Tomatoes can be a challenge to grow, thanks to soil-borne diseases and pests. But there are natural ways to combat these, and one simple method is to give your tomatoes companion plants.
Farmers have been intercropping—also known as interplanting—for centuries. It’s the technique of pairing plants together that complement each other. Some plants aid in each other’s growth, for example, while others deter insects. Here are some ways to use this technique with tomatoes.
Planting Companion Plants
Intercropping with your tomatoes can be done in the ground or in raised beds. You can plant in rows or intermixed.
Mixing plants mimics nature. According to Homes & Gardens, if you build diversity into your garden, it becomes an ecosystem. It can then handle many problems on its own.
Flowers Are a Great Addition
Flowers are a beautiful touch to a tomato garden, especially if you have raised beds. Some flowers that do well with tomatoes are calendula, cosmos, and zinnias. These are composite flowers from the daisy family. Composite flowers mean the center of each flower is actually made up of smaller flowers, which pollinators love.
Marigolds planted near tomatoes help repel pests such as aphids and whiteflies with their strong scent. (Oksana Bokhonok/Shutterstock)
According to Lucie Bradley of UK-based Easy Garden Irrigation, marigolds are also an excellent composite flower for tomatoes. “Marigolds are beneficial to your tomatoes as they both attract and repel different insects,” she told The Epoch Times. “The strong scent of marigolds also deters many insects [that] are attracted to tomato plants, including aphids, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies.”
As with many flowers, there are different types of marigolds. “If you want to interplant close to your tomato plants, select the smaller types,” Bradley said. “If you prefer to plant them along the edge of a bed of tomatoes, go for one of the taller varieties.”
Nasturtiums are another useful flower. “Nasturtiums can be used as a ‘trap crop,’ which will attract aphids and whiteflies to them,” Bradley said, “protecting your tomato plants from these sap-sucking insects.”
They’re also a natural deterrent against the fungal diseases to which tomatoes are prone, including blight and leaf spot. These diseases thrive in warm, wet environments.
Nasturtiums grown alongside tomatoes “can help to improve air circulation, reducing the buildup of humidity and making it harder for these moisture-loving diseases to thrive,” Bradley said.
Herbs That Befriend Tomato Plants
Who hasn’t mixed basil with tomatoes when cooking? It’s a true companion to tomatoes in the kitchen, and it can also help them in the garden.
According to Bradley, basil acts as a pest repellent and “will help to keep aphids, spider mites, thrips, and whiteflies away from your plants.”
Thyme is also an ideal companion plant for tomatoes. It has shallow roots, so it won’t compete with the tomatoes’ deeper root systems. It also leaves nutrients and moisture in the soil.
“Creating a dense ground cover will prevent the soil from drying out,” Bradley said, “and as thyme has only moderate watering needs, most will be available for the water-greedy tomatoes to benefit from.”
Thyme’s strong scent also deters pests that destroy tomatoes, including aphids, blackflies, whiteflies, and hornworms.
“Thyme is also believed to improve the flavor of tomatoes when grown in the same soil,” Bradley said.
Both basil and thyme also attract natural pollinators such as bees. With the increase in pollination, you’ll have higher yields.
Tomatoes grow well with basil, thyme, and other herbs. (Kristen S/Shutterstock)
Vegetables That Work Well With Tomatoes
Some vegetables can be used as sacrificial plants. For example, plant radishes if your tomatoes are plagued by flea beetles. The flea beetle will always go for the radish. You’ll lose the radish, but the tomato will be saved.
Beans are a great companion plant for tomatoes. According to Park Seed, tomatoes are heavy nitrogen users and will leave the soil depleted by the season’s end. Beans can fix that because they constantly replenish the nitrogen in the soil.
Plant the bush beans south of the tomatoes so they won’t be shaded by the tomato plants. Conversely, pole beans will grow taller than tomatoes and should be planted behind them. If you do plant pole beans, keep them far enough away so they won’t become entangled with the tomatoes.
Carrots and tomatoes work well together. The carrot’s long root breaks up the soil. This allows the tomatoes’ roots to receive more water and oxygen. The tomatoes will shade the carrots and extend their season. Tomatoes also give off solanine, which deters carrots’ common pests.
Garlic helps tomatoes fight off red spider mites.
Combining flowers, herbs, and vegetables with tomatoes mimics natural ecosystems and strengthens the garden’s resilience. (Joanne Dale/Shutterstock)
Plants to Avoid
Don’t plant corn with tomatoes. Corn attracts the corn worm and the hornworm. Keep them far apart.
There are other plants that also harm tomatoes. For example, cabbage, broccoli, and kohlrabi will stunt tomatoes’ growth and should not be planted near them. Eggplant should also be planted separately from tomatoes since they can both fall victim to early and late blight.
Buddy Up
To sum up, you can protect your tomatoes and add a touch of color by using flowers. This especially looks nice if you have raised beds. By planting herbs or vegetables with your tomatoes, you can help them thrive, increase your usage of land, and potentially double your food yield.
