How to Call on Nature to Give You A Desired Tomato Output
Companion Planting is a type of cropping system where plants are grown together for the purpose of improvement. It's more like you mimicking nature.
This practice is highly beneficial to gardeners as these crops when planted together, help each other to increase their productivity and yield level, protect attacks from pests and improve their flavors.
Plants grow better when planted with other crops that have beneficial attributes. Nature understands this and so implements it.
A very common example of the effectiveness of companion planting is the ‘‘Three Sisters’’. This involves the planting of Corn, Beans, and Squash together, as carried out by the Traditional Native Americans.
The Cornstalk provides support for the Beans to climb, while the Beans provide Nitrogen to the Corn, and the Squash maintains moisture by shading the soil and prevents weeds from growing.
According to horticulturists at the University of Nevada, the “sisters” yield more products with higher levels of nutrients when planted together than when planted separately.
Now, before growing your tomatoes close to other crops, there are several factors to consider. These factors will determine the success or failure of your tomatoes. They include, but are not limited to;
2. Efficient spacing
Though companion planting helps to conserve space, the spacing of your plants is of major importance, as some plants may be invasive to others.
You will need to know the space they will be able to occupy to avoid overcrowding, which will lead to competition for nutrients and less passage of sunlight.
3. Nutrient composition
Your farm will need to be comprised of plants that are good companions nutritionally.
This means that they need to be compatible enough not to compete for the same/similar nutrient excessively.
When the nutrients are competed for, proper growth will be impossible.
4. Protection and support to other companion plants
It is best when plants that can help others grow better, by granting support for climbing, aiding healthy growth by trapping and providing the right nutrients to the soil, and coverage from pests and excessive sunlight, are made companions.
5. Weed control
There are plants that can act as a weed if not properly controlled.
In seeking companions, grow more plants that will act more as good companions rather than as weed in the long run.
6. Soil protection
In as much as you are interested in the best companion for your farm, also give priority to the effect these plants will have on the soil.
Go for plants that will prevent water loss by giving shade to the soil, and will help improve the soil composition.
Period of growth of tomato companion plants
The growth period for some companion plants may be faster while others may have slow growth.
In some cases, you will even harvest the companion crop before your tomato matures, while the maturity date for others maybe later.
One of the basic necessities for tomatoes is having a disease and pest prevention measure.
In order to achieve that, you may need to plant crops that are mutually beneficial to each other.
In explaining the different plants that are favorable to tomatoes, these plants will be grouped according to this classification: Veggies & Fruits, Flowers, and Herbs!
How to Grow Healthy, Productive Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers either from Seed or Transplanting, Composting, Companion Planting and so much more! Beginners and Experts)
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List of vegetables and fruits that you can grow with tomato plants
This helps to fight against one pest that is attracted to tomatoes; the root-knot nematodes.
2. Carrot
The good relationship that exists between carrots and tomatoes cannot be overemphasized.
This fruit helps loosen the soil and makes the tomato a lot tastier than you can imagine.
The carrot in turn may not grow as large as expected when planted very close to the tomato, but it has a high tendency of having a good taste.
To avoid having stunted and small-sized tomatoes, ensure to plant them some distance apart.
3. Squash
Plants belonging to the Alliums family can serve as a good companion for virtually all plants.
Preferably, plant one garlic clove around a tomato; it helps to fight against red spider mites, and control late blight and other pests.
Chives can grow for a very long time without causing havoc or becoming a weed in your tomato farm.
They all improve the flavor as well as the healthy state of the tomato and chase certain harmful pests away.
5. Lettuce and some leafy greens
Lettuce has the attribute of keeping the soil moist and cool and minimizes the rate at which diseases extend on the leaves from splashes of water and soil.
Some leafy greens that are low can be planted early in the season as good coverings to the soil to retain moisture and reduce the growth of weeds.
They also benefit from the shade of tall tomato plants on sunny days.
