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You are here: Home / Companion Planting / Best Companion Plants For Tomatoes

Best Companion Plants For Tomatoes

in Companion Planting, Gardening, Tomatoes, Vegetable Gardening on 02/02/24

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Table of Contents

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  • What Is Companion Planting?
  • Does Companion Planting Work?
  • Best Tomato Companion Plants
  • Avoid These Bad Tomato Companion Plants
  • Tomato Growing Success Tips
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Tomatoes are one of the most common garden vegetables. Since they’re relatively easy to grow, they’re great for beginning home gardeners!

You can elevate your tomato growing by companion planting.

someone harvesting tomatoes in the garden
By planting tomatoes with different companion plants, you can boost their production and prevent pests.

If you grow tomatoes side by side with specific other plants, it can help:

  • reduce pests
  • increase their production
  • enhance flavor
  • attract beneficial insects
  • avoid diseases

in your vegetable garden.

But have you wondered what plants to grow with your tomatoes to grow healthier plants and maximize harvests?

Learn effective tomato plant pruning techniques to increase yields and maintain plant health.

How To Prune Tomato Plants

What Is Companion Planting?

Companion planting is the practice of growing specific vegetables, flowers, and/or herbs alongside other plants.

By planting the best companion plants for your tomatoes, it can:

  • improve their health
  • provide pest control
  • enhance nutrient uptake
  • encourage pollination

Does Companion Planting Work?

There are studies show that companion planting can significantly reduce pests in the garden.

According to a study conducted in 2020:

Planting side by side is linked to greater ecological resilience. Interplanting of diverse plants have been used for thousands of years to improve the health of gardens and farm fields.

Springer Link
someone holding big tomatoes harvested
Companion planting boosts the growth of your plants.

Best Tomato Companion Plants

Fortunately, tomatoes have a lot of friends in terms of companion planting.

Here are the great companion plants, herbs, and flowers that you should start planting with your tomatoes:

  • Asparagus
  • Basil plants
  • Bell peppers
  • Buckwheat
  • Bush beans
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cilantro
  • Chard
  • Chickweed
  • Chives
  • Crimson Clover
  • Cosmos
  • Coneflower
  • Cowpeas
  • Cucumber
  • Dandelion greens
  • Garlic
  • Lemon balm
  • Lettuce
  • Marigold
  • Mint
  • Mustard greens
  • Nasturtium
  • Oat
  • Onion
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
  • Peas
  • Peppers
  • Radish
  • Sage
  • Scallion
  • Squash
  • Sunflower
  • Sweet alyssum
  • Thyme
  • Wildflower blends
  • Winter rye
  • Yarrow

Discover the best methods for growing peas from seed in your backyard garden.

Learn the essential steps for pea plant care to ensure a healthy and bountiful harvest.

Avoid These Bad Tomato Companion Plants

One of the risks of companion planting is planting tomatoes with other vegetables and crops that can reduce their growth.

This is due to the fact that they are too much in competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight.

While tomatoes are fairly easy going, these are the plants you should avoid planting near your tomatoes:

  • Broccoli
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Corn
  • Collards
  • Dill
  • Eggplant
  • Fennel
  • Kale
  • Potatoes
  • Walnut trees
Someone fertilizing their garden
Add fertilizer to your tomato plants for them to get all the nutrients that they need.

Tomato Growing Success Tips

Now that you know the best companion plants for your tomatoes, you may also want to follow these tips to make sure you’ll have success growing them.

Avoid Crowding Seedlings

If you’re starting tomatoes from seeds, give the seedlings plenty of room for their roots to branch out.

Start thinning the seedlings by snipping the weaker, smaller ones to give more room for the best growers.

Give Them Plenty Of Light

For them to thrive, the tomato seedlings need strong and direct sunlight.

If you don’t have enough sunlight in your garden, especially during the winter season, make sure to use artificial plant lighting for 14 to 18 hours a day indoors.

Learn the best techniques for growing Brussels sprouts from seed to harvest.

The Ultimate Guide To Growing Brussels Sprouts From Seed To Harvest

Preheat The Soil

Tomatoes love heat. Unless the soil temperature and air circulation remain warm, they won’t start to grow.

Speed up the growth period of your plants by covering the planting area with a red or black plastic for a couple of weeks before you transfer the seedlings into the soil.

Mulch. Mulch. Mulch.

Mulching conserves water. It’s also a great way to prevent garden pests, one of the most common problems when planting, like:

  • green stink bugs
  • tomato hornworms
  • spider mites
  • tomato worms
  • parasitic wasps

from harming your tomatoes.

To ensure healthy tomatoes, it’s a good idea to add mulch to your beds.

Water Regularly

When the fruits are starting to develop, always water deeply and regularly.

Irregular watering can lead to root rot, burst tomatoes, and a whole other host of problems.

Make sure your plants get at least 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week and more during the hottest parts of the year to maintain healthy soil moisture.

Feed Them Well

The tastiest tomatoes result from getting all the nutrients they need.

Other than applying organic matter to your soil, also apply a slow-release organic fertilizer or liquid feeds that are specifically formulated for tomatoes during their growing season.

You Might Also Like: How To Prevent Tomato Worms

Tomato Hornworms How To Prevent & Deal With Them In The Garden

Tomatoes are eager to please and benefit from companion planting.

There are a lot of benefits of companion planting. With this method, you can diversify your garden while boosting the resilience of your tomato plants to increase the production by planting beneficial plant combinations.

It also boosts the flavor of tomatoes and prevents pests and diseases.

Companion planting tomatoes will bring a better and tastier harvest.  Find out what to plant and what NOT to plant with your tomatoes.  Click through NOW...


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Hi! I'm Dian, a wife of 30+ years, Mom to 4 grown kids, "Nana" to 8, and a Master Gardener. I LOVE reality shows & vegetable gardening & talking about both. You can read more here

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