Is there anything better than plucking a vine ripened tomato straight from the garden and making a fresh salad or sandwich? In this post, we will go over what to plant with tomatoes for maximum harvest and to deepen the flavour of your tomatoes. Let’s dive in!
When I first started my gardening journey, I was so excited to start growing tomatoes so I could can up salsa, tomato sauce, ketchup and more. What I didn’t know is that what you plant next to tomatoes is just as important!
Some plants will help keep pests away. Some will enhance your tomato flavour and some will increase the health of your tomato plants, thereby increasing how many you get from them.
Unfortunately, the opposite is also true and there are 5 plants you should NEVER grow with tomatoes. We will cover those here too.
This post is all about what to plant with tomatoes.
15 Plants you should always grow with tomatoes
1. Marigolds
Marigolds are the king (or queen!) of companion planting. They are excellent companion plants to almost everything (except beans!) Here is why you should plant them with your tomatoes:
Marigolds are excellent pest deterrents and can repel the tomato hornworm, whiteflies, thrips and nematodes.
Marigolds also attract helpful pollinators such as bees to pollinate your tomatoes for large yields!
2. Zinnias
Zinnias are excellent tomato companion plants mainly because they have similar growth and soil requirements so they can thrive together. They add a splash of colour to your garden but most importantly for tomatoes, they attract pollinators which are essential for a good tomato harvest.
As a side note, zinnias are a great addition to any garden as they make beautiful bouquets of cut flowers!
3. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are gorgeous in a garden and can offer a quaint focal piece to your garden. They are also very beneficial for tomato plants as they do 3 main things.
- They will attract pollinators into your garden that will pollinate your tomatoes, leading to a greater yield.
- They can be an excellent trap crop for stink bugs or aphids which like to feast on tomatoes.
- They can provide some stability for indeterminate tomatoes as they can grow very tall and will require external supports. While sunflowers can provide some support, I would not rely solely on them and would instead, focus on an effective tomato trellis system with a background support of sunflowers.
4. Calendula
Calendula is delightfully easy to grow in your garden and besides being beautiful, it also helps tomatoes in a few ways.
- Calendula attracts a variety of pollinators and also predatory insects to feed on tomato pests.
- Unfortunately for calendula it is the perfect trap crop. Aphids love it and will hopefully be drawn to it instead of your tomatoes.
5. Chives
Chives are delicious but they are also very strongly scented. This is exactly why they are the perfect companion to your tomatoes. Their strong smell will repel aphids, and mites keeping your tomatoes strong and healthy.
Chives require similar growing conditions to tomatoes such as full sun and moist, well drained soil. They are easy to grow and are said to improve the flavour of tomatoes.
6. Basil
Basil is delightful and adds so much flavour to your food. The same can be true to tomatoes. It is said that growing basil next to tomatoes will enhance the flavour of your tomatoes and I have found that to be true.
Basil will repel pests such as aphids, tomato hornworms and whiteflies due to their strong odour.
Finally, both tomato and basil require similar conditions to thrive so you can grow more in less space!
7. Oregano
Since oregano can have a strong smell, it is perfect to confuse potential pests. This is a natural pest deterrent.
Oregano and oregano oil is also a natural pesticide/ insecticide to the cabbage butterfly or cucumber beetle.
Some people find oregano enhances the flavour of their tomatoes.
8. Parsley
Parsley is a wonderful companion plant to tomatoes as it will attract hover flies to lay their eggs on parsley leaves. The hoverflies will in turn eat aphids and thrips.
Parsley can also act as a living mulch that keeps the moisture in the soil. Since it is low to the ground, you can plant it in between your tomatoes for a thriving ecosystem!
9. Thyme
Similar to oregano and basil, the strong smell of thyme will mask the scent of tomatoes, confusing pests.
Similar to parsley, thyme is low to the ground and can provide excellent ground cover, locking moisture in.
Thyme is easy to grow and is said to improve the flavour of tomatoes.
10. Cilantro
Cilantro has a very strong odour that can mask the smell of tomatoes, confusing potential pests.
