Tomato Companion Plants

Tomato companion plants include basil, nasturtiums, marigolds, onions, chives, and parsley.

Genovese Basil © Steve Masley Click IMAGE to Enlarge

You'll often see carrots on the list of companion plants for tomatoes, but I wouldn't include carrots because they're light feeders, and the high-nitrogen organic fertilizers that make tomatoes thrive result in excessive top-growth in carrots, at the expense of roots.

Basil pairs exquisitely with tomatoes in both the kitchen and the garden. Plant it around the edges of the raised bed or row, and in between plants. Its aromatic foliage helps repel aphids, tomato hornworms, and other tomato pests. Root exudates from basil are said to improve the flavor of tomatoes.

Basil flowers also bring pollinators like honey bees into your tomato patch. See Attracting Beneficial Insects for more information.

Nasturtiums, marigolds, onions, parsley, and chives are also valuable companion plants. The aromatic oils repel pests, and root exudates enhance the flavor of tomatoes. Nasturtiums also act as a trap crop for aphids, and can be removed after aphids infest them.

In areas where root-knot nematodes are a problem, interplanting marigolds with your tomatoes can help repel them.

Tomato Varieties  |   Starting Tomatoes from Seed
Soil Preparation  |   Planting Tomatoes  |   Watering  |   Fertilizing
Plant Care  |   Tomato Hornworms  |   Other Tomato Pests
Diseases  |   Tomato Companion Plants  |   Heirloom Tomatoes
Growing Tomatoes in Cool-Summer Gardens