These plants grow well together with tomatoes for companion planting to help them grow, benefit each other, deter certain pests and get the best tomato crops ever.
Best Companion Plants For Tomatoes That Always Work Well In Any Garden Space
Companion plant allows us for gardening organically, and these plants help each other for maximum growth. It might be a piece of advice from our past generations, but companion planting method sure gives the garden grow for the best harvest and somehow it is one of many ways to provides us with an idea how to garden in a small space.
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Related: 7 Things To Put On Your Tomato Planting Hole
Some herb, flowers, and vegetables are compatibles for tomato companion plants. Herbs can help to improve tomato taste and deter some garden pests, flowers can attract pollinators, and some vegetables get the benefit when it grows close to tomatoes. There are also some plants that need to avoid grow next to tomatoes.
Herbs For Tomato Companion Plantings
Here are some herbs to plant with tomatoes. You can plant them in a group or interplanting between tomato plants.
Basil
Basil is one of the best companion plants for tomatoes, whether in the garden or recipe. Planting basil with tomatoes will increase the flavor of the tomato.
About 2-3 plants per one tomato plant is a good idea, giving a good air circulation for both plants.
Parsley
Just like basil, parsley also improves the flavor of tomato as well as attract hoverflies that is one of beneficial insect to help fight against aphids, thrips, and caterpillars. Tomato plant also provides partial shade for parsley.
Onion, garlic, leeks, and chives
This allium family gives benefits to tomato plants. For example, planting onion with tomatoes repels aphids, carrots flies, ants, and flea beetle. You can also harvest the green onion, spring garlic, garlic scape, and chive flowers for cooking, and these herbs will keep growing.
Keep in mind that chives will take over the garden by self-seed. So, it always a good idea to harvest the flowers before it goes to seeds. But also, chive flowers attract bees and some beneficial insects to help for pollination.
Nasturtium
This plants may self-seed freely and take over the garden, but it deters aphids, whiteflies, and beetles. The flowers are also edible as it has a peppery taste on salad.
Borage
This herb deters tomato hornworm and some soft body pest like aphid or larvae. Borage flowers also attract beneficial insect and pollinators. Borage is an annual plant that looks like a wildflower with the benefit for the garden and it will self-seed freely in the garden.
Flowers For Tomato Companion Plantings
Here are some flowers to plant with tomatoes. You can interplant them in between tomato plants or a border around the vegetable garden.
Marigold and Calendula
Although calendula has different looks, it also called marigold (pot marigold to be exact), and it is the same family with marigold (Tagetes) from Asteraceae. Both flowers are edible, but calendula most commonly used for medicinal purpose and essential oil.
Tomato and marigold are like the best pair growing in the garden. Marigold benefits tomatoes that repel harmful nematodes, mosquitoes, aphids, thrips, tomato hornworms, whiteflies, and beetles.
Marigold and calendula also attract beneficial insects and pollinators and give the beautiful garden looks by blooming all summer long.
Marigold is an annual plant that best grows in warm weather, but calendula is a cold hardy plant. Calendula is not perennial in the cold weather area but it will self-seed freely and can grow in cool spring or fall weather as long as there is no snow.
I always get lots of calendula and marigold seedlings popped up in the garden each spring. Luckily, it is easy to move these calendula seedlings around the garden, and they will still be growing fine up to early frost.
Sweet Alyssum
Plant the sweet fragrance alyssum close to the tomato plant. The short growing and spreading habit of alyssum will keep the soil from drying out that tomato plant needs without being soggy.
The sweet fragrance also attracts the beneficial insect and pollinators for tomatoes. Keep in mind that flea beetle also loves alyssum plant and this flower may self-seed in the garden so that you will expect some volunteer seedlings in the following spring.
Because of their spreading habit without taking over the garden, sweet alyssum is an excellent plant for edging in the garden and one of the frost-tolerant plants.
Vegetables For Tomato Companion Plantings
Here are vegetables that grow well together with tomatoes. Some of these vegetables will keep the soil around the base of tomato plants cool and moist.
Carrot
Carrot is a good companion plant for tomatoes. Carrots grow well in cold weather, and the root system will give extra air circulation for the tomato plant’s root.
