Cucumber Companion Plants: 17 Plants To Grow With Cucumbers

As long as they have room to roam or a trellis to climb, cucumbers are fairly easy to please. They love full sunlight, consistent moisture, and rich soil. However, a cucumber crop can quickly get destroyed by cucumber beetles or fast-spreading powdery mildew. But when you don’t want to use pesticides or fungicides in your garden, prevention is key.

The Best Companion Plants For Cucumbers And The Ones to Avoid

Cucumbers are one of the hardest working vegetables in the vegetable garden (right behind tomatoes). Every year we grow cucumbers for all kinds of canning recipes, from pickles to relish and everything in between. We’ve found through the years what works and what doesn’t when it comes to growing a bounty of cucumbers. The best trick is adding companion plants for cucumbers – companions can help improve yield, taste, and the general health of your cucumber plants.

The benefits of companion planting in your garden

• Repels insect pests. All kinds of garden pests can attack vegetable gardens: aphids, cabbage worms, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, carrot flies, and cabbage moths. Many companion plants help repel specific pests and should be planted near specific crops as natural non-chemical pest control.
• Higher yield: The companion planting of flowers will help attract beneficial pollinators like bees.
• Attract beneficial insects by interplanting your garden with companion flowers. You will encourage beneficial insects like parasitic wasps, ladybugs, and lacewings to hang around your garden.
• Encourage faster growth and better taste. Many companion plants release specific chemicals that encourage speedier growth or better taste in the plants around them.
• Provide ground cover. Plants that spread low across the ground serve as a blanket over the soil and help keep the environment moist.

Learn More: Check out our full guide to Companion Planting Vegetables.

How to Plant Cucumbers

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus )need a long growing season – most varieties are ready to harvest around 50-70 days after planting the seeds. But, the soil needs to be 70 degrees for cucumber seeds to germinate, and they’re very susceptible to frost damage. For these reasons, I don’t recommend planting (or transplanting) them outside earlier than two weeks after the last frost date.

If you live in an area with a short growing season, that timing can be a little tricky, so I recommend starting the seeds indoors about three weeks before you want to transplant them into the ground.

Cucumbers are an incredibly easy vegetable to grow, even for first-time gardeners.

Tips for growing and harvesting cucumbers

• Your plants will need at least 1 inch of water per week, and even more when it’s really hot. Using a soaker hose to water close to the ground will reduce evaporation and prevent water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf diseases.
• Plan a watering routine that’s consistent because inconsistent watering causes bitter-tasting cucumbers.
• If you want to use trellises to train your vines to grow vertically, set them up before your plants need them, so you avoid damaging your seedlings or vines.
• Mulch the ground to retain more moisture.

You can harvest your cucumber when they:

• Have a nice uniform green color – the color may vary slightly so check your seed packet for more details. If they’ve turned yellow, they’re past their peak.
• Are firm to the touch
• Are the right size – at least 2 inches long for pickling varieties and 7-8 inches for slicing varieties. Check your seed packet for more details.
• Have girth – ripe cucumbers are about 1.5” in diameter.

See: How To Grow Cucumbers (detailed post outlining everything you need to know to grow healthy cucumber plants)

The Best Companion Plants To Grow With Cucumbers

Here is the list of companions, below we have details to explain why each plant makes a good pairing with cucumbers.

• Beans and Peas
• Sweet Corn
• Pepper Plants
• Radishes
• Asparagus
• Lettuce
• Carrots
• Tomato plants
• Nasturtiums
• Marigolds
• Sunflowers
• Dill

The best vegetable companion plants for cucumbers

Here is a quick list of the plants that do well interplanted with cucumbers. In the remaining article, we go through all the beneficial plants to explain what each plant provides and why it is a great companion for cucumbers.

Beans and Peas

Legumes like peas, bush beans, and pole beans make great companion plants for cucumbers. They make excellent companions as the bean plants add much-needed nitrogen to the soil. Increasing nitrogen levels in the soil help the cucumber plants thrive. In addition, pole beans and green beans are great for trellising behind cucumbers. Allow the cucumbers to trail in front of the trellised peas or beans.

Beans and peas produce best when planted in full sun. They require fertile well-draining soil with lots of compost added at the start of the season.

Sweet corn

Corn and cucumbers form a symbiotic relationship; Sweet corn makes a natural trellis for the cucumber vines to climb. In addition, the cucumber vines provide a living mulch along the base of the corn stalks keeping the soil moist and weeds at bay. Corn plants are heavy feeders and require rich fertile well-drained soil to produce. Plant cucumbers at the edges of the corn patch and allow them to trail and climb Be sure to choose smaller varieties of cucumbers to prevent toppling the corn stalks from heavy fruit.

pepper plants

Peppers and cucumbers share similar needs for growing conditions, so they work well planted as a pair. It’s a good idea to grow the cucumbers vertically up a trellis or support while planting the peppers plants in front. Peppers and cucumbers do not share a number of common pests and this also makes it a good companion plant.

radishes

Radishes may help deter cucumber beetles, acting as a trap crop for flea beetles. In addition, root vegetables like radish are well planted with cucumbers because their roots do not interfere with each other.

lettuce

Lettuce plants have very shallow root systems and co-exist quite happily with cucumbers as their root system does not interfere with each other. The plant acts as a living mulch under trellised cucumbers and helps prevent the soil from drying out.

Carrots

Carrots and cucumbers share the same growing conditions and pair well in a garden bed. Since cucumbers only send down one large taproot, planting carrots in front of the vines will not negatively impact root vegetables like carrots. The same can be said for root crops like beets.

Flower companion Plants for Cucumbers

The three flowers mentioned below get planted aggressively in my vegetable garden every year. I would not garden without them. They work exceptionally well as companions for cucumbers.

nasturtiums (trap crops) make good companion plants

Nasturtiums make good companion plants with cucumbers because they act as a trap crop for pests like flea beetles and aphids. The vines and flowers also look lovely intertwined with cucumber vines.

Plant nasturtium seeds outdoors in the spring after the last frost in your region. Nastriutums enjoy full sun but will tolerate light shade. Shade may deter blooming but lack of blooms will not impact their ability to deter pests. The plants can also help improve the taste of your cucumbers.

marigolds

Marigolds look lovely planted in the vegetable garden, but they provide more than good looks. The plant makes an excellent companion plant that helps deter pests away from fruit vines and root vegetable crops. For example, marigolds help deter aphids, Japanese beetles, and spotted cucumber beetles. The strong scent of marigolds acts like bug spray for the cucumber plants. If you continually deadhead marigolds they will flourish and bloom all through the season right up until the first frost.

sunflowers

You can use sunflower as natural trellises for vining cucumbers. Be sure to pick smaller growing cucumbers, like pickling cucumbers, to prevent the stalks from collapsing from heavier types.

Plant sunflowers in full sun with well-drained soil. You can direct seed Sunflowers in the spring after the last frost. Sunflowers are also great for bees and birds in the fall when other flowers and food sources have stopped blooming.

Herb Companions For Cucumbers

Dill

Dill will help cucumbers by attracting beneficial predatory insects like ladybugs, green lacewings, parasitic wasps, hoverflies, spider mites, and aphid midges. That’s a lot of general pest protection.

Plants you should not grow with cucumbers.

The worst cucumber companion plants for cucumbers share similar diseases and or will negatively affect the taste of the cucumbers.

melons

The same insects that like to infest melons also love to invade cucumber plants. Planting cucurbits together creates a monoculture, and diseases and pests thrive in monocultures. Avoid planting melons, squash, and pumpkins with your cucumber plants.

potatoes

Cucumbers can encourage potato blight if the environment is just right. Once potato blight takes hold in your garden, it’s challenging to control, so be sure to plant your cucumbers are far away as possible from your potato beds. Potatoes and cucumbers also share similar fungal diseases.

