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Growing the best plants under your tomatoes can make a big difference in your garden. By planting the right companions, you can boost your tomato harvest and keep pests away. Ideal plants to grow under tomatoes include basil, parsley, and marigolds. These not only help with pest control but also improve the flavor and health of your tomatoes. For example, basil can deter thrips and improve the taste of your tomatoes. Parsley attracts ladybugs that feast on harmful pests like aphids and hornworm eggs. Marigolds can keep away slugs, worms, and root-knot nematodes, helping your tomatoes thrive. You can make your garden more efficient and productive by choosing these companions. You may also want to try leafy greens like lettuce. Lettuce acts as a living mulch, keeping the soil cool and reducing disease spread. By optimizing what grows near your tomatoes, you can take your gardening to the next level. Key Takeaways Certain plants can improve tomato growth and health. Companion plants can deter pests and attract beneficial insects. Leafy greens like lettuce provide extra benefits as living mulch. The Basics of Companion Planting Companion planting is a fun and useful skill that can make your garden thrive. It’s all about picking the right plants to grow next to each other for better growth and fewer pests. Benefits of Companion Planting Companion planting can really help boost the health and growth of your plants. For example, marigolds can protect tomatoes by keeping harmful bugs away. Some plants give off scents that pests don’t like. Others attract good bugs, like bees, which help with pollination. This means more flowers and fruit for your tomatoes! Certain plants also help each other get the right nutrients from the soil. For example, beans can pull nitrogen from the air and put it into the ground. Tomatoes love nitrogen, so they grow better if beans are nearby. This is why picking the right pairs of plants is so important. Principles of Companion Selection When thinking about companion planting, the first thing I do is look at what each plant needs. Tomatoes, for example, like a lot of sun and soil rich in nutrients. Plants like basil and carrots grow well under tomatoes because they enjoy similar conditions. Basil is great as it can help improve the taste of tomatoes. I also avoid planting tomatoes near plants that might compete for the same resources or attract pests. For instance, putting tomatoes next to cabbage is a bad idea. Cabbage can bring pests that could harm the tomatoes. By following these basic rules, you can create a garden where plants help each other thrive. Tomato Friends: Best Companion Plants https://www.youtube.com/embed/KqG7BAfJQWA Tomatoes grow best with certain plants that help repel pests, improve soil, and boost growth. In this section, I'll share which herbs, flowers, and vegetables are the top companions for tomatoes. Herbs That Help Tomatoes Thrive Basil is one of the best herbs to plant near tomatoes. Its strong scent deters pests like thrips that can harm your tomatoes. Plus, basil can improve the flavor of the tomatoes. Parsley also pairs well with tomatoes. It attracts beneficial insects, which help keep harmful pests at bay. Chives and garlic are great choices, too. These herbs release sulfur, which wards off pests such as aphids and spider mites. Dill can attract predatory insects that target tomato pests, improve growth, and enhance flavor. Planting thyme, sage, and oregano nearby can help deter worms and beetles that can harm your tomatoes. Flowers To Plant Among Tomatoes Marigolds are amazing for tomatoes. They help prevent diseases and deter nematodes, which are tiny worms that can damage tomato roots. Marigolds are super easy to grow and add a lovely splash of color to the garden. Nasturtiums are another flower that gets along well with tomatoes. They repel beetles, aphids, and other pests. Plus, nasturtiums can lure harmful insects away from your tomato plants, acting as a “trap crop.” Borage is a lesser-known flower but also a great companion. It attracts beneficial insects like bees and improves tomato resilience to diseases. Alyssum is another small flower that’s excellent for growing near tomatoes. It attracts hoverflies, which eat aphids and other pests. Vegetable Companions for Tomatoes Carrots can break up soil, allowing tomato roots to grow more freely. They don't compete much for nutrients and can share space well. Lettuce enjoys growing in the shade provided by taller tomato plants. It stays cool and less bitter underneath the tomato leaves. Beans and peas are perfect companions for tomatoes. As legumes, they fix nitrogen in the soil, which tomatoes need. They help enhance soil fertility naturally. Asparagus and tomatoes share benefits too. Asparagus roots can repel nematodes, while tomatoes repel asparagus beetles. Having the right companions can make a big difference in your tomato garden. Happy planting! Advantages Beyond Growth Growing certain plants under tomatoes can bring many benefits. These plants can naturally repel pests and improve soil quality, leading to healthier tomato plants. Natural Pest Control with Plants Tomato plants often face pests like hornworms, aphids, and nematodes. By growing the right companions, you can keep these pests at bay without chemicals. For example, basil is great for repelling hornworms. I always plant it close to my tomatoes. Marigolds help reduce nematodes in the soil. Their strong scent keeps these tiny pests away from my tomato roots. Another good choice is garlic. It helps repel aphids and other harmful insects. I find that planting garlic near my tomatoes means fewer bugs overall. This means healthier plants and tastier tomatoes. Improving Soil Health & Structure Some plants can boost soil health. Legumes, like beans and peas, are nitrogen-fixing plants. They add nitrogen to the soil, which tomatoes love. This means I don’t need to use as much fertilizer. Clover works well as a living mulch. It covers the soil and reduces weeds, keeping my tomato plants healthy. Clover also attracts beneficial insects like pollinators and predatory insects. These insects help keep pests under control and improve pollination. Lastly, planting radishes can help break up compacted soil. The radish roots dig deep, improving soil structure. When I plant radishes around my tomatoes, the soil stays loose, and water drains better. This leads to stronger and more productive tomato plants. Optimizing Your Garden Layout Planning your garden layout is key to making the most of your space and getting a good harvest. Let's look at how to use the space wisely and plant different crops together for better