Companion planting
Friendly neighbors and a few combinations to give extra space. Pairs with What can I grow? when you are sketching beds. For fallow gaps and soil recovery, see cover crops.
Type
Crop focus
Benefit
- Cucumber & radishPair
Cucumbers · Radishes
Radishes mark rows and mature fast while cucumbers warm up; radishes can flag soil crusting issues early.
- Avoid: vegetables under black walnutAvoid
Nightshades / cucurbits (many) · Black walnut canopy / roots
Juglone from walnut roots and litter harms many vegetables. Map walnut driplines and keep food beds outside that zone or use raised beds with barriers—research your species.