Brassica family

Brassicas like cabbage, kale, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts make poor pairings in the vegetable garden. They are very thirsty hungry plants that will deplete the resources required to grow both a brassica and a cucumber in the same bed. Brassicas are challenged with infestations of cabbage loopers and planting cucumbers nearby is an invitation for the cabbage loopers to also infest the cucumbers plants.

aromatic herbs

Aromatic herbs like oregano, basil, sage, bay, summer savory, and mint can impart an off-flavor to the cucumbers. Unfortunately, Sage can also stunt the growth of your cucumber plants. It’s a good idea to keep the bulk of your herb garden away from your cucumber plants.

Cucumbers and their best companion Plants

You can see from this list that there are numerous plants that can be grown side by side with cucumbers. Plants that provide excellent pest control, help improve the soil and taste of the fruit as well as protect the plants from environmental stresses. We love to companion plants in our garden to add diversity to our beds which helps control environmental stresses like diseases and pests.

If you haven’t ever companion planted in your garden before I urge you to give it a try this year, even if only a few plants in a few beds. We would love to hear what your results are so tag us on social media, or drop us a line. We very much love seeing other folk’s gardens and hearing about what works for them. If you have any suggestions or comments we welcome you to leave them below.

Cheers to an excellent growing season!

Looking For More Companion Gardening Information?

• Companion Plants for Pumpkins – A Gardeners Guide!
• Rhubarb Companion Plants: A Very Detailed Guide.
• Beet Companion Plants
• A Guide to The Best Eggplant Companion Plants
• Companion Plants for Zucchini For Better Yields
• Vertical Vegetable Gardens
• Companion Plants for Asparagus
• Canning Tomatoes Whole – The Quick and Easy Cold Pack Method
• Harvesting Butternut Squash – The Ultimate Guide

Cucumber Companion Plants: 17 Plants To Grow With Cucumbers

Growing cucumbers with companion plants can benefit your garden by giving you added planting space, and creating a biodiverse garden. It can help with pest control, and disease as well. In this article, organic gardening expert Logan Hailey takes you through her favorite cucumber companion plants for veggetable gardeners.

By Logan Hailey Last updated: October 11, 2023 | 8 min read

A hot summer day isn’t complete without the hydrating and refreshing crunch of a juicy garden grown cucumber. These heat-loving Cucurbit vines are eager to ramble and vine throughout your garden, yielding an abundance of nutritious green fruits all season long.

As long as they have room to roam or a trellis to climb, cucumbers are fairly easy to please. They love full sunlight, consistent moisture, and rich soil. However, a cucumber crop can quickly get destroyed by cucumber beetles or fast-spreading powdery mildew. But when you don’t want to use pesticides or fungicides in your garden, prevention is key.

Beneficial neighboring plants can help repel hungry pests, facilitate pollination, or maximize space for a more fruitful crop. There are an abundance of companion plants that help cucumbers grow more quickly and remain resilient in the face of common growing challenges. Here’s the top 17 time-tested companion plants for cucumbers as well as those best kept at a distance. Let’s dig in!

Cucumber Companion Planting Benefits

Companion planting is an age-old technique that involves planting certain species together for mutual benefits. This form of symbiosis maximizes biodiversity and resilience in the garden.

As opposed to monoculture (growing large plantings of just one crop), polycultures use companion plants to mimic natural ecosystems wherein lots of plants work together to enhance each other’s growth.

For cucumbers in particular, companion crops can dramatically increase yields while reducing pest and disease pressure. Beneficial herbs, flowers, and vegetables can be paired with cucumbers to help:

Repel Pests

The most popular reason for companion planting is to keep pests at bay. The fragrant aroma of certain herbs and flowers deter hungry insects like cucumber beetles, thrips, aphids, and spider mites.

Attract Beneficial Insects

Many companion plants act as a beneficial insectary to attract beneficial bugs. By magnetizing predatory insects, they help create a dynamic ecosystem around your cucumber beds so that pest populations are kept in check. Certain herbs and flowers are specifically helpful for bringing in parasitic wasps, ladybugs, lacewings, and spiders that feed on all the nasty cucumber-eating pests.

