When courgette are felicitous , they ’re really happy .

So much so that you might find yourself begging the neighbors to take a few of those green nutritionary powerhouses off your hand . But when disease or pest strike , it can be a catastrophe .

Chemicals can avail , but who desire to use them when you may use natural method like companion planting , also known as intercropping ?

A horizontal image of a gardener holding a freshly harvested, single green zucchini pictured on a soft focus background.

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There are a lot of misconception out there about fellow planting .

Some people want to believe that the pattern can be used to lick any problem , while others consider it ’s a worthlessgardening myth .

A close up vertical image of zucchini flowers and fruits growing in the garden pictured on a soft focus background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

fortuitously for us , scientists have been busy testing the practiceto pattern out what figure out and what does n’t .

We ’ll discuss their finding and how you may put fellow planting to work in your garden .

Here are the plant that work wonder that we ’ll be pass away over :

A close up horizontal image of a ‘Blue Hubbard’ squash growing on the vine surrounded by foliage.

9 Top Companion Plants for Zucchini

Part of the key to comrade planting is knowinghowto practice the plants . Some need to be close planted , others can be a second further apart . And some need to be planted as endure mulch .

If you need a refresher onhow to grow zucchini , check out our usher .

Let ’s discuss the top companion to grow with your zukes :

A close up square image of ‘Blue Hubbard’ squash set on the ground in the garden.

1. Blue Hubbard Squash

Sometimes , to protect your most important plants , you have to use others as a forfeit .

While courgette is one of the favorites ofsquash bugs(Anasa tristis ) , these pests also adore ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ squelch .

The same goes for squash vine bore bit ( Melittia cucurbitae ) , and spotted ( Diabrotica undecimpunctata ) and striped cuke beetles ( Acalymma vittatum ) .

A close up of colorful marigolds growing in the garden.

All of these insects will choose ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ over pretty much anything else .

If you really want to insure that your zukes thrive without becoming an all - you - can - eat up - snack counter for these bugs , plant some ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ squash nearby .

This is a practice known astrap croppingand it ’s extremely efficacious .

A close up of sweet marjoram foliage in the garden.

Even well , go out and helping hand - pick the inevitable bugs as they tuck into the repast you ’ve provided .

‘ Blue Hubbard ’ Squash

you could also regularly spray your ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ plant with an insect powder arrest pyrethrins . Just make certain your ‘ Blue Hubbard ’ is within 10 foot or so of your courgette crop .

A square image of ‘Salmon Baby’ nasturtiums growing in the garden.

To bring home an eighth of an ounce of seeds , head to High Mowing Organic Seeds .

take more about how to get wintertime squash in our templet .

2. Marigolds

Marigolds ( Tagetesspp . ) kick butt as a associate plant . They in effect gross out whiteflies and beginning - knot nematodes , and they attract bullet and snails away from more valuable crops .

They also force aphids off from squash crops .

Plus , they ’re extremely prolific and colorful . We have aguide that explains how to best habituate marigolds in the garden as a companion plantif you ’re looking for all the details about this cheerful bloom .

A square image of freshly harvested ‘Burgundy’ okra in a wicker basket set on a wooden surface.

set them within a few feet of your zukes .

Happy Days Mixed Marigolds

Happy Days Mixed is a vibrant , wide-ranging mix of red , orange , and yellowish two - column inch blossoms . you may snag seedsat Burpeein packs of 150 .

A square image of ‘Fresh Breakfast’ radishes, whole and sliced, set on a wooden chopping board.

you could find more info about growing marigolds in our guide .

3. Marjoram

To sleep together winter sweet ( Origanum genus Majorana ) is to love her , and sadly , not enough masses know her .

If you have n’t tried produce pot marjoram before , and you want your zucchini to grow well , it ’s clip you give it a try .

Besides the fact that the herbaceous plant tastes fantastic chop on baked courgette , oregano repelswhiteflies , so you get two benefits for the toll of one .

A close up horizontal image of the yellow flowers of Crotalaria juncea growing in bright sunshine.

Be sure the marjoram is within a few groundwork of your squash .

Marjoram

Marjoram is a handy herbaceous plant to have around the garden , so leverage packages of 2,000 seeds or springy plants in three - inch potsat Burpee .

A close up of a bag of sunn hemp seeds isolated on a white background.

Learn more about grow winter sweet in our templet .

4. Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums ( Tropaeolumspp . ) are a triple threat : they taste yummy and add color to culinary dangerous undertaking , they self - seed reliably so they return year after yr , and they attract aphids andflea beetlesaway from your courgette .

Do n’t panic that these plague will ruin your dear nasturtium , though . These colorful stunner are problematic .

Plant them within a few feet of your squash . The beautiful flowers are just a giant bonus .

A horizontal image of a carpet of colorful sweet alyssum growing in the garden.

‘ Salmon Baby ’ nasturtium

‘ Salmon Baby , ’ for example , has elegant pink and salmon flush and you’re able to bring home a packet , apothecaries' ounce , quarter - pound , or pound of seedsfrom Eden Brothers .

You canfind more information about turn nasturtiums here .

A square image of ‘Carpet of Snow’ sweet alyssum growing in a garden border flanked by stones.

