When companion planting with tomatoes, selecting the right tomato companion plants and creating the right garden layouts with the plants you choose can significantly impact the well-being of your tomato plants and the excellence of your yield.
Use this list to learn about the different types of beneficial tomato companion plants and refer to the below garden layouts for how to successfully arrange these specific plants along with your tomato plants into beautiful bountiful gardens.
Best Tomato Companion Plants
• Basil: Basil is a classic tomato companion plant. It repels pests like whiteflies and mosquitoes, enhances the flavor of tomatoes, and can improve their growth. Plant basil between tomato plants or in nearby containers for easy access to its fragrant leaves.
• Marigold: Marigolds release a scent that deters various insects harmful to tomatoes. Plant them around the perimeter of your tomato patch or between tomato rows.
• Nasturtium: Nasturtiums act as a trap crop, luring aphids and other pests away from your tomatoes. These tomato companion plants are also edible and add a peppery kick to salads.
• Chives: Chives deter aphids and protect tomatoes from fungal diseases. Their compact growth habit makes them suitable for planting along the borders of your tomato bed.
• Carrots: Carrots and tomatoes are mutually beneficial. Carrots help break up the soil, allowing better root growth for tomatoes, while tomatoes provide some shade that prevents carrot roots from becoming too hot and bitter.
• Peppers: Peppers, especially hot varieties, help repel pests due to their capsaicin content. Their upright growth can provide shade to tomato plants.
Additional Tomato Companion Plants to Consider
• Oregano: Oregano is a fragrant herb that not only adds a delightful flavor to your culinary creations but also acts as a natural pest repellent. This tomato companion plants strong aroma helps deter pests like aphids and spider mites while providing ground cover to suppress weed growth.
• Garlic: Garlic's pungent aroma serves as a powerful deterrent to a wide range of pests that commonly affect tomato plants, such as whiteflies and aphids. Planting garlic as tomato companion plants can create a protective barrier against these unwanted visitors.
• Onions: Onions, like garlic, emit strong odors that help deter pests and confuse them, making it harder for them to locate your tomato plants. Their growth habit also complements tomatoes, as they can be interplanted in the same bed.
• Dill: Dill attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings, which are natural predators of common tomato pests. Its feathery foliage provides a visually appealing contrast to the dense tomato plants.
• Radishes: Radishes serve as a sacrificial crop, diverting damaging insects like flea beetles away from your tomatoes. These tomato companion plants also help break up compacted soil, promoting better water and nutrient absorption for tomato roots.
• Lettuce: Lettuce's shallow root system makes it ideal for companion planting with tomatoes, as it doesn't compete heavily with tomato roots for nutrients. Plant lettuce around the base of tomato plants to utilize space efficiently.
Creating a Successful Companion Planting Layout
When planning your tomato companion planting layout, consider the growth habits, spacing, and sunlight requirements of both the tomatoes and their companions.
Below are some tips to ensure a successful arrangement.
• Grouping: Plant companion plants in clusters rather than scattering them randomly. This concentration enhances their pest-repelling and shade-providing effects.
• Height Variation: Place taller companions, like peppers and basil, on the north or west side of your tomato bed to prevent shading the tomatoes excessively.
• Spacing: Provide enough space between when companion planting with tomatoes to avoid overcrowding, which can lead to increased disease susceptibility.
• Rotation: Practice crop rotation and change the locations of your tomato beds each year to prevent the buildup of soil-borne diseases and pests.
• Continuous Planting: Consider staggering the planting times of your companion plants to ensure a constant supply of pest protection and other benefits throughout the growing season.
Below are a few garden layouts to help get you started.
Garden Layouts for Companion Planting with Tomatoes
Layout 1: Mediterranean Herb Haven
In this garden layout, you're creating a vibrant and aromatic corner reminiscent of Mediterranean landscapes. Tomatoes serve as the centerpiece, surrounded by two essential culinary herbs:
• Basil: Planted alongside tomatoes, basil not only enhances the flavor of tomatoes when used together in dishes but also acts as a natural pest deterrent. The aroma of basil confuses pests like whiteflies and mosquitoes, reducing the likelihood of infestations. Regularly harvesting basil leaves for your meals also encourages bushier growth.
• Oregano: Planted around the tomatoes, oregano releases a strong fragrance that repels pests like aphids and spider mites. Its low-growing habit creates a living mulch that suppresses weed growth, helping to maintain a cleaner and more organized garden bed.
Marigolds, planted along the perimeter of this layout, add a burst of color while releasing a scent that acts as a natural insect repellent, providing a protective barrier for your tomato and herb plants.
