lowering harvest yields, and cucumbers also promote potato blight, therefore the two should be kept far apart.
Cucumbers should not be grown along with pumpkins or squash because the gourds attract similar insect enemies. Planting too many too close together will be like giving these pests a buffet-style banquet.
