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Zucchini and cucumber grow beautifully alongside many companion plants that boost pollination, repel pests, and make better use of your garden space.
If you’ve been wondering what to plant with zucchini and cucumber, the short answer is that both crops love neighbors like beans, peas, radishes, dill, and marigolds.
These companion plants help zucchini and cucumber thrive by attracting beneficial insects, improving soil, and confusing common pests.
In this post, we’ll look at what to plant with zucchini and cucumber, which plants to keep far away, and why these pairings work so well.
Let’s dig in.
What to Plant With Zucchini and Cucumber
What to plant with zucchini and cucumber comes down to picking companions that support these heavy-feeding, fast-growing crops.
Both zucchini and cucumber need plenty of sun, water, and pollinators, so the best companions either attract bees, repel pests, or improve the soil.
Here are the top plants to grow alongside them.
1. Beans and Peas
Beans and peas are some of the best plants to grow with zucchini and cucumber.
Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, which feeds the hungry zucchini and cucumber plants around them.
Pole beans and cucumbers can even share a trellis, saving you space in a small garden.
Just give beans and peas their own support so they don’t crowd your zucchini.
2. Radishes
Radishes make a great companion for zucchini and cucumber because they grow fast and break up compacted soil.
Radishes loosen the ground around zucchini roots, helping them spread and absorb nutrients.
They also help repel cucumber beetles, one of the biggest threats to cucumber plants.
By the time your zucchini and cucumber plants get big, the radishes will already be harvested.
3. Dill and Nasturtiums
Dill attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps that prey on aphids and squash bugs, which love to attack zucchini and cucumber.
Nasturtiums work as a trap crop, luring aphids away from your cucumber vines.
Plant dill and nasturtiums near your zucchini and cucumber beds to keep beneficial insects close.
4. Marigolds
Marigolds are a classic companion for zucchini and cucumber because their strong scent deters nematodes, whiteflies, and squash bugs.
They also draw pollinators to your cucumber flowers, which means more fruit set.
Tuck marigolds along the edges of your zucchini and cucumber rows for a pop of color and extra protection.
5. Corn and Sunflowers
Corn and sunflowers act as windbreaks and trellises for cucumber vines.
Cucumber plants can climb up sturdy corn stalks or sunflower stems, keeping fruit off the ground and reducing rot.
Just remember that corn is a heavy feeder, so top up your soil with compost when planting corn with zucchini and cucumber.
What Not to Plant With Zucchini and Cucumber
Knowing what to plant with zucchini and cucumber also means knowing what to avoid.
Some plants compete too hard for water and nutrients or attract the same pests as your zucchini and cucumber.
Here’s what to keep away.
1. Potatoes
Potatoes and zucchini compete for water and nutrients, and both are prone to blight and rot.
Keeping potatoes away from zucchini and cucumber reduces the risk of disease spreading between them.
2. Other Cucurbits
Melons, pumpkins, and squash are relatives of zucchini and cucumber.
Planting them together draws the same pests and can spread powdery mildew and mosaic virus quickly.
If you grow them, give each cucurbit its own space in the garden.
3. Sage and Aromatic Herbs
Sage and some strong aromatic herbs can stunt cucumber growth.
Stick to dill, borage, and parsley instead when deciding what to plant with zucchini and cucumber.
Why These Companion Plants Help Zucchini and Cucumber
Pest control is one big reason.
Dill, nasturtiums, and marigolds repel or trap the bugs that target zucchini and cucumber.
Pollination is another.
Marigolds and dill pull in bees that move pollen between cucumber flowers.
Soil health rounds it out.
Beans and peas feed your zucchini and cucumber nitrogen, while radishes loosen the soil.
Together, these plants keep your zucchini and cucumber patch healthier and more productive.
So, What to Plant With Zucchini and Cucumber?
Beans, peas, radishes, dill, nasturtiums, marigolds, corn, and sunflowers are all excellent choices for what to plant with zucchini and cucumber.
They boost pollination, repel pests, improve the soil, and help your zucchini and cucumber grow strong.
Just keep potatoes, other cucurbits, and strong herbs away from your beds.
Try a few of these companions this season and watch your zucchini and cucumber thrive.