Are you looking to get the most out of your garden space this year? Companion planting is your answer. Not only can you fit more than you might think in your garden, but often companion planting benefits the plants in ways that might surprise you.
Whether you’re interested in companion planting to maximize your space, aid in deterring pests, or ensure you have pollinated plants, you’ll find the answers you’re looking for in this post, along with why you should add each plant to your garden.
Continue reading to learn about The 20 Best Companion Plants for Cucumbers and their benefits in ensuring a healthy harvest.
Companion Planting with Cucumbers to Save Space
Space saving is probably the number one reason many people choose companion planting. It’s important to get the best harvest from your space while also trying to fulfill that growing “to grow” list.
1. Corn
Corn is beneficial to companion planting with cucumbers for several reasons. Cucumber plants vine and can create a tangled mess in the garden bed if not given something to vine up. Enter corn, it’s tall, strong stalk is the perfect size to support a branch of your cucumber plant!
Not only is corn a natural trellis, but its root systems also increase nitrogen in the soil. Nitrogen is required by plants to produce amino acids and proteins. Without nitrogen, plants would be weak and unproductive.
2. Sunflowers
Sunflowers make a beautiful addition to companion planting with cucumbers. Their beautiful large flowers attract beneficial pollinators, while their strong, tall stalks act as a natural trellis for the vines of the cucumber.
An added benefit is preventing back pain. It’ll save you from not having to bend over and search under leaves for your cucumber yield. If grown on the stalk of a sunflower, your harvest should be easy to spot and close to eye level.
3. Carrots
Carrots are root vegetables and make excellent companion plants for cucumbers because they grow shallow and won’t interfere with the roots of the cucumber plant. Carrots also prefer cooler soil and the cucumber vines will help provide shade.
4. Parsnips
Parsnips help use up the space that the cucumber plant won’t need because most of their growing occurs below ground.
5. Beets
Cucumber plants have a large tap root that is longer than its other roots. Because of this, growing root vegetables like beets make an easy way to utilize your garden space.
6. Peppers
Cucumbers and peppers need similar growing conditions. They won’t compete for garden space since one is a bush plant and the other is vines.
7. Turnips
Turnips grow well in cooler temperatures and will benefit from the shade of the cucumber vines. They also grow mostly below ground and won’t interfere with the roots of the cucumber plant.
Companion Planting with Cucumbers to Attract Pollinators and Deter Pests
For many, gardening is a form of therapy. Walking around in the garden barefoot is grounding, and seeing the plant grow from stage to stage feels accomplished. Because so many hours are spent in the garden, it may as well be pretty too.
More often than not, plants that attract pollinators are beautiful flowers that catch their eye as they fly overhead. Companion planting with cucumbers to attract pollinators is an important and beautiful addition to the garden!
8. Radishes
Radishes are a great option in companion planting with cucumbers. Their strong smell aids in deterring cucumber beetles.
9. Dill
This may surprise you, but wasps in the garden are just as important as a bumblebee. While this isn’t common knowledge, it’s important to know that planting things that attract wasps will increase pollination considerably.
Dill is a favorite of the wasp family and should be planted near your cucumber plants.
Many studies have shown that when dill is planted near a cucumber plant, the cucumber flavor is more enhanced.
Dill is also an important ingredient when pickling cucumbers. Planting them close by saves time when harvest and canning times arrive!
10. Zucchini
Another prolific plant that will produce all season long and aid in keeping your cucumber plant healthy is zucchini. Zucchini attracts squash bees and will draw them away from the cucumbers.
11. Calendula
The beautiful bright orange blooms of the calendula flower attract pests, making it a “trap” drawing pests away from the cucumber vines.
Calendula grows best in part shade, so planting it near the vines of the cucumber plant will give it the best chance of growing strong and healthy.
12. Nasturtium
Nasturtium flowers are a beautiful orange that will pop next to the green vines of the cucumber plant. The flowers attract aphids, drawing them away from the cucumber plants.
Many say planting nasturtium close to your cucumber plant will enhance the cucumber flavor when harvested.
The entire nasturtium plant is also safe to eat and can be added to many culinary dishes.
13. Marigolds
You’ve probably seen marigolds in many gardens. Their globe-shaped flowers with many colors are a fun pop of color to any garden.
