What are Good Companion Plants for Cucumbers: 7 Best

Are you searching for companion plants for cucumbers? Yes. 

Then you have landed on the right page. Here, I listed the best companion plants for cucumbers.

These companion plants will help to grow better-tasting cucumbers with fewer pests. There are also some plants you should avoid planting with cucumbers. We’ll see all of them in this post.

So, let’s get started.

What are Good Companion Plants for Cucumbers?

Dills

Planting cucumber companions with dills will help to improve their flavor making them perfect for each other.

Dill is a Mediterranean and native to Eurasia plant that thrives in hotter conditions. As dill is an annual herb, if you let some of the plants blossom and set seed each year, you’ll have plenty of early dills to kick off the next growing season.

Dill is a host plant for the black swallowtail butterfly larva and attracts predatory insects like wasps and other helpful insects to your garden.

When the risk of frost has gone in the spring, dill seeds should be immediately placed into the garden (dill lays down a taproot, so like carrots, it doesn’t transfer well). The dates of the local frost.
To maintain a steady supply of dill until the autumn if you are growing it for pickling, sow dill seeds every few weeks until midsummer.

Companion Flowers for Cucumbers

Sunflowers

If you live in hot climate conditions, plant sunflowers with cucumbers. Sunflowers’ tall stalks will give shade to cucumbers that protect them from extreme heat. Plus sunflowers’ stalks will provide support so they grow up.

Sunflower is an annual plant that has a big bloom head like a daisy. The blooms are available in a variety of colors such as yellow, maroon, red, orange, and brown, but they are most often brilliant yellow with brown centers that mature into big heads packed with seeds.

Sunflowers are heliotropic means that they rotate their flowers face to Sun’s direction as it moves across the sky from east to west. At night, they turn their flowers back toward the east in preparation for the rising sun. Before the bloom becomes dense with seeds, heliotropism takes place in the early phases.

Nowadays, there are a ton of different sunflower types present. So you can choose one that matches your garden. Select from plants with branching branches or single stems, abundant pollen production for pollinators or pollen-free plants (ideal for bouquets), little or towering plants over the rest of the garden, or plants that generate edible seeds!

Marigolds

Plant marigolds throughout your garden to protect your precious plants from beetles and other pests. Marigold is a popular companion plant, you will find marigolds on nearly every plant’s companion list. 

Marigolds often survive and even flourish in very hot summers. Although French marigolds are more tolerant to rainy situations, African and Signet marigolds can withstand drought. Marigolds are prone to powdery mildew and won’t bloom properly if they are planted in shade and chilly, wet environments.

Marigolds thrive on fairly rich, well-drained soil. However, they may grow in practically any soil. Dig down approximately 6 inches to loosen the soil, then add compost to increase fertility and enhance uniformity.

Nasturtium

Just like marigolds, nasturtium is also used to deter insects and pests that damage crops. Plant nasturtium along with cucumber vine, it will repel a variety of insects and protect your veggies from getting eaten up.

Note: Both marigolds and Nasturtium are sacrifice plants. This means they are planted so that pests attract them instead of your main crop. You don’t need to apply to spray on to save them. Simply let pests eat them and once they finish destroying or dumping the plant. 

Pro Gardener Tip: If you have a beetle problem in the garden that does not let any crop grow. Then you can consider feeding birds in the morning. Birds love to eat these shiny beetles that destroy plants. Attracting birds in your garden will help to remove all problematic beetles.

Companion Vegetables for Cucumbers

Peas

Peas are legumes and help to enrich the soil. Planting peas and cucumbers grow successively. After the growing season when pea plants start dying out then the cucumbers start to take off.

Four to six weeks before the last spring frost date, sow seeds in cold soil at the appropriate temperature.

Snow won’t kill budding pea plants, but many days of temperatures in the teens may. Be prepared to plant again if the first harvest of peas fails. Consider starting your peas in a cold frame as an alternative.

Corn

Corn is the best companion for cucumbers. Cucumbers provide shade to corn and protect them from raccoons that like to wade through vines. Whereas corn helps to prevent some viruses that often wilt cucumbers.

Plant corn in the garden to avoid disturbing its delicate roots from transplanting.

Plant after two to three weeks of the last spring frost.

Corns are important to plant early because they need a long period of frost-free weather for growth.

Choose an early variety that will develop well before the first autumn frost if you reside in a region with a short growing season.

