The garden cucumber thrives in humus-rich and loose soil. It prefers a warm and humid climate and attaches importance to rapid soil warming in spring. Mixed cultures are recommended for improved crop yields.
Vegetables and salad
Ideal planting partners for Cucumis sativus are vegetables that do not compete with each other. The following crops do particularly well in a mixed culture because they come from different families. They ensure a varied harvest throughout the season.
Kidney bean(Phaseolus vulgaris)
- Common names: runner beans or broad beans
- Advantage: are considered to be diligent nitrogen collectors, so that cucumbers grow better
- Sowing: mid-May to the end of June directly outdoors
- Soil: deep, rich in humus and well loosened
- Location: warm and sheltered from the wind, preferably sunny
- Requirements: Beans value a good water supply, no fertilizer necessary
- Care: pile up soil and avoid waterlogging
peas(Pisum sativum)
- Common names: garden or pea
- Advantage: fix nitrogen in the soil, so that cucumber plants benefit
- Sowing: sow sweet peas from the beginning of April, more robust peas earlier in the bed
- Soil: humus-rich and finely crumbly substrate
- Location: open and sunny
- Requirements: Even moisture from the bloom formation increases the harvest yield
- Care: chop soil regularly, mulch and pile up soil after the first two weeks
Carrots(Daucus carota)
- Sowing: early and summer carrots from March in the cold frame, lager carrots from mid-May
- Soil: can be sandy as well as heavy, avoid compost, preferably stone-free
- Location: warm and sunny
- Demands: moderate but consistently high water requirement
- Care: Regularly loosen up the substrate, pile up protruding heads
Tip: The choice of carrots is diverse. Depending on individual preferences, both fast-growing ball carrots and slow-growing finger carrots are suitable for a mixed culture with cucumbers.
Fennel(Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum)
- Common name: vegetable fennel
- Cultivation: from January onwards on the windowsill
- Soil: well-drained and rich in humus, calcareous
- Location: sheltered and sunny, warm climate ensures healthy growth
- Requirements: an even supply of water and nutrients
- Care: pile up plants two weeks before harvest
Lettuce(Lactuca sativa var. capitata)
- Sowing: from the end of January in the cold frame
- Soil: deep and humus-rich substrate
- Location: like full sun
- Requirements: regular watering ensures fresh leaves
- Care: chop and mulch the soil regularly during cultivation
leek(Allium porrum)
- Common name: leek
- Advantage: tolerates heat and cold
- Sowing: from January onwards on the windowsill
- Soil: rich in nutrients and humus, preferably deep
- Location: thrives in both sunny and partially shaded locations
- Demands: continuously average water demand
- Care: chop beds more often and pile up stems
Aromatic plants
Some culinary herbs that also thrive outdoors have no problem with cucumber plants as neighbors. The intense scents of the aromatic plants not only enrich the menu, but also have positive effects on plant growth.
basil(Ocimum basilicum)
- Advantage: prevents powdery mildew infestation
- Sowing: from the end of April directly outdoors
- Soil: preferably nutrient- and humus-rich substrate
- Location: likes to be sunny
- Demands: requires a sufficiently moist soil
- Care: cut stems regularly to form shoots
dill(Anethum graveolens)
- Sowing: from April in the garden
- Soil: medium heavy, thrives well in poor soils
- Location: protected in a sunny to partially shaded location
- Demands: low nutrient requirement, needs constant moisture
- Care: loosen the substrate occasionally
Caraway seed(Carum carvi)
- Sowing: directly into the bed from April
- Soil: deep and nutritious, well loosened
- Location: thrives in sunny to partially shaded locations
- Requirements: prefers moist but not waterlogging conditions
- Care: regular watering and loosening of the soil
parsley(Petroselinum crispum)
- Sowing: possible outdoors from mid-March
- Soil: well drained, deep and humic
- Location: prefers sunny to partially shaded locations
- Requirements: high water requirement, does not tolerate waterlogging
- Care: Compost before sowing, chop regularly during cultivation
Flowering ornamental plants
Cucumber plants fit ideally into an ornamental perennial bed. Some flowering plants are well suited for cultivation with Cucumis sativus due to their similar demands on care and location. Such plantings fit into garden areas that can tolerate a little more color and should attract attention.
Tip: Cucumbers also thrive in mixed cultures with marigolds. These ensure improved pollination of the flowers as they attract beetles.
sunflowers(Helianthus annuus)
- Advantage: cucumber shoots provide support
- Sowing: outdoors only after mid-May
- Soil: nutrient-rich substrate, upgrade with compost
- Location: full sun and warm, calm
- Requirements: high and constant water requirement
- Care: Avoid dry periods, support stems
Marigold flowers(Tagetes hybrid)
- Common names: velvet flower, velvet flower, Turkish carnation, death flower
- Advantage: keeps roundworms out of the ground
- Sowing: from February to March on the windowsill
- Soil: medium heavy and rich in nutrients with good permeability
- Location: love full sun, also thrive in partial shade
- Requirements: ensure an even water supply
- Care: regularly remove dead shoots
