What Are the Best Companion Plants for Tomatoes?

It’s already June and summer is now establishing itself with a steady step. If you’ve gone through the to-do list for this month, you know there’s still time to plant some crops. We suggest you try companion planting, in particular the best plants to grow with tomatoes.

We know that you probably grow your own tomatoes, so the next step you can take is to plant companion plants. Here’s our list of greens that go along with the round red fruit (yes, tomatoes are fruits) and you can safely plant.

Basil

It’s perfect to ward off mosquitoes, spider and white-flies. Basil also keeps aphids, mites and horn-worms away from your tomatoes. On the other hand, it aids pollination and attracts bees. This herb also improves the health of your tomatoes and adds a subtle flavour.

Borage

If you want to repel tomato horn-worms and cabbage worms, borage is your companion plant. Just like basil, it also improves tomato health and you can use the leaves in tasty salads.

Parsley

You can deal with unwanted garden pests by planting parley. This tomato companion green attracts hover-flies, which will feast on unwanted pests.

French beans, Runner beans

Beans match with most garden plants, especially tomatoes. They deter pests while they produce an essential nitrogen-fixing bacteria. This bacteria can be a good fertiliser to some plants, but can be too much for other greens.

Carrots

Early June is your last chance to plant carrots as companion greens for your tomatoes. You can grow your own orange veggies if you want tomatoes to grow better. They break up the soil and allow more air, water and nutrients to enter it.

Celery

Celery is a constant in soups, but you can also grow it with tomatoes. It keeps white-flies away.

In most cases, when you begin to grow your own vegetables, you start them as seedlings. If you haven’t transplanted them yet, June is your last chance to do it.

Chillies and sweet peppers

That’s right, you can transplant your pepper seedlings in June if you haven’t done it yet. Place them near your tomatoes and they will mutually benefit from each other. They will increase the humidity level, but throw shade on the red fruits, so don’t space them too close.

Leafy greens

It’s never too late to plant a second batch of spinach, lettuce, or arugula. Early June isn’t too hot and they can grow faster compared to spring. Grow your own leafy greens together with tomatoes if you want to keep slugs and worms away from them. On the other hand, tomatoes will offer cool shades in the heat. It’s a win-win situation.

What should not be planted next to tomatoes?

You would think the juicy red fruits (yeah, let’s keep calling them that) are generally adored by everyone in the vegetable kingdom, but you’ll need to reconsider. We at Fantastic Gardeners advise that you never grow potatoes or corn near the tomatoes. They definitely don’t get along and will sabotage your yields. You won’t harvest healthy crops and will have to deal with pests and diseases.

A general rule of thumb when it comes to gardening is that growing vegetables of the same family in the same place each year will deprive both of getting the necessary nutrients, as they compete for the same ones, with potatoes as a clear winner.

Potatoes and tomatoes are also susceptible to the same type of plant diseases, e.g. early and/or late blights. What’s more, a specific type of worm, known both as cornworm and fruit-worm, can be found in corn and tomato crops, respectfully.

Putting all those vegetables in the same bed is a surefire way to create a nutritious dietary plan for the little pests. Instead of planting them close together, divide your garden into sections and change the beds of the crops every year.