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There’s nothing better come Halloween than carving your very own homegrown pumpkin from your garden. And like other crops you grow, you can use companion planting for pumpkins too. In this article, we go over what are good companion plants for pumpkins and what not to plant with pumpkins in your garden.
Pumpkins can be susceptible to infestation from pests such as aphids, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and vine borers. By using companion planting with pumpkins you can use other plants to help keep bugs away from them.
Good Companion Plants for Pumpkins
- Agastache Rugosa
- Beans
- Corn
- Lavender
- Marigolds
- Marjoram
- Nasturtiums
- Sunflowers
Agastache Rugosa also known as Korean Licorice Mint will help attract beneficial insects like hoverflies. It will also bring in pollinators.
Beans, such as green beans, are another good companion crop for pumpkins. Beans help add nitrogen back into the soil which benefits growing pumpkin vines.
Corn is a very popular companion crop for pumpkins. The vines from the pumpkin plant can help serve as a ground cover for the corn, helping keep weeds out of the area it’s growing in. This will also help keep moisture in the ground, preventing the corn’s roots from getting too hot. This is also a space-saving companion combo, as the pumpkins can grow between the corn stalks.
Lavender will help attract bees and other pollinators.
Related Reading: Companion Plants for Lavender
Marigolds are a common companion plant for many crops in the garden, and pumpkins are another one of those. Marigolds help repel plenty of insects, like nematodes, and also bring in other pollinators.
Marjoram can help improve the flavor of your pumpkins when grown together as a companion crop.
Nasturtiums, like Marigolds, can help repel insects and attract beneficial ones.
Sunflowers are another popular companion crop to plant with pumpkins. Growing pumpkin vines are a great ground cover. Sunflowers, pumpkins, beans, and corn are a popular combo to use for companion planting in the garden.
What Not To Plant With Pumpkins
- Beets
- Cucumbers
- Kohlrabi
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Squash
- Watermelon
- Zucchini
Cucumbers, Squash, Watermelon, and Zucchini (any Cucurbits) can cross-pollinate with pumpkins. So if you were planning to try to save your seeds for the following year it could be a problem if they were planted together.
Beets, Onions, Potatoes, and Radishes can cause problems with the shallow root system of a pumpkin vine when you try to harvest them. Also, many of these crops are heavy feeders which can cause issues with the ability of your pumpkins to thrive.
Kohlrabi does not do well when planted with pumpkins due to the shade that the leaves of a pumpkin vine cast on the ground.