Layout 2: Colorful Culinary Corner
This layout combines the practicality of companion planting with a visually appealing design that adds color and flavor to your garden:
• Tomatoes and Carrots: Alternating rows of tomatoes and carrots make the most of space while capitalizing on their mutually beneficial relationship. Carrots help break up the soil, allowing better root growth for tomatoes. Tomatoes, in turn, provide light shading, preventing carrot roots from becoming overly hot and bitter.
• Nasturtiums: Planted between the rows of tomatoes and carrots, nasturtiums serve as trap crops, diverting aphids and other pests away from your main crops. Their vibrant flowers add aesthetic value, and their edible leaves and flowers make for a tasty addition to salads, enhancing both the visual and culinary appeal of your garden.
Layout 3: Pest-Repelling Powerhouse
This layout emphasizes pest control by creating a fortress of pest-repelling plants around your tomato plants:
• Tomato Plants: Placed at the center of the layout as the main focus.
• Marigolds, Garlic, and Peppers: Surrounding the tomato plants, these plants work together to create a potent pest-deterring barrier. Marigolds release a scent that discourages various pests, while garlic's strong aroma is effective against whiteflies and aphids. The inclusion of peppers, particularly hot varieties, further adds to the pest-repelling effect due to their capsaicin content.
Layout 4: Edible Edges
In this layout, you're utilizing the edges of your garden bed to incorporate companion plants that serve both functional and aesthetic purposes:
• Chives and Onions: Planted along the borders of your tomato bed, chives and onions serve as guardians, deterring aphids and protecting tomatoes from fungal diseases. Their compact growth habit keeps them neat and well-contained along the edges while adding a touch of visual appeal.
• Tomato Plants: Placed in the central area of the bed, the tomato plants are allowed to flourish without being crowded, and they benefit from the protection offered by the chives and onions.
Layout 5: Bountiful Biodiversity
Diversity is the key in this garden layout, as you create a thriving ecosystem of companion plants that support each other:
• Tomato Plants: Intermingled with a variety of companion plants, the tomato plants become part of a biodiverse garden space.
• Basil, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, and Dill: By planting this diverse mix around the tomato plants, you're fostering a rich ecosystem that deters pests while attracting beneficial insects. Basil enhances tomato flavor and repels pests, marigolds release a scent that deters unwanted insects, nasturtiums act as a trap crop, and dill attracts predators of common tomato pests.
Layout 6: Fragrant Foliage Fusion
Create a garden bed that engages your senses with this layout, focusing on the aromatic qualities of companion plants:
• Tomato Plants: Positioned within the layout as the central stars, tomato plants will thrive surrounded by fragrant companions.
• Oregano: Planted alongside the tomato plants, oregano not only enhances the aroma of the garden but also deters pests like aphids and spider mites. Its low-growing habit forms a pleasant ground cover that can help suppress weeds.
Layout 7: Beneficial Insect Oasis
This layout strategically attracts beneficial insects to your garden, providing natural pest control for your tomato plants:
• Tomato Plants: Centrally located, the tomato plants serve as the main attraction.
• Dill and Radishes: Planted around the tomato plants, dill attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs and lacewings that feed on common tomato pests. Radishes act as a trap crop, diverting pests away from your tomatoes while breaking up compacted soil for better water and nutrient absorption.
Layout 8: Subtle Shading Symphony
Embrace the concept of shading while maintaining a harmonious garden with this layout:
• Tomatoes and Peppers: Plant alternating rows of tomato plants and pepper plants. The tall, upright growth of peppers as tomato companion plants offers natural shading for the tomato plants, protecting them from intense sunlight.
• Lettuce: Underneath the pepper plants, plant lettuce. Lettuce's shallow root system doesn't compete heavily with tomato roots, and it takes advantage of the shade provided by the peppers.
Layout 9: Flavorsome Fusion
This layout aims to enhance flavors and optimize growth with a mix of companion plants:
• Tomato Plants and Basil: Group tomato plants and basil together. The close proximity of these two companions amplifies the flavor of both plants.
• Carrots: Interplant carrots among the tomatoes and basil. Carrots break up the soil and promote better root growth for tomatoes, while the tomatoes provide mild shading that prevents carrot roots from becoming overly hot.
Layout 10: Pungent Pest Control
Create a powerful pest-repelling garden zone with this layout, focusing on strong aromas and deterrents:
• Tomato Plants: Placed centrally, tomato plants form the core of this layout.
• Garlic: Plant garlic in a ring around the tomato plants. Its pungent aroma deters a wide range of pests, offering protection to the tomatoes.
• Marigolds: Encircling the garlic, marigolds reinforce the pest control efforts with their aromatic scent, while also adding vibrant color to the garden.
These garden layouts offer creative ways to maximize the benefits of companion planting with the selected plants. Adjust and experiment with these garden layouts to suit your gardening space, climate, and personal preferences.
