Plant Zucchini Next To These Vegetables For The Best Harvest

Most activities in life are better if you have a friend by your side, and growing zucchini is no exception. Before you can experience the mouthwatering delights that are zucchini bread or three-ingredient vegan air-fried zucchini, you ought to grow them in your garden. Luckily, growing zucchini is neither challenging nor expensive, and doing it well means that you'll be rewarded with a bumper crop of fat, green veggies that can keep you happy all year long.

Like you, zucchini wants a friend — technically, what we call a "companion plant." Companion planting is a technique utilized by both professional and amateur gardeners in which complementary plants are grown together because one benefits the other, or they exist in symbiosis. There are a few reasons you might want to turn to companion planting: it's inexpensive (usually), it doesn't rely on harsh chemicals in your garden (and can even avoid the use of them entirely), and you get double the goodness in your garden. There's a clever reason to plant basil and tomatoes together in your garden, for instance, as they benefit each other's development.

For zucchini, one the best companion plants are beans. Any legumes will work great, but bush beans are especially helpful. Beans are nitrogen-fixers, which means that they boost the nitrogen content of the soil. Zucchini are "heavy feeders" that require lots of nitrogen (among many other nutrients) to grow big and strong. By growing beans next to your zucchini plants, you might be able to avoid commercial fertilizers ... although we've also heard great things about repurposing leftover potato water in your garden for the same reason.

Planting beans near your zucchini babies will boost the life-giving nitrogen in the soil, true, but that's not the only reason to jump on this hack. Because beans — and especially the bush beans we mentioned — are shrubby and grow low to the ground, they can crowd out weeds that might otherwise threaten your zukes. There's also evidence that bush beans in particular can deter vermin like beetles that might want to munch on your growing zucchini.

Beans are a superior companion plant for zucchini, but they aren't alone in the category. The potent taste and odor of garlic have benefits, too, as its sulfur compounds might repel insects, and the taste can actually boost the flavor profile of your zucchini sharing soil with them. Or how about some crisp green lettuce, which enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with zucchini? The blooming leaves of the lettuce, which is low to the ground, act like umbrellas over the soil and trap moisture, meaning you don't have to worry about watering as often. Meanwhile, the higher growth of zucchini leaves protects the lettuce from above. Oregano, an herb garden favorite, also offers multiple benefits to zucchini. The rich smell scares off insects, and the delicious flavor may be absorbed to some extent by your zucchini.

When you're growing zucchini this summer, give it a friend or two. Not because your plant(s) will be lonely, but because you'll be doing it a favor by boosting favorable growing conditions! Plus, as a bonus, you'll have even more garden goodies to enjoy come harvest season. Sounds like a win-win to us.