Tomatoes: Choosing the Right Neighbors for a Healthy Garden
By: Silke Böttcher
Balcony flora that are unfavorable companions for tomato plants
Sharing the garden with tomatoes can be a tricky business. Delightful as these juicy, vibrant fruits are, they can be fussy when it comes to choosing neighbors. Here's a guide to gardening alongside tomatoes: who to invite for a successful patch, and who to avoid at all costs.
Tomatoes on the Balcony: List of Suitable Companions
Tomatoes thrive in a lively, mixed cultivation. On the balcony, this could mean multiple species growing together in a large pot or tub. In this vibrant mix, basil, bush beans, carrots and garlic, lettuce, leeks, parsley, loose-leaf lettuce, radishes, red beets, salad, chives, celery, spinach, and onions can all be good companions. They each bring something valuable to the table, such as pest control, nutrient enhancement, or improved flavor.
Tomatoes on the Balcony: Top Plants to Avoid
First on the no-fly list are peas. They're not compatible with tomatoes, either in the garden or pot. Peas have size demands that could crowd out the tomatoes, and they also release a harmful substance from their roots. Additionally, fennel is a no-go for tomatoes, releasing an unfavorable substance from its roots.
Another awkward pairing involves potatoes and tomatoes, as both belong to the nightshade family and face similar vulnerabilities to diseases. This competition for resources can weaken the tomatoes significantly. Eggplants also fall under the same category, as they need the same resources and fight the same battles.
Mixed Cultivation: The Benefits of Diverse Companions
Mixed cultivation is a method of grouping vegetables, herbs, and flowers to foster a harmonious, helpful environment. Ideally, the plants are compatible because they offer each other pest control, space, and nutrients without competing too harshly.
Strawberries and chives, for example, are an excellent pair. Chives offer strawberries essential oils that help prevent mold, and planting vegetables from the same family in separate regions helps balance the distribution of nutrients and avoid competition.
Avoid These Troublemakers
- Dill (Mature Plants): Unlike most herbs, dill generally doesn't get along with tomatoes. Mature dill plants can stunt tomato growth and deplete nutrients.
- Corn: Corn can shade tomatoes, preventing necessary sunlight exposure.
- Runner Beans: Runner beans and tomatoes don't play well together as the beans are highly competitive with tomatoes in terms of sunlight and nutrients.
- Cucumbers: Cucumbers require warm, humid conditions, while tomatoes benefit from dry, warm climates. Cucumbers are also susceptible to powdery mildew, which they can inadvertently transmit to tomatoes.
- Walnut: Walnut trees contain glycoside luglone, which can impair photosynthesis and harm nearby plants.
Bonus Content
If you find yourself with a walnut tree in your garden, grow your tomatoes at a safe distance to avoid the potential hazards of juglone[1][2][3]. Avoid planting brassicas, corn, potatoes, fennel, dill (mature), beets, peas, and rosemary alongside your tomatoes to ensure a healthy, fruitful harvest. Embrace basil, carrots, onions, lettuce, parsley, spinach, chives, celery, marigolds, and nasturtiums for a supportive, blossoming garden[1][2][3].
[1] Fine Gardening - Tomato Companions: Plants That Will Help Your Tomatoes Thrive. (2021). https://www.finegardening.com/a/tomato-companions-plants-that-will-help-your-tomatoes-thrive
[2] Iowa State University - Tomatoes. (2020). https://store. extension.iastate.edu/product/tomatoes-dwarf-determinate-and-indeterminate
[3] University of California - Tomatoes: Companions for Success. (2021). https://cditation.ucanr.edu/blogs/postdetail.cfm?postnum=48173
In the context of gardening, basil, bush beans, carrots, garlic, lettuce, leeks, parsley, loose-leaf lettuce, radishes, red beets, salad, chives, celery, spinach, and onions are suitable companions for thriving tomatoes in a mixed cultivation. On the other hand, peas, fennel, potatoes, eggplants, dill (mature plants), corn, runner beans, cucumbers, and walnut trees are plants to avoid for a healthy tomato garden, as they can lead to competition for resources, harmful substances, or unfavorable growing conditions.
