Cucumbers can be easily combined with various plants in the bed or greenhouse. We give tips on cucumber mixed cultivation, good and bad neighbors and crop rotation.

Cucumbers can be combined well with many different planting partners

Vegetable plants have a permanent place in many gardens, such as tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse and kohlrabi with lettuce on the raised bed. But even among plants there are some that get along well with each other and even benefit from a mixed culture. For others, close proximity tends to harm both partners. The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a popular vegetable crop and can be found on most gardens and balconies. But can you plant tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) next to cucumbers? Do cucumbers and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo var. pepo convar. giromontiina) go together? And what about the cucumber and bean combo (Phaseolus vulgaris)? In this article we will answer these questions and more on the subject of mixed cultivation of cucumbers.

Good neighbors for cucumbers: mixed cultivation works with these plants

At a glance: Which plants are good cucumber neighbors?

  • Borage (Borago officinalis)
  • Bush Bean
  • Dill (Anethum graveolens)
  • Pea (Pisum sativum)
  • Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
  • Garlic (Allium sativum)
  • Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes)
  • Lead (Lactuca sativa)
  • Leek (Allium porrum)
  • Maize (Zea mays)
  • Celery (Apium graveolens)
  • Spinach (Spincia oleracea)
  • Onions (Allium cepa)
Leaf vegetables such as lettuce are suitable for pre- and post-culture as well as for mixed cultivation with cucumbers

Cucumbers get along wonderfully with many types of vegetables in a mixed culture. Good plant partners are umbellifers (Apiaceae) such as fennel and celery. Dill, also known as cucumber herb, also belongs to this large plant family. In the garden it is especially worth planting cucumbers and dill together,also in combination with borage. The herbs promote cucumber growth and can later be used as a flavorful spice for cucumber salad and pickles. The cucumber is also a good plant neighbor for low-growing legumes (Fabaceae) such as peas and bush beans. Bulbous plants (Allioideae) such as garlic, leeks and garden onions keep pests like whitefly away and are therefore good neighbors for cucumbers. You can also successfully plant light-consuming leafy greens like spinach and lettuce alongside cucumbers. Unused space at the feet of the cucumber plant can be used efficiently and the soil is protected from erosion or drying out.

Dill is a good neighbor for cucumbers and also goes well with the fruits as a spice

Bad neighbors for cucumbers: These plants don't get along

At a glance: Which plants are bad plant partners for cucumbers?

  • Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
  • Pumpkin (Cucurbita)
  • Peppers (Capsicum annuum)
  • Radish (Raphanus sativus)
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes

In the greenhouse, it makes sense to plant cucumbers and tomatoes together. But even these plants don't get along well - it often does more harm than good to both partners. In extreme cases, both species grow stunted and bear little fruit. The reason for this is that they are both heavy-consuming vegetables and compete for water and nutrients. In general, you should not plant the heavily consuming nightshade plants (Solanaceae), such as peppers and potatoes, next to cucumbers. Cucumber relatives, such as zucchini and pumpkin, should also not be placed in the immediate vicinity. Here, in addition to competition for space and nutrients, there is also the risk of transmitting diseases such as powdery mildew. An alternative is to plant cucumbers and kohlrabi together in the greenhouse. This allows for height staggering similar to that of chili peppers and paprika, which means that both planting partners receive sufficient light.

Annual combination of cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes can cause leaching and soil fatigue in the greenhouse

Crop rotation

Varied crop rotation prevents the soil from being leached out, ideally promotes the build-up of humus and prevents the transmission of soil-borne diseases. In order to prevent the soil from becoming exhausted, it is advisable to use the areas every four years: Here, heavily consuming crops such as cucumbers, tomatoes and the like are followed by a year of soil regenerationwith green manure. In the following year, weak feeders such as leafy vegetables are grown, and in the third year medium feeders such as bulbous plants and root vegetables are grown. Only in the fourth year are heavy feeders brought out again. Since cucumbers are highly consuming, i.e. nutrient-hungry vegetable plants, no species with similar fertilizer requirements should be planted as a pre- and post-culture in the same year. Ideal precultures for cucumbers are lettuce and spinach as well as cress (Lepidium sativum). Spinach is also suitable as a follow-up crop after cucumbers in autumn, but also lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta), winter purslane (Claytonia), endive lettuce ( Cichorium endivia) and winter hedge onion (Allium fistulosum).

Tip: Adequate nutrient supply is the basis for he althy cucumber plants. Organic liquid fertilisers, such as our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable fertiliser, which are applied together with the irrigation water, are particularly easy to use.

In order to be able to enjoy cucumbers not only fresh in summer, the fruits, which are often produced in abundance, are pickled or boiled. Check out our feature article for tips, recipes and how-to's on how to preserve cucumbers.

Category:

Vegetables