Certain Herbs Do Not Belong Alongside Cucumbers In The Garden - Here's Why

Cucumbers are a great choice for a vegetable to grow in your home garden because they are not only relatively easy to care for, but are also a versatile and useful ingredient in the kitchen. On top of this, rumor has it that cucumber plants can even keep raccoons out of your garden and that slices of this crisp veggie can repel wasps. However, to get the delicious veggies you want, when planning your garden, you should remember that there are some plants that should never be planted near each other. You may already know that you should never plant cucumbers and melons together because the two plants can crossbreed and create seeds that are half cucumber half melon hybrids; however, what you may not know is that you also shouldn't plant cucumbers near certain aromatic herbs because these herbs can affect the taste of your cucumbers.

This is particularly true for sage, which is believed to negatively impact the flavor of cucumber when grown near it. On top of this, sage doesn't require much water while cucumber plants require a lot. So, by growing these two near each other, you will likely either overwater your sage or underwater your cucumbers. Therefore, in order to get the best harvest out of your garden, it is best to keep cucumbers and sage far apart.

On top of sage, another herb you should never grow near your cucumbers is basil. The reason for this is that basil is said to particularly negatively affect the taste of cucumbers. Plus, some gardeners have claimed that growing basil and cucumbers together can cause both plants to produce less which, considering that gardening can take so much time and hard work, is particularly annoying.

The last aromatic herb you should avoid planting near your cucumber vines is mint. Besides being another plant that may affect the flavor of your cucumbers, mint is also a voracious grower and spreader. Because of this, you should avoid planting mint near your cucumbers because it may choke out your cucumber vines before they have a chance to grow and thrive. In fact, many people recommend growing mint in pots so that it doesn't take over your whole garden.

So, now that we have covered what aromatic herbs you shouldn't plant near cucumbers in the garden, what are some herbs that you can plant near them? As it turns out, some aromatic herbs, like chamomile and marjoram, should be planted near cucumbers because they can actually help improve the flavor of these crunchy veggies. On top of this, dill planted near cucumber can help attract beneficial pollinators and garlic can even help repel aphids.