Squash or also known as Cucurbita is a vegetable from the gourd family. The plant is also sometimes referred to as a fruit because it produces small seeds that can be used to replant them. Squash usually comes in five different species that are spread all around the world and used for their edible properties. The vegetable is not only healthy to eat but it can also be a great option to grow for beginners.
This is because squash requires little to no maintenance which helps in ensuring that the plants can grow out easily. With that being said, another thing that people should understand is that the type of plants you keep along your squash can also play a huge role in its growth. Hence, some plants should be kept away from these vegetables so that there are no issues. If you are interested in knowing what these are then going through this article should help you in understanding what not to plant with your squash.
What Not To Plant With Squash?
- Cucumbers
Cucumbers are widely cultivated vine plants that are from the Cucurbitaceae family. These bear cylindrical fruits that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. This is exactly why these plants are used as culinary vegetables all around the world. Keeping this in mind, the plant can also be quite easy to grow which is why some users might think about planting them along their squash.
When it comes to this, several factors make this a bad decision. First of all, cucumbers attract pests that can infest your squash vegetables and destroy the entire harvest. Secondly, the requirements for both the plants are similar which is why either one of them can stop the other plant’s growth. Hence, people should avoid planting the two vegetables along each other.
- Onions
Onions are vegetables from the genus Allum. This also includes several other relatives like garlic, leeks, chives, and scallions. All of these vegetables are similar to each other and usually grow deep inside the ground. The main reason why people think about planting these in their gardens is because of how useful the vegetables are. Not only are these used as base ingredients for most dishes, but these also come with numerous health benefits.
The medicinal properties alone are enough to make these vegetables a great option to plant in your garden. However, these are also quite easy to maintain as not much care is required. The only reason why these are not good squash matches is that the vegetables grow deep inside the soil. This can cause numerous diseases in the roots of squash which is why it is better that you avoid planting them together.
- Potatoes
Potatoes are starchy tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum. The root vegetable is native to the Americas, but it can be found spread across different regions. Potatoes are perennials plants that are from the nightshade family which shows how healthy they are. However, the main reason why these are cultivated widely is because of the dishes that can be made using them.
There is a wide range of recipes that use potatoes as their main ingredient and it involves, baking, frying, and even boiling the vegetable. Most people might think about growing potatoes along their squash plants, but this can cause several problems. Blight is a common disease that can be found on both potatoes as well as squash plants. This is easily transferable which is why you should avoid keeping the two plants close to each other.
- Pumpkins
Pumpkins are another type of vegetable that are from the same family as squash. While this might mean that it can be easy to grow the plants alongside each other, people should note that is not the case. The nutrients required by both the vegetables are similar which is why they can easily stop the growth of each other.
Additionally, the pests that are attracted to the two plants are also similar which can cause your entire harvest to get destroyed in case of an infestation. When finding companion plants, people should look out for vegetables that can support each other in staying healthy. Considering this, you should avoid planting pumpkins with your squashes.