Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
CucurbitaceaeCompanion plants for cucumbers
The best companion plants for cucumbers are lettuce, tomatoes, garlic, onions and beans. Potatoes are best kept away. Of the 19 plants we have data on, 13 are good neighbours, 1 is a bad one and 2 are contested. 10 of these verdicts rest on field trials or research papers; the rest come from traditional companion-planting charts.
- 13 good
- 1 to avoid
- 2 contested
- 10 tested in trials or papers
Neighbours of cucumbers at a glance
Inner rings are backed by trials or papers, outer rings by charts only. Pick a plant to see its sources.
The interactive map needs JavaScript. Every plant on it is listed below with its evidence.
Good companion plants for cucumbers
Biggest harvest gain first, then the plants tested without a yield count. Each row links to the full evidence for the pair.
| Plant | What trials found with cucumbers | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lettuce |
Fewer pests35% more harvest from the same space | Field trial5 studies | Recommend |
 Tomato |
Lures pests away17% more harvest from the same space | Field trial4 studies | Recommend |
 Bean |
14% more harvest from the same space | Field trial1 study | Recommend |
 Garlic |
Bigger combined harvest and better soil and nutrient uptakeChemicals that hold growth back | Field trial5 studies | Recommend |
 Onion |
Helpful plant chemistry and bigger combined harvest | Field trial3 studies | Recommend |
 Celery |
Fewer pests | Field trial2 studies | Recommend |
 Spinach |
Better soil and nutrient uptake | Greenhouse or pot trial1 study | Recommend |
 Sweet corn |
Fewer pests | Field trial1 study | Not listed |
Harvest from the same space compares a bed with both crops against the same area split into single-crop beds, counting the harvest of both crops (the land equivalent ratio in yield trials).
Recommended by garden charts, not tested yet
We found no trial or paper on these pairs with cucumbers. They may still work; nobody has measured it.
What not to plant with cucumbers
| Plant | What trials found with cucumbers | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Potato |
No trial found | Not tested | Advise against |
Relatives that share pests and diseases
| Plant | What trials found with cucumbers | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Squash & pumpkin |
No trial foundSame family (Cucurbitaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
 Melon |
No trial foundSame family (Cucurbitaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
 Watermelon |
No trial foundSame family (Cucurbitaceae): shares pests and diseases | Not tested | Not listed |
Contested pairings
The sources disagree, or the charts say one thing and the trials another. Open a pair before you plant it.
| Plant | What trials found with cucumbers | Tested by | Garden charts |
|---|---|---|---|
 Pea |
Mixed results on harvest | Lab test or review1 study | Recommend |
 Pepper |
Mixed results on disease | Greenhouse or pot trial1 study | Not listed |
Sources
26 sources behind the verdicts on this page. 14 chart entries cite no source and are marked as tradition only.
Show all 26 sources
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)
A machine‐based analysis of trade‐offs and synergies in pea‐cucumber intercropping systems (Ikram A · 2026 · Agronomy journal.)
Tillering onion AcPAL and AcALL genes regulate trans‐cinnamic acid and allicin accumulation to improve cucumber environmental adaptability and growth (Fu Y · 2024 · Physiologia Plantarum.)
Responses of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) rhizosphere microbial community to some agronomic management practices. (Ezazi R · 2021 · FEMS microbiology ecology)
Land Equivalent Ratio in the Intercropping of Cucumber with Lettuce as a Function of Cucumber Population Density (Teixeira Ribas · 2020)
YIELD OF INTERCROPPED LETTUCE AND CUCUMBER AS A FUNCTION OF POPULATION DENSITY AND CROPPING SEASON X1 - PRODUTIVIDADE DO CONSÓRCIO DE ALFACE E PEPINO EM FUNÇÃO DA DENSIDADE POPULACIONAL E ÉPOCA DE CULTIVO (Cecílio Filho · 2019)
A green garlic (Allium sativum L.) based intercropping system reduces the strain of continuous monocropping in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) by adjusting the micro-ecological environment of soil. (Xiao X · 2019 · PeerJ)
An Allelopathic Role for Garlic Root Exudates in the Regulation of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Cucumber in a Hydroponic Co-Culture System. (Ding H · 2019 · Plants (Basel, Switzerland))
Hiseq Base Molecular Characterization of Soil Microbial Community, Diversity Structure, and Predictive Functional Profiling in Continuous Cucumber Planted Soil Affected by Diverse Cropping Systems in an Intensive Greenhouse Region of Northern China. (Ali A · 2019 · International journal of molecular sciences)
Repellent Effects of Different Celery Varieties in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Biotype Q. (Tu H · 2017 · Journal of economic entomology)
Reducing whiteflies on cucumber using intercropping with less preferred vegetables (Zhao · 2014 · Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata)
The intercropping partner affects arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici interactions in tomato (Hage-Ahmed · 2013 · Mycorrhiza)
Intercropping of green garlic (Allium sativum L.) induces nutrient concentration changes in the soil and plants in continuously cropped cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in a plastic tunnel (Xiao · 2013 · PLOS ONE)
Screening plants resistant against Meloidogyne incognita and integrated management of plant resources for nematode control (Dong L · 2012 · Crop Protection)
Economic analysis of cucumber and lettuce intercropping under greenhouse in the winter-spring. (Rezende BL · 2011 · Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias)
[Effects of intercropping Chinese onion cultivars of different allelopathic potential on cucumber growth and soil micro-environment]. (Yang Y · 2011 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)
Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)
Effect of garlic and onion extracts or their intercropping on suppressing damping-off and powdery mildew diseases and growth characteristics of cucumber (Morsy · 2009 · Egyptian Journal of Phytopathology)
[Effects of rotation and intercropping on bacterial communities in rhizosphere soil of cucumber]. (Wu FZ · 2008 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)
Preference of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to four vegetable hosts (Yang Zhongxia · 2004 · Acat Entomologica Sinica)
Intercropping in cucumber (Cucumis sativus) under greenhouse conditions (Yildirim · 2004)
Effect of intercropping on tomato yellow leaf curt virus incidenceon tomato (Yin Xiangui · 2002 · Xi nan nong ye xue bao = Southwest China journal of agricultural sciences)
Effects of planting densities, irrigation, and hornworm larvae on yields in experimental intercrops of tomatoes and cucumbers (Schulz · 1987)
Effects of plant diversity and time of colonization on an herbivore-plant interaction. (Bach CE. · 1979 · Oecologia)
Companion Plants (Alabama Cooperative Extension System)
Same family (Cucurbitaceae): Squash & pumpkin, Melon, Watermelon.
What grows well with your cucumbers?
Share what worked next to your cucumbers and what did not, or ask other growers a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.