Warm weather is here to stay and that means we get to indulge in an abundance of outdoor projects. For many, this means landscaping and gardening beneath the warmth of the sun and the light of the long days. Any avid home gardener cannot dispute the simple pleasure of a homegrown tomato or cucumber. Sun-grown and vine-ripened produce is a harbinger of the summer months we all love so much. For gardeners of all skill levels, there are a few simple tricks you can use to multiply your harvest.

One delightful method you can employ in your vegetable garden is companion planting. Simply put, it’s a great way to maximize your yield, as well as boost the overall efficiency of your garden. For anything you grow, there’s also another plant that will lovingly help it grow in some way. Whether it helps by reducing pests or increasing available nutrients, you can be sure to find beneficial neighbors for your garden.

Follow along for 11 plants that will help keep that irresistible summer cucumber crop happy!

1) Beans

Legumes are an essential plant to introduce to your garden. Beans are both great sources of nitrogen for the soil. If you plant these next to your cucumbers, prepare for a vigorous crop!

2) Beets

As stated above, companion planting is often done intentionally. But not always. Some vegetables are neutral, beets being one of them. They don’t necessarily help nor harm cucumbers and will make wonderful neighbors!

3) Celery

Much is the same for celery. It remains another neutral companion for your cucumbers.

4) Corn

To give your cucumbers the support of a trellis, but in plant form, considering cultivating corn next to it. If the corn has grown tall by the time the cucumbers are fruiting it can help hold the vines.

5) Dill

There is a saying, ‘what grows together, goes together’ – this is exceptionally true for dill and cucumbers! If you have pickling ventures in your future, dill is the perfect culinary companion for cucumbers as well. Not only this, but dill also attracts many beneficial insects to the garden.

6) Lettuce

Sometimes the most beneficial companionship is just a happy coexistence. Lettuce will lovingly thrive beside your cucumbers.

7) Marigolds

These bright golden flowers are incredibly useful in a vegetable garden. Their pungent smell is a strong repellent for harmful garden pests.

8) Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are another beautiful garden flower. An added bonus? They’re edible too! They have a very similar growing profile to cucumbers – their bodies are low-growing and sprawling. Additionally, they repel bugs that specifically predate cucumbers such as thrips and aphids.

9) Peas

Also in the legume family, peas are an excellent source of nitrogen for the surrounding soil. At season’s end, consider hoeing their vines back into the soil for an extra boost.

10) Radishes

Try sowing radishes next to your cucumbers for two crops that won’t interfere with one another. With two very different root systems, you’ll be able to continuously sow and harvest radishes. Also of note, radishes are said to repel the crop-damaging cucumber beetle.

11) Sunflowers

Cucumbers are viny and they love to climb, which is why sunflowers can act as a natural trellis for your crop.

Now that you know what you can plant next to cucumbers, there are also a few plants you should never plant beside them. Basil, sage, and peppermint are three herbs that will not help your pickling crop. Also, never plant melons nearby. The same insects that predate melons also predate cucumbers. Finally, keep your cucumbers away from your potato crop. If the conditions are just right, cucumbers can encourage potato blight.

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Sources: Rural Sprout, Tilth Alliance