To successfully grow vegetable plants and improve the yield of the vegetable garden, it is advisable to use companion planting. This technique involves growing certain plants together. Indeed, the combination of certain plants makes it possible to improve the health of plants, to protect them from diseases and even certain pests. However, poor companionship could harm the proper growth of your vegetable plants. Find out what you should never plant next to tomatoes, so as not to ruin your harvest.
The tomato is an annual vegetable plant with evergreen foliage. Its planting is done in spring. To successfully grow tomatoes, it is important to know which plants to plant them near, and which plants should be kept away from them.
What should not be planted next to tomatoes?
Among the plants that should be kept away from tomatoes, we cite those that belong to the nightshade family, which is also the same family as tomatoes. That said, you should not plant potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini next to tomatoes. These vegetable plants are susceptible to downy mildew, which is a cryptogamic disease. They can therefore easily transmit it to tomato plants. Also avoid planting melon next to tomatoes, as it is prone to powdery mildew and can thus infect tomatoes.
What plants are recommended to grow next to tomatoes?
It is recommended to plant chives, basil, or sage next to tomatoes to protect them from mildew. It is also advisable to combine basil and parsley with growing tomatoes. These aromatic plants help keep the whitefly away, which is a parasite that affects tomatoes.
You can also plant the tomatoes with garlic, onions, lettuce or spinach. These low plants will not shade the tomato plants. On top of that, they won’t compete with your tomatoes because they don’t share the same nutritional needs. Your tomato plants will thus be able to enjoy good growth.
Certain flowers can be very beneficial for tomatoes. This is particularly the case for carnations, marigolds, or Indian Rose. In fact, their strong odor scares away insects such as aphids, flea beetles, and nematodes which destroy the roots of tomatoes.
How to maintain tomato plants?
To grow well, tomatoes need sun and nutrient-rich soil. It is therefore advisable to fertilize the soil and add fertilizer before growing this vegetable plant. Concerning watering, it must be regular. However, avoid excesses, as the humidity could create a favorable environment for the development of fungi, the cause of cryptogamic diseases. To protect your vegetable plant from fungi, it is also recommended to water only the tomato plants, without touching the foliage.
Since tomatoes like cool soil, it is advisable to add a layer of mulch in summer to keep the roots cool. This also allows you to space out waterings. Mulch can be made from dead leaves, compost or even garden herbs, in order to enrich the soil with nitrogen.
By knowing what to plant next to tomatoes as well as the plants to avoid, you will successfully grow this fruiting vegetable, and therefore obtain a good harvest.
