The zucchini or courgette is a prolific summer squash plant. Intercropping and surrounding its plot with various companion plants promote pollination, soil fertility, and pest control. This organic practice also increases yields, improves flavor, and conserves valuable garden space.
Many vegetable crops, herbs, and flowers can be cultivated as companion plants with zucchini. Here’s a list of a few plants you can grow in your garden today and your squash plant.
1. Corn
Squash and corn are excellent neighbors in the vegetable patch because they have similar needs. Both will thrive with lots of sunlight, regular watering, and consistent feeding. Zucchini, like other Cucurbits, has broad, large leaves that measure around 12 inches across. By shading the ground and absorbing sunshine, zucchini leaves help to keep the soil moist and prevent weed growth.
“The Three Sisters” is one of the earliest examples of companion planting. In this technique, squash and corn are two sisters. Though a winter (vining) squash is usually used in a three-sisters planting, any summer squash like zucchini can also be used.
2. Beans
The third sister is the bean plant, specifically vining green beans. Pole beans are a climbing and vining variety that uses strong and sturdy corn stalks as a trellis. However, even the bush bean variety will make a good companion plant for zucchinis. Beans, in general, help increase soil fertility, which is especially beneficial for cultivating heavy feeders like zucchini and other squashes.
Squash, on the other hand, provides some pest and grazing protection. Its large leaves and stems are covered with spines and needle-like hairs, keeping animals away from its companion plants.
3. Radish
Because of its pungent scent, radish repels pests such as whiteflies, aphids, thrips, and squash beetles. It also attracts beneficial predators such as lacewing hoverflies and wasps, which consume these pests. Many gardeners consider radishes the ultimate companion for many vegetable crops as they are easy to plant next to other crops.
4. Garlic
Garlic contains sulfur compounds that repel pests, such as sap-sucking aphids. Smaller zucchini plants are even more susceptible to aphid infestations, which weaken and eventually kill the plant. Although garlic will be ready for harvest before the zucchini fruits, it will protect the young crops.
5. Nasturtiums
The nasturtium is a beautiful and functional companion plant. Squash bug populations and the damage they cause are significantly reduced when nasturtiums are used as companion plants for zucchini. Gardeners dealing with squash bug infestations could interplant trailing nasturtiums with squash plants, creating a beautiful groundcover. Both plants produce edible blooms that can be added to salads.
6. Marigolds
Marigold flowers attract pests such as mosquitoes, whiteflies, aphids, squash bugs, and squash vine borers. They prevent squash beetles, cabbage loopers, and striped cucumber beetles from infesting zucchini crops in the same way that nasturtiums do. Marigold is also effective at repelling nematodes, which are soil-dwelling organisms that can cause significant harm to zucchini plants.
7. Herbs
Aromatic herbs make great companion plants for pest-deterrents. Due to its strong smell, the marjoram and oregano deter pests like cabbage moths, and rosemary prevents earworm infestation. Dill also repels cucumber and flea beetles that attack zucchini crops. Growing mint near other plants helps deter deer and rabbits from getting to the crops before you do.