Moreover, a black plastic cover may be used to warm the ground in cooler areas. Seeds can be sown via the holes in the material.

Plant a second batch of corn a few weeks after you sow the first to lengthen the harvest.

Radishes

Consider growing radishes with cucumbers if you have pest problems. Plant 2-3 radishes around the cucumbers and allow them to grow without harvesting, they will keep protecting cucumbers from beetles. When you get mature, harvest both at a time.

Horseradish which includes radishes is an annual root vegetable. From root to leaves, the whole plant is edible and may be eaten raw or cooked.

While seeds can be sown both in the spring and the autumn. Sowing should be stopped once warm temperatures (70 degrees or more) are reached because this causes radishes to bolt. That makes them practically unusable. Radishes are among the simplest vegetables to raise, aside from lettuce.

Radish is planted wherever there is a blank area or in between rows of other crops like carrots or beets because they develop so fast.

Moreover, radishes make wonderful companion plants that may help keep pests away from other veggies.

Tansy

Tansy is another alternative you can grow to repel beetles.

Tansy is a great companion plant for many different kinds of crops because it contains substances that deter several insect pests.

It has a camphor-like aroma that repels insects. It is used to kill internal parasites in both people and animals.

Potassium one of the macronutrients that all plants need for optimum health is something that tansy contributes to the soil.

Plant Tansy in herb pots to use for stews, salads, omelets, and other dishes. Both the tiny blooms and the delicate feathery leaves are attractive when combined with other herbs.

Tansy was once used as a natural textile dye. As the flower heads of tansy herb plants dry readily and retain their form and color. They are a lovely addition to eternal bouquets.

Some other plants you can grow along with cucumbers: 

• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Beets

Bad Companion Plants for Cucumbers

Beans

Beans are considered a good companion for cucumbers. However, many gardeners find it difficult to grow them together. Beans can strangle cucumbers and choke them out. 

Beans thrive on soil that drains well, has average fertility, and has a pH between acidic and neutral (6.0–7.0).

Since they fix their own nitrogen in the soil, they often don’t require additional fertilizer. But, severely deficient soil should still be improved in the autumn before planting with old manure or compost (or about a week before planting in the spring).

Pole beans should have any necessary supports in place before planting since beans dislike having their roots disturbed.

Related Post: 10 Vegetables You Can Grow Easily At Home

Potatoes

Potatoes and cucumbers have similar soil requirements. If you plant them together both will compete for nutrients.

Usually, cucumbers don’t grow well with potatoes and potatoes are more likely to be affected by blight if cucumbers are planted nearby.

Garden potatoes can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked. This is often two weeks after the last spring frost for many gardeners.

But, keep in mind that too-wet soil will destroy early harvests since it will cause the potato seeds to rot. When deciding when to plant, pay more attention to the soil than the calendar.

The dirt shouldn’t be so saturated that it becomes difficult to work and clumps together. Then, let it air dry a little.

If spring is late and rainy, you may plant later—through April or perhaps June, depending on where you live, particularly in containers.

Some gardeners may sow the first crop of “early-maturing” potatoes in milder climates in early to mid-April, six to eight weeks prior to the typical last frost date. Some kinds are frost resistant.

Potatoes may be produced as a winter crop in warmer climates, and the planting season runs from September to February.

In areas with generally mild winters, you may sow an autumn crop in September. For instance, gardeners plant potatoes in January in central Florida and in February in Georgia.

Squash and Melons

Squash and melons belong to the same family as cucumbers. They will compete for space if planted together. Cucumbers may also get weakened by diseases and pests shared between plants family. 

Pro gardener Tip: Change or rotate the gardening bed every year where you’re growing any nightshade vegetables. This will prevent them from getting infected.

Sage, and other aromatic herbs

These herbs have aromatic scents that attract various pests and it also affects cucumber fruits’ taste.  Planting these herbs along with any vegetable plants is not recommended.

Did I Miss Anything?

Now I’d like to hear from you: which plant from today’s post are you going to try first?

Or maybe, I didn’t mention your favorite companion plant. Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

Before going if you want to grow beautiful flowers in your garden? Then click on these articles also.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Related Post:

• Companion plants for Tomatoes
• Companion Plants for Zucchini and Squash
• Companion Plants for Peppers

Madhuresh

Hey! I’m Madhuresh, a passionate content creator, and a Plant lover. I created Shiny Plant to explore and learn about new plants. The purpose is to provide simple and effective Gardening Tips. Hope you’ll find this informative.