Melons are a delicious summertime treat that are easy to grow at home. But to get the best harvest of sweet, juicy fruits, it helps to plant melons with companion plants that enhance growth and deter pests. Certain vegetables, herbs, and flowers make ideal companions by improving soil, attracting pollinators, providing pest control, and more
When planning your melon patch consider incorporating some of these beneficial companion plants
Vegetables
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Corn – Tall corn stalks act as a natural trellis for melon vines to climb Corn also provides shade and wind protection
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Radishes – Fast-growing radishes help break up compacted soil. Their spicy flavor deters aphids and beetles.
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Beans – Pole or bush beans planted with melons perform “nitrogen fixing” to enrich the soil. They also provide ground cover.
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Lettuce – Lettuce germinates quickly to cover soil and prevent early weeds until melon vines spread.
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Cabbage – Planted on the edge of melon patches, cabbage lures pests like cabbage loopers away from the melons.
Herbs
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Basil – Its pungent scent confuses pests and repels aphids, thrips, mosquitoes, and more.
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Mint – Strongly aromatic mint drives away ants, aphids, and other insects that attack melons. Plant it in pots near melons.
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Dill – This ferny herb attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs that prey on melon pests.
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Borage – Pretty blue borage flowers lure in pollinators like bees to ensure good melon fruit set.
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Oregano – Oregano’s dense foliage provides moisture retention and repels aphids and spider mites.
Flowers
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Marigolds – Cheery marigolds planted throughout the garden deter aphids, whiteflies, nematodes, and other pests.
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Nasturtiums – Trailing nasturtiums repel squash bugs, aphids, and whiteflies and also attract beneficial beetles.
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Sunflowers – Giant sunflowers attract pollinators and provide tall stems for vines to climb.
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Cosmos – This daisy-like annual draws in bees, beetles, and other helpful insects.
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Zinnias – Bright zinnias attract ladybugs, lacewings, and butterflies to control pests.
Tips for Planting Melon Companions
When incorporating companion plants into your melon patch:
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Choose compact varieties that won’t compete for space as vines spread.
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Plant companions along the border or at the end of rows to avoid overcrowding.
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Use succession planting so quick-growing companions like lettuce or radish clear out before vines need room.
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Put aggressive spreaders like mint in pots to contain them.
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Mix up companion varieties with different heights, colors, and bloom times to boost diversity.
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Include flowers both within and around the patch to draw in beneficial insects.
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Avoid planting melons with competing vine crops like cucumbers and squash.
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Prevent cross-pollination between melons and cucumbers or squash by providing adequate spacing.
Companion Planting for Common Melon Varieties
Specific melon varieties have ideal companion plants:
Watermelon
- Corn, sunflowers, beans, radishes, basil, marigolds
Cantaloupe
- Nasturtiums, cosmos, cabbage, oregano, borage
Honeydew
- Lettuce, cabbage, beans, lavender, dill
Sample Companion Planting Garden Plans
A few example companion planting schemes for melons:
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Border marigolds, zinnias, and nasturtiums around melon rows with basil and borage interspersed between.
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Trellised pole beans and corn planted on either side of melon rows with lettuce and radish succession planted in rows.
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Container mint and potted catnip stationed near cantaloupe hills surrounded by marigolds and cosmos.
The Benefits of Melon Companion Planting
Companion planting is an organic gardening practice that offers many perks:
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Deters common melon pests like cucumber beetles, aphids, cabbage loopers, and whiteflies
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Improves pollination for better fruit set
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Enriches soil with nutrients from nitrogen-fixing plants
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Maximizes garden space by interplanting low-growing companions
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Reduces watering needs through moisture retention
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Provides physical support for climbing vines
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Adds beauty and diversity with flowers and herbs
By strategically planting compatible companion plants with your melons, you can help ward off pests, increase pollination, improve flavor, and maximize your harvest. A well-planned melon patch with flowering and vegetative companions makes for a healthy, thriving summer garden.
Watermelons as Companion Plants
Watermelons have good and bad traits when it comes to companion planting.
Before you choose companion plants for your watermelons, you should probably understand how watermelons behave around others. They have good traits and bad traits, so they’re not a good neighbor towards everything.
Watermelons can keep weeds down to a minimum by choking out unwanted plants. Weeds might be a problem when the plants are young because they’re only useful when the vines are long. Still, you won’t have to spend as much time weeding in the summer!.
The long vines can also prevent wind blowing away all your soil. If your garden isn’t protected from the wind, watermelons can help you out. The melons can help stop damage from heavy rain because the vines and roots can stop water from washing away the soil.
Remember how I said they could choke out plants you don’t want? Well, they can also choke out plants you do want. While intercropping is possible, you must be strategic and ensure the vines don’t get out of control. If your melons are getting too wild, companion planting could look like plants along the edges or in pots.
Watermelons are thirsty and hungry. They need a lot of water (they are watermelons, after all!) and extra compost or fertilizer every once in a while. You should know that plants that don’t like being fed often won’t do well in the melon patch, so keep that in mind.
Watermelon Companion Plants – Best and Worst Companion Plants For Watermelon
FAQ
What not to plant with melons?
What should you not plant next to cantaloupe?
Do tomatoes and melons grow well together?
What’s the best companion plant for watermelons?
What plants grow well with melons?
Melons are one of the most compatible plants in the garden and do well when planted with peas, pole beans, bush beans, onions, leeks, chives, and garlic. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, okra, spinach, sunflowers, lettuce, and Brussels sprouts also flourish in the companionship of melons. Related Post: Companion Plants For Tomatoes
Is green melon good for diabetes?
Green melon has to be consumed to a lesser extent by people with diabetes as it contains simple sugar that can raise blood glucose levels very quickly. However, it does contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, water, and antioxidant properties.
Can companion planting help melons?
After all, humans aren’t the only ones who love delicious melons, but thankfully Nature has given us enough demonstrations that we can use companion planting to help those melons in a number of interesting, and useful ways.
What plants do not grow well with melons?
Plants that don’t do well with melons include other cucurbits such as pumpkins, squash, summer and winter, and cucumbers. Also, avoid planting potatoes with your melons. Tomato plants and peppers don’t thrive with melons because melons take up so much space they crowd them out.
Are marigolds good for melons?
Marigolds in bloom. Planted near (but not in the same container or bed), Marigolds make a beautiful companion for your melons that will also drive away cucumber beetles, aphids, and a lot of other pests that make your life miserable.
Do Radishes grow well with melons?
Radishes, like lettuce, will grow well with your melons and they’ll also chip in a little to earn their keep. First off, they’ll provide a little light shade for when it’s hot outside and next, they’ll fill the space nicely and keep the weeds from moving in.