Melons and gourds include watermelon, melon and pumpkin. This is one of the most useful plants: their fruits are rich in vitamins, trace elements, organic acids and sugars. At the same time, they have excellent taste. It is known that crop yields depend not only on weather and the level of agricultural technology, but also on how well the planting site is chosen, which crops grow in the neighborhood. This also applies to melons.
Watermelon and melon are heat-loving plants, high and stable crops can be obtained only in the southern regions of Russia. Although some amateur gardeners successfully grow these crops even in the north of the Non-Black Earth region. Pumpkin is more cold-resistant, and it can be grown in most of Russia.
Neither trees nor shrubs should grow near watermelons, melons, or even pumpkins on the south, east, or west. The fact is that these cultures are very photophilous, they react poorly even to moderate shading. Choose an open, well-lit area for them (only not in the lowland).
Keep in mind that gourds are very spreading, that is, as their lashes grow, they will capture everything around. Therefore, close to them should not be planted undersized crops with a long ripening period. But such greens as spinach, salad, dill (from early ripe varieties) will be just right. By the time the lash of melons grow, you will have time to take the crop. In addition, they are considered good neighbors for gourds. Parsley should not be planted, since it itself suffers from the neighborhood of melons, and negatively affects them.
Near the borders of the melon, it is also advisable to plant a black radish. Phytoncides secreted by it scare the spider mite - a pest of many cultures. Some experienced gardeners also advise planting tomatoes, claiming that they scare away pests such as aphids, fires and sawflies.
To protect the melons from cooling along the northern border of the area occupied by these crops, plant corn. The dense row of its shoots will reliably block the flow of cold air on the ground. If for some reason you cannot or do not want to plant corn, plant beans, beans or peas. Of course, they will not be able to form such a dense wall as corn, but they will give some protection against the cold. Moreover, legumes are considered good neighbors for melons.