Include carrots for tomato companion plants to help each other grow. In addition, you can get this famous book called Carrots Love Tomatoes as a reference for vegetable gardening.
Related: 10 Best Tips For Growing Carrots
Spinach
Spinach grows well in cold weather make it one of the early vegetable you can plant in the spring or early fall with extra protection from frost.
Spinach will go to seed or bolting in the heat. Tomato plants provide natural shade and prevent the spinach go bolting early.
Lettuce
Just like spinach, lettuce also grows well in cold weather and shade as well as a space saver before it is time to plant the tomato in the garden. Tomato plant provides natural shade for lettuce and spinach.
Plants To Avoid Growing Next To Tomatoes
There are some plants good for tomato companion plants. But there also some plant need to avoid to grow next to each other.
Brassica family
Cabbage, cauliflowers, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussel sprouts are some of the brassica’s family. These plants inhibit tomato growth.
Corn
This plant will compete for moisture and corn attracts tomato hornworm/corn earworm.
Fennel and Dill
While young dill is fine next to tomato, but it is better to pick it as soon as it grows into maturity. Dill and fennel inhibit the tomato growth.
Potato
This root vegetable is the same family as the tomato. Potato is susceptible to early and late blight.
Peppers
While I have no problem growing peppers close to tomatoes, but it is a good idea to space out tomato from chili/pepper plants. I found it lots of whiteflies like to populate close to pepper plants. It also better for air circulation that tomato plant needed and prevented overcrowding the planting area.
More Tips To Grow Tomatoes
- Best Early Tomato Varieties
- Best Heirloom Tomato Varieties For Your Garden
- How To Root Tomato Plants from Cuttings
- Tissue Paper Rolls For The Garden
- Fish Emulsion For Growing Tomatoes
- What To Do With Tomato Plant Suckers
- Growing Tomatoes In A Container
Companion planting gives lots of benefits to the garden. It allows us to grow garden organically.
It also allows us to use the limited space in the garden for the maximum harvest. If there are too many green tomatoes at the end of the growing season, you can always ripe these tomatoes indoors.
I am just starting to plant my spring garden!! Perfect timing! Thank you so much!!
Oh so early, you are so lucky, Holly, I hope it help you with the gardening.
This is a great resource for gardening! I’m looking forward to our spring garden in a few months!
Thank you, glad it can help you with the gardening list, we are in deep winter here too, spring will be in April, hopefully
More people need to be aware of what to plant with tomatoes and what not to plant beside tomatoes.
Agreed, homegrown tomatoes is the best, fresh and juicy!
I’m planting a garden for the first time this spring. This post was super helpful and I can’t wait to use the guide as well!
Oh so excited, gardening is fun, lots of learning but rewarding.
I’ve never had a garden, but I’ll keep this post in mind for when I do. Fresh basil is sooooo yummy and fragrant!
You don’t have to build a big garden, container or balcony garden still produce good amount of veggies you need.
Oh I am so excited. I’ve been growing basil by my tomatoes for years, but thanks to your article I’m going to try parsley and calendula this year! Thank you.
I love calendula, easy to grow, beautiful flower and they will self seed freely, so it will save your time to plant them for the following season.
I have always wanted to plant my own tomatoes. Thankfully I have family and friends who share from their gardens, and we have fresh vegetable markets close by. Maybe one day! I’m glad to learn that marigolds repel mosquitoes!
Lucky you got family and friends who shares their produce, marigold is like a warrior in the garden.
This is so helpful! I’ve decided to try to grow some veggies this year, mainly for an educational experience for my boys! Knowing the right companions to keep away the pests is super helpful!
Thank you, glad it can help. Kids will also like to plant those easy marigold seeds by them self, gardening with kids is so much fun!
I love adding beneficial flowers to my garden. I always plant marigolds throughout the garden — especially near my tomato plants. I think I’ll add some sweet alyssum to my edges this year. I’ve been looking for a flowering plant to edge my garden so I don’t have to weed as much!
Love alyssum, and the bees love this plant so much, bonus you will get the sweet honey scent from this low growing plant.
I like the ideal planting herbs with tomatoes I tried carrots last year and he did not go well I’m gonna look into it, thanks for sharing this this
I like to plant herb in between tomatoes, for beneficial planting, also space saver.