yields. Maximizing Space and Sunlight When I first started gardening, I learned that knowing the size of your garden space is important. Accurate measurements help in planning where to plant things. I like using graph paper to draw my garden layout. It’s handy to label areas that get full sun, part shade, or full shade. In the summer, tomatoes need lots of sun. So, I always make sure to put them in the sunniest spots. Smaller plants like herbs or lettuce can go in the shadier parts. Using vertical space is also smart. Trellises or cages for tomatoes free up ground space. It's like creating a mini jungle with more layers for plants to grow! Strategies for Intercropping Interplanting different crops helps make the most of the garden. I've found that some plants help tomatoes grow better. For instance, growing marigolds around tomatoes is great because they keep pests like slugs and worms away. I also plant nasturtiums nearby. They attract good bugs that eat the bad ones. It's cool how some plants work together, like a team. Making a polyculture garden, where multiple plants grow together, keeps the soil healthy and reduces the need for chemicals. It’s like nature taking care of itself. Don’t forget to think about plant size and root systems when planning intercropping. Taller plants can provide shade and support for shorter ones. It’s all about getting the plants to help each other out, just like good neighbors do. For more detailed planning ideas, check out these garden layout tips from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Specialty Tips and Tricks Growing tomatoes can be even more successful with some handy tips and tricks. Here, I'll cover how to use ground cover and mulch effectively and ways to attract beneficial wildlife to help your plants thrive. Using Ground Cover and Mulch Using ground cover and mulch can help your tomatoes grow better. Ground covers like crimson clover keep the soil moist and prevent weeds. It also adds nitrogen to the soil, which keeps tomatoes healthy. Mulch is another good trick. It keeps the soil from drying out and stops weeds from growing. You can use straw, leaves, or even grass clippings as mulch. This keeps your plants cool and saves you time watering. Marigolds and other plants like radishes are great to plant under tomatoes too. They help protect your tomatoes from pests. French marigolds are especially good because they keep harmful nematodes away from your tomato roots. Attracting Beneficial Fauna Having the right animals in your garden can make a big difference. Bees and other pollinators help your tomato plants produce more fruit. I like to plant sweet alyssum and sunflowers nearby. These flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Ladybugs and lacewings are great for keeping pests away. They eat aphids and other insects that can harm your tomatoes. You can attract them by planting dill or fennel. Putting up a birdhouse is another good idea. Birds will eat caterpillars and other pests. Just make sure the birdhouse is far enough away so the birds don’t eat your tomatoes too. Using these tips, your tomatoes will grow healthy and delicious. This makes gardening more fun and rewarding. Harvesting and Maintenance https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJBF1fIeZgs Taking care of companion plants is as important as growing the tomatoes themselves. Regularly check on your plants to ensure they are healthy and thriving. When and How to Harvest Companion Plants It's important to know when to pick the right plants. Some companion plants, like nasturtiums and marigolds, can be harvested for their flowers. I usually pick the flowers when they are fully open for the best results. This keeps the plant producing more flowers and keeps pests away. Herbs like basil and parsley, which grow well with tomatoes, should be harvested differently. I pinch off the leaves regularly. This helps the plant stay bushy and keeps it from flowering too soon. It's best to harvest herbs in the morning after the dew has dried. This way, they are full of natural oils and flavors. Companion plants can also be harvested for their leaves and stems, which can be used in cooking. For example, basil can be used fresh in recipes or dried for later. Keeping an eye on when to pick these plants helps maintain a healthy garden. Ongoing Care for a Lush Tomato Garden Good care keeps a tomato garden healthy. I start by watering the plants regularly, especially during dry spells. Deep watering encourages the roots to grow strong. It's also vital to mulch around the base of the plants. This keeps the soil moist and cool and reduces weeds. Pruning is another key step. I remove the lower leaves on tomato plants to prevent disease and improve air circulation. This also helps the plant focus energy on producing fruit rather than extra leaves. For companion plants like marigolds, deadheading spent flowers promotes continuous blooming. Fertilizing is important too. I use a balanced fertilizer every few weeks to keep all the plants healthy. This boosts their growth and helps them ward off pests. With a bit of time and effort, maintaining a thriving tomato garden with happy companion plants is simple and rewarding. Frequently Asked Questions https://www.youtube.com/embed/G731euRlCi0 Planting the right crops with tomatoes can boost their growth and keep pests away. Here are some common questions I've been asked about what to plant with tomatoes. Hey there, what's the go-to cover crop to plant with tomatoes? If you're looking to plant a cover crop with tomatoes, consider clover. Clover helps fix nitrogen in the soil, which tomatoes love. Got any hot tips on what to plant together with tomatoes in my container garden? For container gardens, give sweet Alyssum a try. Alyssum attracts good bugs that help keep bad ones away. Plus, it looks really nice! You know what shouldn't go next to my tomato plants, by any chance? Keep tomatoes away from potatoes and corn. Potatoes can spread diseases to tomatoes, and corn tends to attract armyworms that love tomatoes too. I'm curious, what's the best thing to surround my tomato plants with? Basil is great to plant around tomatoes. It improves tomato flavor and helps repel pests like aphids, mites, and mosquitoes. Can you give me the scoop on the best companions for my pepper plants near the tomatoes? Marigolds are fantastic to plant near both tomatoes and peppers. They help repel nematodes and other garden pests. Plus, they add a pop of color to your garden. What should I put under my tomatoes to send those pesky bugs packing? Planting marigolds under your tomatoes is a great idea. Marigolds keep away slugs, worms, and other garden pests while helping to deter root-knot nematodes.