Companion Plants for Tomatoes - Ask Extension
I'm moving my garden to raised beds. I plant heirloom tomatoes, zukes, cukes, peppers and herbs. Which of these should NOT be planted together? And wh...
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Companion Plants for Tomatoes #866866
Asked May 03, 2024, 10:26 AM EDT
I'm moving my garden to raised beds. I plant heirloom tomatoes, zukes, cukes, peppers and herbs. Which of these should NOT be planted together? And which are the best together.
Portage County Ohio
Expert Response
On the internet, for every yes you can plant this with tomatoes there is a do not ever plant this with tomatoes. Looking for an opinion from someone who is knowledgeable.
https://extension.wvu.edu/lawn-gardening-pests/gardening/garden-management/companion-planting
This article comes with a caveat…that there is not a lot of confirmed research about this topic. However there are suggestions about what to plant and what not to plant together which might be what you need. The authors encourage you to consider the topic researchable in your own garden experience.
The question of companion planting has another aspect. Certain insects and diseases prefer certain types of plants so the advice is not to plant these groups of plants in the same spot each year. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes belong to the same family. Each year they should be planted in different areas to discourage diseases associated with their family. The rotation that is suggested is three years (sometimes four) between using the same soil for any of these plants. Cucumbers are in a different family as are zucchinis so these families can be rotated with the Solanum family (tomatoes).
If you need additional resources about this topic add “edu” or “extension” to your word search for research based sources. Get back to us for more ideas.
This article comes with a caveat…that there is not a lot of confirmed research about this topic. However there are suggestions about what to plant and what not to plant together which might be what you need. The authors encourage you to consider the topic researchable in your own garden experience.
The question of companion planting has another aspect. Certain insects and diseases prefer certain types of plants so the advice is not to plant these groups of plants in the same spot each year. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes belong to the same family. Each year they should be planted in different areas to discourage diseases associated with their family. The rotation that is suggested is three years (sometimes four) between using the same soil for any of these plants. Cucumbers are in a different family as are zucchinis so these families can be rotated with the Solanum family (tomatoes).
If you need additional resources about this topic add “edu” or “extension” to your word search for research based sources. Get back to us for more ideas.
