• Plant beneficial companions for a better yield of yellow squash.squash image by cherie from Fotolia.com
  
  Yellow squash (Curcurbito pepe var. melopepo) varieties include golden zucchinis and the classic crookneck summer squash along with a large number of new hybrids, each one producing a healthful harvest. Yellow squash are relatively easy to grow and are productive in the summer garden. Planting companion plants for yellow squash can decrease insect damage and increase yields naturally.
  
  

Corn and Beans

• Squash, corn and beans raised together form the traditional garden grown by many Native Americans, who respectfully referred to these three crops as the Three Sisters in honor of their nurturing role in feeding their communities. Regional variations on this combination arose across the United States, with the type of squash, corn and beans grown dependent on local climate and locally available landraces. Garden designer Darrol Shillingburg suggests several combinations that would work for modern gardens, including heirloom Bloody Butcher corn, pole beans, and a vining crookneck squash. The beans will climb the corn stalks and fix nitrate in the soil for the corn and squash, while the squash will act as a living mulch, shading the soil and precluding it from getting too hot or dry for optimal corn growth.
  
  

Melons and Radishes

• Squash is reputed to like melons, according to the Michigan State University Cooperative Extension of Oakland County, reserving the caveat that companion planting is traditional and based on observation, not on proven scientific fact. While squash and melons are both vining plants, they are not of the same family, and neither is a particularly heavy feeder. Try growing one on a vertical trellis and the other on the ground at its feet to act as a living mulch. A few icicle radishes planted in each hill of squash will help deter bugs, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County suggests. Let the radishes go to seed to act as a trap crop for bugs that might otherwise eat the squash.
  
  

Herbs and Flowers

• Several herbs and flowers are reputed to benefit yellow squash in the garden. Borage (Borago officinalis) will deter squash vine worms and improve the harvest's flavor, suggests the Michigan State University Extension. Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) will deter beetles, while nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus var.) will help repel beetles and squash bugs. Nasturtium and borage also both have edible flowers that work well in salads and summer beverages. Oregano (Origanum vulgare) also grows as a companion with yellow squash, blooming above the vines and acting as a general bug deterrent while providing copious amounts of the culinary herb.