Cilantro can also attract parasitic wasps that feed on hornworms and other tomato pests.
In turn, tomato will provide shelter for cilantro which prefers cool weather and can bolt to seed early if it gets too warm.
11. Dill
You may or may not have heard dill can be both a beneficial crop to grow with tomatoes, but it can also be disruptive. Let me explain further.
When dill is young and tender, it will attract wasps which will devour any horn worms you may have growing on your tomatoes. Dill will also attract ladybugs which will feast on aphids.
The downside of growing dill with tomatoes is that you will have to prune it often to prevent it from going to seed. Once is goes to seed, it will take the nutrients away from your precious tomatoes so this may be an experienced gardeners tomato companion plant.
If you really want to grow dill with tomatoes, consider growing it in a container next to your tomatoes!
12. Radish
Unfortunately for radishes, they are the perfect sacrificial crop. Flea beetles tend to be attracted to radishes and will typically swarm them instead of your precious tomatoes.
If you are looking to keep your tomatoes safe from flea beetles, you should consider planting radishes as a sacrifice plant.
Similar to carrots, radishes will help aerate the soil under tomatoes, giving the tomatoes plenty of loose, nutrient rich soil to thrive in.
Radishes are also amazing to plant next to tomatoes as they are a quick growing crop and can be planted and harvested within a month. This means you can grow radishes and then plant another round or another plant entirely!
13. Beans
Beans and tomatoes make great companions as beans are a soil nitrogen fixer. They make nitrogen readily available for tomatoes to grow.
When beans make the nitrogen available, it is acting similar to a fertilizer which means you have to rely less on other fertilizing methods.
14. Carrots
Carrots are a great companion plant to tomatoes as their roots will aerate the soil, making it light and fluffy for tomatoes to thrive.
Some people believe that planting carrots next to tomatoes will improve the flavour of tomatoes.
Finally, carrots and tomatoes do not compete for nutrients or resources so they can each thrive together.
15. Garlic
The strong smell of garlic can be a great deterrent to pests such as the spider mite and root maggots which love tomato plants.
Some people also believe planting garlic next to tomatoes will enhance the flavour of tomatoes.
Now that we know the top 15 plants, here are 5 plants you should NEVER grow with tomatoes
1. Fennel
Fennel is one plant that literally goes with nothing. It likes to be on its own and can severely inhibit the growth of anything you plant it with.
There are a few reasons you do not want to plant fennel with tomatoes.
- Fennel can secret chemicals that can stunt the growth of tomatoes. I do not want anything next to my tomatoes that will prevent their growth potential!
- Fennel attracts aphids that can suck the life from your tomato plant.
- Both tomatoes and fennel are heavy feeders and require a lot of nutrients to thrive. If you want to plant fennel, keep it far away from your garden!
2. Cabbage
Both cabbage and tomato require a lot of nutrients to thrive so they can compete with each other and the tomatoes can starve.
Cabbage may also have allelopathic properties which means it can release a substance that causes brown spots, small plants and nutrient deficiencies.
3. Broccoli
Broccoli and tomatoes do not have the same diseases or pests but they are both heavy feeders and require a lot of nutrients. They will both compete for calcium specifically, leading to stunted growth for both.
4. Nightshades (Eggplant, Peppers, Potato)
Tomatoes are also part of the nightshade family which means that planting them next to other night shades such as potato, eggplant or peppers, means they are susceptible to the same pests and diseases (mainly blight.)
Most nightshades require similar growing conditions and nutrients so they can start to compete for nutrients leading to lower yields for both plants.
5. Rosemary
While rosemary and tomatoes are not direct competitors for nutrients, they both have very different nutrient needs.
Tomatoes like nutrient rich, moist soil to thrive and rosemary has very little nutrient needs. Rosemary likes dry soil so if you plant them together neither one will thrive in the perfect conditions for the other.
Thank you for reading!
There you have it! A full guide on what to plant with tomatoes. If you liked this, you may also like these other gardening posts…
Growing tomatoes from seed- a step by step guide
How much does a tomato plant produce and how many should you grow?