Can I Plant Cucumbers Next to Cantelope?
Companion planting involves planting two different plants closely together in order to reap certain benefits, such as saving space. Both cantaloupe and cucumber belong to the curcurbit family. Does this Spark an idea?
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Companion Planting Cucumbers and Cantaloupes
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Planting cucumbers next to cantaloupe will rarely affect the produced fruits of each plant. Curcurbits usually will not cross-pollinate. If cross-pollination does occur it will only affect the seeds saved for planting in later seasons, which will not be true to their parent plant.
Benefits
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Companion planting cucumbers and cantaloupes together saves space and time. You can grow both crops on trellises and fences, taking advantage of the vertical space in a small garden.
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Disadvantages
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Both cucumbers and melons produce long vines that may intertwine during growth. Grown without the aid of trellises, it may become impossible to separate the two crops. While ripe cantaloupes are generally easy to locate within the foliage, cucumbers may hide under the larger leaves of the cantaloupe vines.
Recommended Companions for Cucumbers
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Recommended plants for close proximity to cucumbers include beans, peas, sunflowers and radishes.
Recommended Companions for Cantaloupes
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Recommended companion plants for cantaloupes include corn, radishes, beans and nasturtium.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit herb garden image by Steve Lovegrove from Fotolia.com
