Top 4 Companion Plants for Melons to Enrich Soil While Reducing Pests and Weeds

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Whether you love watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or another melon variety, there’s a very easy way to boost your harvest while improving soil and keeping harmful pests from taking over. Let’s talk companion plants!

Common Problems when Growing Melons

When determining which companion plants are best for your melons, it’s a good idea to consider the problems you’re facing. Here are some common culprits.

Aphids

If you’re noticing tiny bugs on your melon plants, it’s likely that your garden is under attack by aphids. While most species have a green color, some are black, gray, pink, white, or yellow. All aphids have pear-shaped bodies and long antennae. Like many common garden pests, aphids like to feed and hide on the undersides of leaves. While a minor infestation isn’t likely to cause much damage to large melon plants, aphids can transmit viruses which in turn can lead to crop failure.

Cucumber Beetles

These melon pests have long bodies in shades of yellow to light green. There are two different species to watch for. Striped cucumber beetles have yellow and black striped abdomens, while spotted cucumber beetles have yellow bodies with black spots similar to the ones on a ladybug’s back. Both species are approximately ¼ inch long. Be particularly vigilant when you have melon seedlings in the garden, as these insects kill them quickly and spread diseases. When your melons become adults, the beetles will return to feed on the entire plant, including the fruit.

Leafhoppers

There are many species of leafhoppers. Most are about ¼ inch long, and all have wedge-shaped bodies. These insects cause damage rapidly since they puncture leaves as they feed. Their saliva is toxic, and like other common melon pests, they can spread plant diseases.

Poor Location

Melons require at least eight hours of full sun to thrive, so ensure that you choose a site without shade. Try to keep tall plants such as corn from casting a large shadow on your melon patch.

Poor Soil

Good soil is essential for growing melons of all kinds. If your garden soil is heavily compacted or has a lot of clay, it’s a good idea to add plenty of compost, along with bone meal and other natural fertilizers. Ensure that your site is well-drained, since poor drainage can cause problems such as rotting and fungus.

Root Knot Nematodes

Root knot nematodes are microscopic, but their small stature doesn’t prevent them from causing a lot of damage! These tiny roundworms pierce plant roots and lay their eggs inside. This causes roots to take on a knotted appearance, and it stunts growth in the aerial portions of the plants.

Spider Mites

Spider mites are tiny, 8-legged arachnids that spin minuscule silk webs. These mites cause rapid damage, and can kill affected plants.

Squash Bugs

There are many squash bug species to watch out for in your garden. Most are gray to brown in color, and are usually ½ inch long or a bit larger. They typically congregate on the undersides of leaves, injecting a toxic substance into the plants as they feed. Eggs are laid in patches on leaf undersides. Juvenile squash bugs look a lot like aphids, however they tend to cling together in large groups instead of feeding alone.

Squash Vine Borers

Adult squash vine borers are slender black moths with lacy wings and contrasting orange-red markings on their legs, backs, and heads. They lay tiny, oval-shaped eggs around the bases of pumpkin, squash, and melon plants. The larvae bore into the vines and can kill your plants quickly. If the plants have fruited, larvae are likely to target the fruit as well.

Weeds

Weeds compete for space and they steal nutrients from the soil. Companion plants occupy the same space, but benefit your melon plants by discouraging pests or adding nutrients back into the soil.

The Best Companion Plants for Melons

If this is your first time planting melons, or if you’re not sure what went wrong last time, you can nip pest problems in the bud and improve your soil by planting all four of the following companion plants. While they’re not the only options available, they are among the best for growing alongside watermelons, cantaloupes, and other sweet summertime favorites.

As you plan your garden, remember to create pathways with boards, heavy mulch, or stepping stones so that you can make your way around the melon patch.

It’s worth noting that melons are members of the gourd family, and the same companion plants that benefit melons will help other gourds as well. Try these companion plants with cucumbers, zucchinis, pumpkins, and squash and enjoy the results!

