Skip to main content

Cucurbitaceae Family

 

The Cucurbitaceae family, also called the melon family, is a large plant family that includes edible and inedible, herbal and non-herbal members.  Members of this family are sometimes referred to as cucurbits.


Knowing which family a plant belongs to can help you make decisions about crop rotation, companion planting, and other aspects of garden planning.


Be aware that cucurbits can harbor onion thrips, so they are usually bad companions for plants in the Alliaceae (onion/allium) family.  An exception would be chives since thrips do not tend to attack this smaller allium.


On the other hand, plants like oreganobasil, peppermint and other mints, catnip, bee balm, nasturtiums, marigolds, tansy, and radishes can repel the cucumber beetles and squash borers that attack cucurbits.  Planting these near your cucurbits can dramatically reduce the number of these pests, make your hard work more efficient, and increase your harvest.


These are general tips for Cucurbitaceae family members.  Individual species may have specific needs that make some of the above-mentioned plants either good or bad companions that conflict with the advice for the family as a whole.  Check out the species pages below for more information.


The Cucurbitaceae members we have covered so far are as follows, with more being added all the time:




Get your free garden planner!

Get the Plan Ahead! Printable Garden Planner (normally $10) absolutely FREE with email signup. You'll also get our latest content and updates sent directly to your inbox for FREE. Plan your next garden better!

    We respect your privacy. We won't sell your data or send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.









    Popular posts from this blog

    Growing Marshmallow: Quick Facts

    Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the patio, or anywhere else, marshmallow is a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing marshmallow. Jump to: Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | When to Harvest | Ingestibility | Further Reading What  Family  Does Marshmallow Belong To? Marshmallow ( Althea officinalis ) belongs to the Malvaceae family , also known as the mallow family . Some of its relatives include okra, hollyhock, and cacao. What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Marshmallow? The minimum container size recommended for marshmallow is 5 gallons. A 5-gallon bucket or container is usually about 12 inches deep.  But the capacity of the container is important because marshmallow needs to spread out in all directions, not just vert...

    Growing Toothache Plants: Quick Facts

    Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the windowsill, or anywhere else, toothache plants are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family.  Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing toothache plants. This plant is known by a few other common names as well, including spilanthes, electric daisy, buzz buttons, saladcress, jambu, and eyeball plant, among others.  Many of these names were inspired by its rapid numbing action.  See the  Ingestibility  section below for more information. Jump to: Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading What Family Do Toothache Plants Belong To? Toothache plants ( Spilanthes acmella ) belong to the Asteraceae family , also known as the daisy family . Some of their relatives include feverfew , sunflowers ,...

    Welcome to Plant to Plate!

    Welcome to Plant to Plate! We focus on  simple growing tips  and  simple ways to either use the harvest or save it for later . Our gardening facts articles focus on basic facts about growing specific vegetables, fruits, and herbs.  We get right to the point - no anecdotes, essays, or filler content here! Our simple uses articles include simple pairings and other ways to either use the harvest or save it for later.  Harvest time is a busy time, so we keep these simple, straightforward, and easy to find too. Both of these sections are organized alphabetically by plant, so you can find what you need quickly and easily. The further reading articles go into further detail about these and related topics.  We keep them separate from the facts and uses articles so that you can always find those easily. Click here to get the Plan Ahead! printable garden planner completely FREE with email signup! Connect with Plant to Plate on Pinterest here and on Et...