What Not to Plant Near Pumpkins? Plants to Avoid Nearby

Pumpkins are known for their decoration and cooking. To ensure the pumpkins in your garden thrive, you must be mindful of its neighbor’s plants.

While planting your pumpkins in your garden, you must avoid planting certain plants near them because they may compete with them for nutrients and water and cause them to grow improperly. They may also attract pests and other dangerous insects, leading to diseases.

Below, we listed and explain what not to plant by pumpkins. I made that list myself according to my experience, so let’s get to it without wasting time.

What Not to Plant with Pumpkins

Every plant has some companion plants that give some benefit to the pumpkins and their plants. During the process of planting pumpkins, you should avoid planting near pumpkins because they will affect the growth of pumpkins.

Below, we briefly explain what not to plant next to pumpkins, so let’s hop in.

Brassicas

Brassicas is a plant class that contains vegetables like, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc. The reason you should not plant near pumpkins is that they are heavy feeders of nutrients, especially nitrogen, which then not only causes competition for pumpkins but also causes nutrient deficiency in both plants.

They both fight for nutrients, and as a result, the pumpkin starts having yellow leaves, reduces the size of the pumpkins, and sometimes starts rotting from inside. So, you should avoid planting any brassicas near any pumpkin.

Potatoes

Potatoes should also be avoided near pumpkins for three main reasons.

• Potatoes and pumpkins need large amounts of nutrients, leading to nutrient competition.
• Secondly, potatoes attract pests and diseases, which can also spread to pumpkins.
• Both plants can overcrowd one another, reducing their overall yields.

Melons and Other Squash

Melons and other squash are heavy feeders of water and nutrients, just like pumpkins, which makes them compete for nutrients and water, affecting both plants’ fruit. Another possible reason to avoid planting cucurbits is cross-pollination. Planting them close increases the chance of cross-pollination, which, as a result, does not get any proper fruit.

Corn

Corn and pumpkin are not companion plants because both are heavy feeders of nutrients, which can cause competition between them. The corn has a very tall stem; if planted in Front of pumpkin plants, it will deprive them of the required sunlight.

Fennel

Fennel has an allopathic effect on pumpkins. It means that fennel plants release a chemical into the soil, preventing or slowing down nearby plants’ growth, including pumpkins. But if, by some chance, the pumpkin plant grows and reaches its fruiting phase, then it produces very poor fruit. That is why fennel is a bad champion plant, and you should not grow it near any plant, especially pumpkins.

Plants that Attract Pests

what should you not plant near pumpkins? Well, there is a list of plants that attract different types of harmful pests that can badly affect your pumpkins. Those plants include eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, etc. The pests that attract are beetles, whiteflies, and aphides are common.

These pest not only affects the fruits of their companion plants but also affects their leaves, stems, and flowers. You should avoid planting these problematic plants near pumpkins.

Below we have a video demonstration about controlling pest for pumpkins.

FAQs

Conclusion

Just like planting a companion with the plant is important, avoiding problematic plants near your location is important. This is because it causes different complications for the plants to grow to their actual size.

We list all the possible plants to not grow with your pumpkins, but if you have any other problematic plant in mind, please share your experience in a comment below.