Companion Planting with Tomatoes

Companion planting is the time-tested art of growing mutually beneficial plants together. With tomatoes, smart companion choices can boost growth, control pests, and improve flavor. Here’s your essential guide to planting tomatoes with the right friends (and avoiding their foes).

Best Tomato Companions

• Basil:
  Improves flavor, may deter aphids, whiteflies, tomato hornworms, and attracts pollinators.
• Marigolds:
  Their strong scent helps repel nematodes, aphids, and whiteflies.
• Nasturtiums:
  Acts as a trap crop for aphids; easily grown around the base of tomatoes.
• Chives & Onions:
  Repel aphids and improve soil.
• Carrots:
  Grow well near tomatoes and loosen soil.
• Borage:
  Attracts pollinators and can improve tomatoes’ disease resistance.
• Lettuce & Leafy Greens:
  Good fillers to shade soil and help retain moisture.

Plants to Avoid Near Tomatoes

• Brassicas:
  (Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale) compete for nutrients and may stunt tomato growth.
• Potatoes:
  Increase risk of blight and attract similar pests.
• Corn:
  Both attract tomato fruitworm (aka corn earworm).
• Fennel & Dill:
  Fennel inhibits tomato growth; mature dill may stunt your crop.

How to Arrange Companion Plants

• Interplant basil and marigolds between tomato plants or at row ends.
• Use nasturtiums as a border or in hanging baskets above container tomatoes.
• Plant lettuce or leafy crops in shade beneath tomato vines.
• Rotate companion herbs and flowers throughout your patch each year for biodiversity.

Pro Tips

• Leave enough space for air circulation and future plant growth.
• Mulch with organic materials to suppress weeds and boost soil microbes.
• Remove any sick or overcrowded companions to prevent disease.

Folklore & Science

• Gardeners swear tomatoes grown with basil taste better—scientific proof is mixed, but it’s a delicious experiment!