Attract Pollinators

Most cucumber varieties rely on proper pollination for an abundant fruit set. Without pollinated flowers, there are no fruits! But sometimes cucumber flowers aren’t enough to lure in the volume of bees we need for ultra high yields. Symbiotic flowers serve as an alternative nectar source to get the cucumber patch buzzing with activity. You also enjoy the added bonus of beautiful pops of color and maybe even some butterflies!

Living Trellis

In the spirit of ancient traditional farming practices, some plants can be paired with cucumbers to act as a living trellis. These sturdy stalks allow cucumber vines to wind up their stems and remain upright so that fruits don’t rot in the soil. This form of companion planting takes a bit more planning, but can create an impressive natural ecosystem when executed correctly.

Weed Suppression

Thanks to their broad flat leaves, cucumbers typically compete fairly well with weeds. But a little extra help from low-growing, weed-suppressing companion plants never hurts. These plants act as ground cover to keep weeds at bay while simultaneously insulating the soil and conserving moisture.

Improve Vigor and Yield

The high fertility requirements of cucumbers mean they want as many minerals as they can get. Nitrogen-fixing legumes and mineral-mining taproot plants help draw up nutrients from the soil to fuel plant growth and improve yields.

Save Space and Maximize Yields

As gardeners, we want to grow as much delicious food as possible in a small space, with as little effort as possible. Companion plants make that dream closer to reality by coupling edible plants alongside your cucumbers to make use of garden areas that may have otherwise remained barren.

Needless to say, the benefits of properly-designed “plant guilds” (companion plant combinations) can dramatically improve your cucumber production and yield a bunch of bonus crops from the same space.

But just like people, cucumbers don’t get along with all plants in all settings. There are some important things to consider before tossing a bunch of species in a bed together.

Mistakes to Avoid

Symbiotic plantings are undeniably fun and exciting for any gardener. You get to experiment with creating your own unique ecosystem filled to the brim with an abundance of flowers, herbs, and veggies! However, it’s easy to get a bit overzealous with companion planting.

Avoid these common mistakes to ensure that your companion plants actually help your cucumbers rather than inadvertently setting back their growth:

Not Enough Spacing

Nobody likes to be overcrowded, so it is especially important to ensure that companion plants don’t accidentally overgrow into your cucumbers’ personal space. Always take into consideration the fully mature size of a plant and how far from the crop it needs to be to ensure plenty of airflow and space to grow.

Competition for Water

Shallow-rooted crops like cucumbers have a harder time hanging onto water. When choosing companion plants, be sure that deep rooted veggies or herbs won’t accidentally steal moisture away from your cukes. Mulches are a great way to retain water for all the plants in a bed.

Competition for Nutrients

Cukes are moderate to heavy feeders that need ample fertility to crank out juicy fruits all summer long. Be sure that the soil has enough fertility to supply your cucumbers as well as neighboring companions.

Shading Out Your Crop

Most of the benefits of a symbiotic plantain get wiped away if one plant overgrows and shades out the other. If cucumbers are vining along the ground, be careful that companion plants don’t create a shady canopy above them. Most garden crops need full sunlight, therefore low-growing companions or trellising are great ways to keep cukes in the light.

17 Cucumber Companion Plants

Companion planting can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Sometimes it’s as easy as tossing some flower seeds in a bed. Other times, getting the right species, spacing, and timing takes some research and attention to detail.

Not all companions integrate into cucumber plantings perfectly. but with a little bit of experimentation, you can figure out what works best for your region and garden setup. Just don’t forget to document your successes and failures for future seasons.

Here are 17 beneficial cucumber comrades and how to plant them with your crop:

Oregano

This spicy Italian herb is a great companion for most vegetables, but especially cucumbers. Its peppery aromatic leaves repel sap-sucking aphids and squash bugs.

When it is allowed to flower, the eye-catching purple blossoms provide both habitat and food for important beneficial insects like lacewings. The lacewing larvae are hungry predators of aphids, flea beetles, and cabbage looper eggs (cabbage loopers don’t only eat cabbage)!

Benefits

Repel pests and attract beneficial predators.