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 oregano, basil, 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: