There are few things more rewarding than growing your own fruits and veggies, but as many gardeners quickly discover, growing certain plants can present a range of new and unexpected challenges. Cucumbers, for example, might seem simple to grow at first, but are at risk from all kinds of issues like bugs, bad weather, or poor soil quality.

This is where companion planting comes into play.

By planting your cucumbers alongside certain other plants and allowing them to grow together, side by side, you can start to see a range of great benefits like better soil, fewer pests, and increased productivity for each plant too. With that in mind, here are some of the best companion plants for cucumbers, as well as a few plants you should definitely not place next to your cucumbers.

1) Dill

Dill is a super spice crop to add to your garden, and it does a wonderful job of attracting beneficial insects too. It’s also very useful for people who like to pickle, but be warned: it may have a slight influence on the flavor of your cucumbers, so if you don’t like the taste of dill, you might not appreciate this little side effect.

2) Beans

Beans and similar legumes help to balance the nitrogen content of the soil, improving the quality of the ground for other plants, such as cucumbers, and helping them to grow big and strong.

3) Celery

Celery has quite a neutral relationship with cucumber. When planted side by side, these two plants can grow nicely, without interfering with one another in any negative ways. Finding these ‘neutral relationships’ can really help when planning the layout of your vegetable garden.

4) Marigolds

Marigolds are amazing for keeping bad insects at bay. They’ll prevent beetles and other bugs from nibbling on your cucumber plants, as well as adding lots of color and brightness to your garden too.

5) Sunflowers

Not only are sunflowers always beautiful and joyful flowers to admire, they’re super strong and sturdy too, acting as a kind of natural trellis or support system for your cucumber plants.

6) Peas

Just like with beans, peas help to regulate the nitrogen levels of the soil, making it richer and more fertile and helping other plants, including cucumbers, to grow. Peas can also be harvested sooner than cucumbers, freeing up space for the cucumber plants to grow later on.

7) Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are both tasty to eat and great for growing alongside cucumbers. They naturally repel various annoying insects like aphids and thrips, so can basically act like bodyguards for your cucumber plants.

8) Radishes

Radishes should always be planted in moderation, as many gardeners end up with far too many than they can actually eat! However, they pair well with cucumbers as the roots of each plant won’t interfere with one another, and they’re also said to repel cucumber beetles.

9) Lettuce

Lettuce is another example of a plant with a neutral relationship with cucumbers. They can peacefully grow side by side, and lettuces are also good for growing with other fruits and veggies like strawberries and carrots.

10) Corn

Since corn tends to grow very tall and strong, it can actually help to support your cucumber plants, just like sunflowers, but you have to get the timing right with this one. It can be a little tricky at first and the results may vary depending on your soil and the climate in your area, but it can work wonders when done right.

11) Beets

Like celery and other neutral plants, beets won’t exactly do any favors to your cucumbers, but they won’t harm them in any way either, so they’re a good choice to fill up some of the space around your cucumber plants without any risks being posed to either side.

3 Plants That Should Never Be Planted Beside Cucumbers

Now let’s take a look at a few examples of plants you should always keep away from your cucumbers, due to the risks associated with trying to grow them side by side.

1) Melons

Melon plants won’t interfere with cucumbers directly, but they do attract certain kinds of insects, and those same insects also enjoy feasting on cucumbers too! So when you plant melons and cucumbers side by side, you’re basically setting out an all-you-can-eat bug buffet.

2) Most Herbs

The vast majority of aromatic herbs like basil, peppermint, and sage will all have negatively effects on cucumbers. They can take up a lot of space and stifle the growth of your cucumber plants. There are some safe herbs for cucumbers though, like dill which we mentioned earlier and also catnip.

3) Potatoes

Potatoes take up a lot of nutrients from the soil which may stunt the growth of any cucumbers in the area. Cucumbers can also cause potato blight too, so these two plants really don’t get along too well.

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Source: Rural Sprout