Good & Bad Pumpkin Companion Plants
You want to grow pumpkins in your garden or on your balcony and want to know what plants to grow with pumpkins?
Great! Stick with me since I will show you the best and worst pumpkin companion plants in the following article.
Table of Contents
Why do I need Companion Plants to grow Pumpkins?
While it is possible to grow pumpkins without any other plants, I don’t advise you to do so since you would just miss out on many positive effects companion plants can have on the yield and on the overall growth behavior of your pumpkins.
Good companion plants are known to keep away pests, improve soil conditions, provide shade and to attract pollinators.
Yet, not all plants have those beneficial effects on your pumpkins.
There are also plants you should never grow near pumpkins.
Hence, you should definitely check out all the good and bad pumpkin companion plants in the following tables so that you know what to grow with pumpkins and what plants you should avoid at all costs and also why this is the case.
Good Pumpkin Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it good? |
|---|---|
| Corn | Improves soil conditions. |
| Beans | Fix nitrogen in the soil. |
| Peas | Fix nitrogen in the soil. |
| Radish | Loosens the soil. |
| Marigold | Attract pollinators. |
| Nasturtiums | Attract pollinators and deter pests. |
| Petunias | Attract pollinators and deter pests. |
| Oregano | Keeps away pests. |
| Chives | Deters pests. |
| Thyme | Deters pests and attracts pollinators. |
| Mint | Can improve the flavor of pumpkins. |
| Marjoram | Keeps away pests. |
| Lavender | Attracts pollinators and deters harmful bugs |
| Sage | Deters pests. |
| Onions | Keep away pests. |
| Garlic | Keeps away pests. |
| Shallots | Keep away pests. |
Bad Pumpkin Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it bad? |
|---|---|
| Sunflowers | Take away too much sunlight. |
| Melon | Heavy feeder that takes away nutrients from pumpkins. |
| Zucchini | Heavy feeder that takes away nutrients from pumpkins. |
| Fennel | Slows down the growth of pumpkins. |
| Beets | Feed on similar nutrients. |
| Carrots | Can damage the roots of pumpkins. |
| Potatoes | Can damage the roots of pumpkins. |
| Brassicas (Kale, Cabbage, etc.) | Take away nutrients from the soil. |
Best & Worst Pumpkin Companion Plants – Summary List
| Best Companion Plants | Worst Companion Plants |
|---|---|
| Radish | Melons |
| Corn | Zucchini |
| Peas | Brassicas |
| Beans | Carrots |
| Garlic | Fennel |
| Shallots | Beets |
| Onions | Potatoes |
| Mint | Sunflowers |
| Marjoram | |
| Oregano | |
| Nasturtium | |
| Petunia | |
| Marigold | |
| Chives | |
| Sage |
What should you plant with Pumpkins?
You should grow pumpkins with sage, mint, marjoram, chives, oregano, onions, shallots, garlic, corn, nasturtiums, marigolds, petunias, radish, peas and beans.
Avoid planting pumpkins with beets, sunflowers, potatoes, zucchini, melon, brassicas, carrots or fennel.
If you want to learn more about growing pumpkins in general, make sure to also have a look at my grower’s guide on how to grow pumpkins from seed to harvest.
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