5. Okra

Okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) is n’t everyone ’s cupful of afternoon tea , but it repel silverleaf whiteflies ( Bemisia argentifolli ) and may help increase yields in your zukes , so keep it around even if you do n’t have programme to eat it .

‘ Red Burgundy ’ is a endearing ornamental kind with attractive flowers and scarlet pods .

‘ Red Burgundy ’ Okra

A square image of a field of white clover in bloom.

require some ? Packets of seminal fluid areavailable at High Mowing Seeds .

Silverleaf whiteflies are worth annul because they unfold diseases and viruses , and they can cause silverleaf disorder , which make courgette leafage turn yellow .

If they ’re grown within a few feet of your summertime squelch , they can avail drive this nettlesome cuss off .

A close up horizontal image of cowpeas growing in the garden.

Learn more about growing gumbo here .

6. Radishes

Radishes ( Raphanus raphanistrumsubsp.sativus ) are utilitarian for control squash microbe ( Anasa tristis ) , and we all have it away these bugs love courgette .

pluck yourfavorite varietyso you may rust the Raphanus sativus , and design to plant two rounds in chronological succession within a few feet of your squash vine .

‘ French Breakfast ’ Radishes

‘ French Breakfast ’ is a classic option that ’s honest and luscious , and it’savailable at Eden Brothersin modest packets and in bulk .

receive cultivation crown in our guide to growing radishes .

7. Sunn Hemp

Sunn hemp ( Crotalaria juncea ) is n’t common in many garden , but those who can grow this plant should regard it . It repulse silverleaf whiteflies , and it can help increase yields .

Sunn hemp hail from tropical regions and suppresses roundworm . It also pay off nitrogen in the grunge , move like a lifelike fertilizer .

The john is to develop it as a living mulch , but rationalise it down to below seven inches tall and keep it below that acme . If it grows taller , you actually launch the danger of concentrate yields .

Sunn Hemp

For 10 pounds of cum to add to your garden – and perhaps share with friends – visit Walmart .

8. Sweet Alyssum

sugared madwort ( Lobularia maritima ) shows all sort of promise as an effectivecover crop .

It has been the subject of numerous field of study and these have show that sweet genus Alyssum attracts beneficial predators like epenthetic and predatory wasps , and tent flap that help oneself curb whiteflies , leaf miner , thripid , hint , andaphids .

implant this pretty ground cover near your zukes toattract the unspoiled bugsthat will help you eliminate the bad .

Beyond their ability to bring in the right stuff , dulcet madwort plants make a dense , colorful ground masking for shady areas . That mean you may set them under your zukes , and they ’ll be fine .

Or , embed them around your zucchini or else . Sweet alyssum can tolerate sun , so these prime can conform to all kinds of space .

‘ Carpet of Snow , ’ with its thick growth habit and abundant white efflorescence , gives the impression of a beautiful cover of C. P. Snow covering your garden without the cold temperatures .

‘ Carpet of Snow ’ Sweet Alyssum

Bring home some semen for plantingfrom Eden Brothersin small packet , one - troy ounce , and quarter- , one- , or five - pound containers .

pick up more about uprise odorous alyssum in our guide .

9. White Clover

Along with okra , white clover ( Trifolium repens ) keep silverleaf whiteflies forth .

It also fixes nitrogen in the soil and loosens it up , too . Grow some between your plants to work as a green walk .

White Clover

Bulk package of one , five , 20 , or 40 pounds of seed areavailable at High Mowing Organic Seedsso you could spread the trefoil love far and across-the-board .

What to Avoid

Black - eyed peas(Vigna unguicalata ) are an crucial crop in many part of the humans and this coinage has been the subject of numerous studies to see if they can allow any note value as a companion craw .

Turns out , they can . Just not with zucchini .

Cowpeas appeal good hoverflies , ladybeetle , minute pirate bugs , and parasitoid wasps .

One discipline by entomologists Lorena Lopez and Oscar E. Liburd published in the journalEntomologia Experimentalis et Applicatafound that more good louse hung out around squash industrial plant , including zucchini , in heavy numbers than when planted alone .

Sounds hopeful , right ? Unfortunately , cowpeas also attracted lots ( and lots ) of aphids .

In the bailiwick , the aphid secrete honeydew melon which pull in mold , and the squash rackets plants end up suffer from aphid infestation and fungal matter .

“ Despite the significant function that Vigna unguiculata play asrefugiafor good arthropods in our study , it also became a reservoir of aphid that were dispersing towards the neighboring squash and put the crop at peril . Therefore , cowpea is not recommended as a familiar plant life or trap crop within squash vine cropping systems , ” the written report close .

“You’re My Best Friend”

plant life can be in force friends or the worst foeman , and knowing which single work together and which do n’t will make all the difference in the health of your plants and your yields .

Try experimenting with one or two of the plants described above and see what they can do for your garden .

If you ’re looking forsome other tips to help your zucchini thriveand you find this guide utile , we have a few others that you might turn over checking out :

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right hand RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . production photograph via Burpee , Eden Brothers , High Mowing Organic Seeds , and Walmart . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .

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Kristine Lofgren