Good & Bad Watermelon Companion Plants
You want to grow watermelons in your garden or on your balcony but don’t know what plants to grow with watermelons? Great!
This blog post is exactly for you since I show you the best and worst watermelon companion plants in the following.
Table of Contents
Why do I need Companion Plants for growing Watermelons?
In theory, you could also grow watermelons without any other plants around them.
Yet, you would miss out on many benefits by doing so. In fact, good companion plants can improve the overall growth behavior and the yields of your watermelons.
Among others, companion plants can attract pollinators, serve as a ground cover to keep the soil moist, loosen the soil, provide shade, keep away pests and may enhance the flavor of your crops in general.
As you can see, good companion plants can really improve the overall growth conditions of your watermelon plants.
However, there are also plants you should never grow with watermelons.
Thus, make sure to have a look at the following tables to figure out what plants to grow with watermelons and what plants you should avoid and why.
Good Watermelon Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it good? |
|---|---|
| Onions | Keep away pests. |
| Garlic | Deters aphids and other pests. |
| Leeks | Keeps away bugs. |
| Chives | Keeps away pests. |
| Shallots | Deter harmful insects. |
| Beans | Fix nitrogen in the soil. |
| Carrots | Loosen the soil. |
| Spinach | Ground cover to keep the soil moist. |
| Lettuce | Ground cover to keep the soil moist. |
| Mint | Keeps away pests and improves the flavor of watermelons. |
| Catnip | Keeps away pests and improves the flavor of watermelons. |
| Tansy | Keeps away pests. |
| Nasturtiums | Attract pollinators. |
| Marigolds | Attract pollinators. |
Bad Watermelon Companion Plants
| Companion Plant | Why is it bad? |
|---|---|
| Sunflowers | Take away too much sunlight. |
| Zucchini | Feed on similar nutrients. |
| Cucumbers | Inhibit the growth of watermelons. |
| Cauliflower | Inhibits the growth of watermelons. |
| Kale | Attracts slugs. |
| Mustard Greens | Inhibit the growth of watermelons. |
| Cabbage | Attracts bugs. |
| Pumpkins | Feed on similar nutrients. |
| Tomatoes | Take away too much sunlight. |
| Peppers | Take away too much sunlight. |
| Potatoes | Attract aphids and other pests. |
Best & Worst Watermelon Companion Plants – Summary List
| Best Companion Plants | Worst Companion Plants |
|---|---|
| Mint | Potatoes |
| Catnip | Tomatoes |
| Nasturtiums | Peppers |
| Marigolds | Kale |
| Tansy | Cabbage |
| Carrots | Mustard |
| Lettuce | Cucumbers |
| Spinach | Cauliflowers |
| Beans | Sunflowers |
| Leeks | Zucchini |
| Shallots | Pumpkins |
| Chives | |
| Onions | |
| Garlic |
What should you plant with Watermelons?
Good companion plants for watermelons are nasturtiums, marigolds, onions, garlic, shallots, chives, spinach, beans, carrots, lettuce, tansy, mint, catnip and leeks.
You should not plant watermelons with cucumbers, pumpkins, kale, cabbage, sunflowers, cauliflower, zucchini, mustard, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.
If you want to learn more about growing watermelons, make sure to also check out my grower’s guide on how to grow watermelons 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.
