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Why Companion Planting Is The Answer To Growing Successful Zucchini
By LAUREN KRYSTAF
Zucchini is a famously productive crop, and while it’s easy to grow alone, using companion planting — such as growing beans alongside them — can improve their health even more.
Beans benefit nearby plants due to their connection with the bacteria Rhizobia, which turns atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by plants and increases its amount in the soil.
It may initially be less clear what zucchini brings to the relationship, but their large leaves can help to shade out weed seedlings, providing less competition for the beans.
Both beans and zucchini are warm-season annuals that appreciate fertile, well-draining soil and full sun. Beans can thrive in USDA zones 2-11, and zucchini are hardy in zones 3-11.
Beans and zucchini both come in vine or bush varieties. While bush varieties don’t need climbing structures, climbing and vining types can grow more plants in less space.
Instead of using a trellis to support climbing and vining varieties, plant sunflowers for your beans and squash to climb. The large flowers will also draw pollinators to your yard.
Alternatively, try the three-sisters method of gardening, used throughout the Americas for centuries, by planting squash and beans near corn so its stalks can provide structure.