As beautiful as these flowers are above ground, their roots are lethal to many pests below ground making them an excellent option for companion planting with cucumbers.
14. Chamomile
Chamomile attracts beetles which draws them away from the cucumber plant. It’s also a favorite of many important pollinators and will draw them into the garden!
Not only is this a perfect companion plant for cucumbers but there’s nothing like a glass of home-grown tea to relax after a day in the garden!
15. Borage
Planting borage in your garden can help to simplify the care you need to give your cucumber plant because it deters many common garden pests. Borage is also a great herb to plant to attract pollinators!
16. Chives
When you plant chives near your cucumber plants, there is no reason to worry about cucumber beetles because they hate the smell of chives!
On the other hand, pollinators love the smell and this delicious herb will attract many important pollinators to your garden, making it perfect for companion planting with cucumbers!
17. Oregano
The smell of oregano is repulsive to many pests like aphids and squash bugs.
Oregano is an obvious choice in companion planting with cucumbers because it is easy to grow and will come back year after year!
Companion Planting with Cucumbers to Benefit Plant Growth
As if space saving and attracting pollinators weren’t enough, companion planting with cucumbers can also benefit the growth of your cucumber plants! After all, we garden for the harvest.
Why not plant something that will help produce the best yield possible, making those long, hot hours in the garden even more beneficial?
18. Green Beans and Sugar Snap Peas
Green beans and sugar snap peas are excellent contenders for garden space and companion planting with cucumbers. Not only do they produce abundant harvests, but they put a significant amount of nitrogen into the soil.
Nitrogen is a major component of chlorophyll, the compound in which plants use solar energy to produce sugars from water into carbon monoxide—also known as photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is required for your seedlings to grow into healthy plants that give prolific harvests.
19. Tomatoes
Cucumbers and tomatoes are excellent companion plants. They require similar soil types, sunlight conditions, and amounts of water.
Tomato plants provide excellent shade for vining cucumber plants. Cucumber vines spread and suppress weeds, allowing for healthier tomato plants.
20. Spinach and Lettuce
Spinach and lettuce thrive in the shade under the cucumber vines because they need a cooler space that doesn’t need much sunlight to grow.
Lettuce and cucumbers are a great start to a delicious salad you can throw together after working long hours in the garden, yet another reason to plant them together!
What Not to Companion Plant with Cucumbers
While the list of plants beneficial to cucumbers is long, it’s important to remember that a few plants could cause grave harm to your cucumber plants. They’re worth a mention to ensure you don’t plant them together.
Potatoes
Potatoes are one of the planet’s most heavily-feeding plants and are not good for companion planting with cucumbers. Planting them close to your cucumber plant would be deadly as they’d eat away all of the vitamins and nutrition the cucumber plant needs to survive.
Mint
Cucumber and mint are excellent in water, but when planted together, the mint takes over and stunts the growth of the cucumber plant.
Melon
The same pests that love cucumbers love to snack on melons. If planted together, you’re creating a smorgasbord for pests that will be hard to control.
Brassicas
Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli are a few examples of brassicas to avoid planting near cucumber plants. Brassicas are thirsty plants and won’t share any moisture in the soil with your cucumber plant.
Fennel
While fennel is an excellent plant to deter many unwanted pests in the garden, this vegetable is known for inhibiting the growth of other plants by stunting them and eventually killing them.
Sage
The strong aroma of sage will have a negative effect on the flavor of your cucumber harvest if planted in close proximity.
A Note About Companion Planting
Companion planting requires patience and a willingness to experiment, especially with companion planting with cucumbers. What may grow well together for some won’t for others. Soil type, conditions, and the environment all play a vital role in what makes a garden work.
Be sure to take notes during the season on things that you notice, things that work, and those that don’t. After a few years under your belt, planting your garden will come as second nature, and you won’t have to think about what to plant together!
Wrapping Up Companion Plants for Cucumbers
As you’ve learned, there are a multitude of benefits that come with companion planting. A little bit of research goes a long way in helping to produce healthy, abundant harvests while maximizing the use of the space you have.
There are many more reasons to consider companion planting with cucumbers. Maybe you’re not sold on it, or you have more questions. The Benefits of Companion Planting article is a wonderful resource that will answer your questions.
If you’re interested in learning more about cucumbers and the many varieties, be sure to take a look at our Cucumber Page.