Bush Beans

Bush beans shade the ground and help prevent weeds from growing between melon hills, plus they fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, helping melons thrive by fertilizing as they grow.

It’s very easy to grow beans and melons together. Place your melon seeds in hills spaced four to ten feet apart depending on the variety, with three seeds per hill. Plant your beans in the areas between the hills, spacing the seeds about three inches apart. When seedlings emerge, thin the melons to one or two seedlings, and thin the beans so seedlings are six inches from one another. It’s worth noting that certain varieties call for different spacing. You can’t go wrong by allowing the instructions on the seed packet be your guide.

Marigolds

Marigolds are the perfect complement to your melon patch, and they grow well with the rest of the companion plants mentioned here. Not only do their brightly colored flowers attract pollinators, marigolds deter insect pests including voracious feeders like squash bugs and cucumber beetles.

Marigolds repel root knot nematodes and aphids as well, and their small size makes them ideal for sprinkling around the garden. Consider surrounding your garden with a border of marigold plants, and place more marigolds inside, positioning them near vulnerable melon plants and other members of the gourd family.

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums work their magic in several ways at once, attracting pollinators while repelling leaf hoppers and squash bugs. At the same time, they’re a favorite food for aphids and some other common pests. Because aphids can be very difficult to eliminate, providing an alternative food source is a simple, organic method for preventing an infestation on melon plants.

Like marigolds, nasturtiums bloom beautifully, adding more colorful appeal to your garden. You can grow them as part of a border, and it’s a good idea to place at least one nasturtium plant near each melon vine.

Besides helping with pest control, nasturtiums make a nice addition to salads. The leaves and flowers have a zingy flavor that most people find appealing.

Radishes

If you love radishes, you’re in luck! These wonderful, fast-growing edibles make excellent weed-preventing ground cover between melons and other plants, and they can be grown all summer long if you like. To grow radishes and melons together, simply sow your radish seeds according to the directions on the packet, and thin them when seedlings emerge. Harvest the radishes when they’re ready to eat, and plant more seeds in their place. Consider growing radishes with melons even if you aren’t a huge fan of their spicy flavor. This humble root vegetable is one of the best plants for repelling cucumber beetles and squash borers.

Melon Companion Plants to Avoid

Now that you know which companion plants are best for melons, here’s a quick list of plants to keep at a distance:

  • Citron melons
  • Cucumbers
  • Potatoes
  • Sage
  • Squash (all varieties)
  • Zucchini

7 More Ways to Help Melons Thrive

While it’s very helpful to choose beneficial companion plants for melons, there are a few other steps you can take to ensure healthy plants.

1. Water, Water, Water!

Melons need lots of water, especially while fruit is actively growing. Because water from sprinklers can contribute to fungal growth, it’s a good idea to use a drip watering system or a system of soaker hoses instead. Set up your watering system early in the year so vines can grow over them.

2. Mulch

Mulch around plants to reduce weeds and help soil retain moisture. Many gardeners consider black plastic or landscape fabric to be the best mulch for melons; however, a light layer of newspaper or lawn clippings will work well too.

3. Fertilize

When melon plants are 12 inches long, apply ¼ cup of 5-10-10 fertilizer to each plant, burying it in a furrow 12 inches from the stalk. Repeat the process as soon as you notice the melons flowering.

4. Ladybugs

Buy ladybugs and praying mantises to add to your garden. These beneficial insects will help reduce the number of pests.

5. Visual Inspections

Visually inspect melon plants frequently, watching for adult pests as well as the eggs and larvae of squash bugs and squash vine borers. Vacuum or pick off insect pests if you’d rather not use insecticide, and be sure to destroy eggs and larvae as soon as you notice them.

6. Pollinate

Hand-pollinate to ensure that more female flowers set fruit.

7. Rotate

Rotate the location of your melon patch annually. Legumes such as beans or peas are ideal for melon crop rotation.

With just a little bit of effort and the help of beneficial companion plants, you should enjoy a bountiful melon harvest year after year.