With spring in full swing, gardeners across North America have been busily tending to their gardens to prepare for another year of successful food production. Whether you are a seasoned gardener or just planting for the first time, there are always some tricks that can help make your garden the best ever.
Depending on the plant, it can be a bit difficult to get the results you desire due to a variety of factors that can dramatically affect the harvest, including soil, weather, rotation and natural pests. Tomatoes can be one of those trickier plants to grow, but if you know some of the beneficial companion plants for tomatoes, you can increase your odds of a beneficial harvest.
Some of the best companion plants to consider growing in the same space as your tomatoes include basil, oregano, parsley, carrots, marigold, geraniums, petunias and any type of onion or chives.
- Basil repels whiteflies, mosquitos, spider mites, aphids, and hornworms. It also improves pollination because it attracts bees and can therefore increase the yield as well. Bail also will help improve your tomatoes’ health and flavor. For best coverage, plant three basil plants per tomato plant and do not plant near rue or sage.
- French marigolds have roots that release a substance that spreads into their immediate vicinity and kills nematodes. Studies have proven that the deterrence of nematodes lasted several years after the plants died back. French marigolds also repel whiteflies, tomato worms, slugs and other general garden pests. To deter nematodes even further, till marigolds into the soil at the end of the season.