Herbs that you can grow together with your tomato plants
This plant improves tomato growth and flavor, as well as repels insects like mosquitoes and flies.
In addition, it attracts bees that enable pollination.
When planting basils as a companion plant for tomatoes, always plant three basil plants alongside one stem of the tomato.
If you want to mix other crops as well, then it is best to mix it with anise or chamomile but never with sage or rue and rosemary.
Because parsley dislikes heat, it benefits from the shade the tomato stem gives to it. In turn, it improves the flavor as well as the healthy state of the tomato.
Flowers to grow alongside your tomato
8. Borage
This herb grows annually and its scent keeps away tomato hornworms and also develops the flavor and growth of the tomato, making it tastier and healthier.
It also helps in improving soil composition thereby promoting soil fertility, and boosts the fighting ability of tomatoes and all plants around it against pests and diseases.
Its bright blue flowers attract all kinds of pollinators.
9. Marigolds
With Marigold planted side-by-side your tomato, you can comfortably expect a plenteous harvest.
It fights against pests and helps reduce the root-knot nematodes in the soil by producing alpha-terthienyl.
Aside from pests, it is said to also chase away large animals like rabbits. It also improves the flavor of tomatoes.
It is best planted when approaching the end of tomato season to keep the nematodes away.
You can happily plant them as companions because they can survive in a similar environment.
10. Nasturtiums
This chases Aphids away and is not likely to compete for nutrients with your plant. It also has a tendency of growing on its own annually.
Some tomato companion plants and the pests, diseases, and insects they control
| 1 | Nasturtium | Aphids, whiteflies, squash bugs |
| 2 | Mint (should be in a container and at a distance to tomatoes) | The fungal disease, Flea, beetle, aphids, flea, rodents, and ants |
| 3 | Basil | Flies, mosquitoes, spider mites, aphids, Tomato hornworms. |
| 4 | Garlic | Spider mites, Snails, Carrot flies, codling moths |
| 5 | Marigold | Asparagus beetle, Nematodes, slugs, tomato hornworms, whiteflies, thrip, aphids, flea beetles |
| 6 | Borage | Tomato Hornworms |
| 7 | Asparagus | Nematodes |
| 8 | Chives | Aphids |
List of tomato companion plants and the beneficial insects they attract
| 1 | Parsley | The Hoverflies attract feed on tomato pests |
| 2 | Borage | It Attracts bees and wasps that aid pollination. |
| 3 | Basil | It Attracts bees that aid pollination. |
What are the plants that tomatoes can help as a repellant?
- Asparagus: The Asparagus beetle which is one of the major pests of Asparagus can be repelled by tomato.
- Gooseberries: Tomato’s scent can help keep away the pest that affects gooseberries.
- Roses: The fungal disease known as black spot affects the leaves of roses and turns them yellow, making them whither and weaken the rose plant.
Tomato can help protect them from these deadly black spots.
They can either be planted alongside roses or their leaves can be diluted with water and mixed with cornstarch and used as a spray around the roses.
Healthy weeds to grow as tomato companion plants
Though you may regard weeds to be unwanted plants in your garden, however, there are some that may support the growth of your tomatoes.
Some of the helpful weeds that you can grow as tomato companion plants include;
- Dandelions: The yellow flowers of this weed attract beneficial insects to the farm. They aid the fast ripening of plants by releasing ethylene gas.
- Yarrow: Its leaves can be used as mulch and to enrich your compost thereby improving soil quality. It attracts insects that feed on aphids.
- Chickweed: It is a ground covering weed that when planted around the base of tomato, can help to keep the soil moist. It helps reduce the rate of weed growth.
- Stinging nettles: It is a beneficial attractant and repellent to aphids, with its roots having antifungal attributes.
- Purslane: This can be planted around your tomato for ground coverage and useful in areas where water cannot be easily gotten.
Corn - they both attract the same pests.
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