Are you looking for the best zucchini companion plants? Zucchini is an extremely easy plant to grow from seed, and unlike other vegetables, there is no need for you to start seed indoors.
Many gardeners will tell you that zucchini practically grows itself as it requires little care and maintenance and you still get to have an abundant harvest. Practicing companion planting with your zucchini will keep pests away and ensure a healthy harvest.
Companion planting is important for every plant. Companion planting is a gardening method used by gardeners and farmers for years to enrich and protect vulnerable crops. Specific crops are planted near each other in other top deter pests, stimulate growth and attract beneficial insects.
While zucchini is a prolific grower, this doesn’t mean it can’t use a little assistance from the gardener and keep in mind that, it requires more nutrients than most plants, and here are companion plants to surround it with to keep pests away.
Table of Contents
16 Best Zucchini Companion Plants to Grow
A good planting strategy for zucchini is to have it grow with plants that won’t compete with it for nutrients but rather helps keep pests away.
The purpose of companion planting is to encourage growth, yield, and taste of the plants by growing them together hence if you are planning on planting zucchini this season or want to keep harmful pests away and attract beneficial pollinators, here are some of the best companion plants to grow with it.
| Plants to Grow With Zucchini | What Not to Plant With Zucchini |
|---|---|
| 1. Garlic | 1. Fennel |
| 2. Parsley | 2. Potatoes |
| 3. Radish | 3. Pumpkin |
| 4. Corn | 4. Winter Squashes |
| 5. Peas | |
| 6. Beans | |
| 7. Oregano | |
| 8. Borage | |
| 9. Cucumbers | |
| 10. Nasturtiums | |
| 11. Spinach | |
| 12. Phacelia | |
| 13. Marjoram | |
| 14. Mint | |
| 15. Dill | |
| 16. Tomatoes |
1. Garlic
Garlic repels pests like aphids due to the strong sulfur compounds it possesses. Garlic is a great companion plant to zucchini and all you have to do is have tucked among zucchini to keep pests away from it. Zucchini are heavy feeders, so garlic is an ultimate companion plant as it won’t compete with it for nutrients.
2. Parsley
Vegetables are not the only good companion to zucchini, parsley is a smelly herb that wards off pests and insects from zucchini however take acre when planting different varieties together. Parsley is a flavourful and easy to grow herb and having it grow with parsley provides abundant crop from both plants.
3. Radish
Radishes are small plants that can be easily planted amid zucchini, it repels squash vine borers and beetles. Radishes are often considered the workhorse of the garden. These are great companion plants for summer squash and zucchini, it helps repel common zucchini pests like aphids, squash bugs, cucumber beetles and others.
4. Corn
Corn and zucchini make ultimate companions. Corn and squash make a good garden friend and they both have the same moisture and soil fertility requirement which makes them impeccable neighbors for zucchini.
5. Beans
Beans fix nitrogen levels in the soil to balance the pH level and zucchini loves nitrogen which makes beans a good example of companion plants to grow with zucchini.
6. Peas
Peas do the same thing as beans, They add nitrogen to the soil that helps balances the pH level.
7. Oregano
Aromatic herbs like oregano and marjoram are great at repelling pests like cabbage moth. Oregano can be planted between rows of zucchini for beneficial purposes and it is also good around asparagus and basil.
8. Borage
This companion plant is said to repel worms and attract beneficial insects such as bees and tiny wasps.
9. Cucumbers
Zucchini and cucumber are from the same family so these two can be planted together in your vegetable garden. Planting cucumber with zucchini as companion plants can help increase the overall density of what you can grow in a small plot and you will yield a more productive crop.
10. Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are colorful and vibrant flowers to have in your garden, it is usually planted as companion plants to attract aphids and drive them away from the crops. They attract beneficial pollinators to the garden and while this may seem counterintuitive, gardeners purposefully plant nasturtiums as a host to protect nearby plants that are bothered by aphids.
11. Spinach
Zucchini and spinach are mutually beneficial to each other. Spinach benefits from the shade provided by zucchini in the dead of summer while zucchini reaps the benefits of the nutrients spinach released back into the soil.
12. Phacelia
Phacelias are attractive flowers that promote good pollination in zucchini plants and attract pollinators.
13. Marjoram
Marjoram makes a good companion plant to zucchini. These plants have always been planted together and tend to be eaten together as well.
14. Mint
Combining the aroma of different mint plants with your zucchini is highly beneficial. It will repel grazing animals like deer.
15. Dill
Dill is an herb and it repels pests like cucumber beetles and flea beetles by attracting beneficial insects to your garden.
16. Tomatoes
Tomatoes and zucchini make great companions and not only can they be prepared together in a ratatouille, salad, or having them in your pasta, they can be planted together as well. Both can grow so large though, so plan ahead when choosing a planter box.
What Not To Plant With Zucchini
Just as some companion plants grow well together in the garden, there are also some that should not be grown near them. zucchini has very few plants that shouldn’t be planted near it. These include;
1. Fennel
Fennel attracts beneficial insects but it’s not a good companion for any garden food plant and not suitable for any vegetable either. Fennel will impede the growth of zucchini if planted near it.
2. Potatoes
Zucchini and potato are prone to the same garden pests and interplanting them make them more susceptible to infestation hence it is not a good idea to have them planted near each other. Also, potatoes are heavy feeders that can deplete a large number of nutrients from the soil.
3. Pumpkin
Pumpkins and squash are from the same family, and planting them with zucchini can negatively affect growth due to cross-pollination, resulting in poorly formed fruit.
4. Winter Squashes
Winter squashes such as Butternut, Acorn, Hubbard will attract the same insect pests like squash bugs to your zucchini hence they should be avoided. It should be planted in a separate garden area from your zucchini.
FAQ
Where should I plant zucchini in my garden?
You should have your zucchini planted where there is full sun and in consistently moist soil that is high in organic matter. There are also bush types of zucchini that are suitable for planting in containers and small space gardening.
Do zucchini plants need support?
Yes, just like every other plant, zucchini needs support. Zucchini plants do produce small vining tendrils along their stem but this is not enough to provide support to the weight of its mature stem and fruits.
Do zucchini grow after flowers fall off?
The common reason why a zucchini won’t grow back after the flowers fall off is blossom rot. If the female blossoms are not pollinated at all or poorly pollinated, the blossoms drop off and you get no fruit.
How long do zucchini flowers take to fruit?
It takes four to eight days for zucchini flowers to take fruit. You can wait longer if you want larger zucchini but the squash is likely to become too large and seedy to be palatable.
Do you have to replant zucchini every year?
Zucchinis are known as annual plants because their natural life cycle only lasts a season, hence they need to be replanted every year.
Do you need 2 zucchini plants to get fruit?
Yes, you need 2 zucchini plants which are male and female to get fruits. While you may get tons of flowers with 1 zucchini plant, you won’t get fruits, and in order to get fruits, you must have both male and female flowers at the same time.
Conclusion
Your knowledge of companion planting can be utilized in any garden method and there are endless benefits to companion planting.
However, it is important that companion planting does replace the need for proper maintenance and preparation of your garden. Zucchini benefits from being combined with other varieties of vegetables, it can help it fend off pests, increase its access to nutrients and share garden space effectively.
Read next: The Best Onion Companion Plants to Grow In Your Garden
