Garden planting question

May 18, 2004 6 Replies

I am new to gardening and would like to know if I can plant zucchini and cucumbers in the same raised bed. The bed is about 15 feet long. I am also planting musk melons. I have several raised beds that are about 2 feet apart. I have heard that planting these things close will cause cross pollination and affect the taste of the produce. Thanks Anna


Cross-pollination would only affect what happens when you plant the resulting seeds. The fruit containing those seeds, however, will reflect only the plant on which it is growing. Since you harvest and eat zucchini and cucumbers before the seeds mature (before the fruit ripens), you will not notice any difference. Since you don't eat the melon seeds, you won't notice any difference there either.

This is a myth. Please see this article:

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Thanks for all of the information. I don't plan on saving any seeds this year.

Anna

I don't think its the cross pollination that would affect them, its that they are both not "roots", ie, you might be better off planting the zucchini with onions , or the cucumber with radishes. YMMV

wondering what a zuccumber would taste like or how big you could get a cucumber. My zuchinis are always over a foot long.

take care Liz

Hey! Look what "Anna" wrote :

Hmm...both not roots? My grandma ALWAYS taught me to mix carrot and radish seeds and plant. The radishes would come out first and it would naturally thin the carrots. But maybe there was no "cross-taste" because they ripened at different times.

amy

Well now you tell me! lol... excellent idea!

I think what I was referring to was "companion gardening" - popular? a few years ago.

take care Liz

Hey! Look what Amy D wrote :

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