companion plant for tomatoes
I have 10 raised beds. They are 3'x12' and I grow tomatoes in several of them against cattle panels . I want to know what to plant in front of them. I grow : peppers, onions, carrots, beets, bush beans, broccoli , cabbage, potatoes, spinach, snow peas, lettuce, flowers, and melons.
When the tomatoes are small seedlings and you just transplant them to the garden, you can under plant them with a short crop like lettuce, basil, bush beans, carrot, green onions, parsley, chives, and some flowers (nasturtium, petite dwarf marigold). I like alyssum because it attracts predators like hover flies. vines are possible, but while they don't compete for top space, they can compete for nutrients. As long as you can meet the nutrient needs of both then it may work.
Tomatoes need to be spaced for their mature size, but when they are young, they don't need all that space. The crops have to be put in at the same time so each plant has a chance to establish without competing for root space. Short term crops that you will harvest or that are shallow rooted and don't demand a lot of space or compete for the same nutrients. The secondary crop will be harvested out when the tomatoes need the space.
You can only do it once. Once the tomatoes or secondary crops are established, the roots will need all the space and won't allow any young plants to establish. I found this out the hard way.
Intensive planting or interplanting is a good way to increase yields from any given space. Tomatoes don't like being near cabbages.
Site orientation matters. The tomatoes should be planted so they won't block the plants in front from the light. Or, if shading is desired, like for cilantro, planting in the
dappled (not dense) light of other plants can help.
If tomatoes are started early in the season and you have a temperate climate you can plant cool season crops under them. Later in the season, it would be too hot for most of the cool season crops.
Where I am, I can technically grow tomatoes year round. I have more disease issues in the rainy season. Still I can only plant cool season crops between September and May and get a decent harvest. In the heat of summer, large plants like eggplant, pepper, kale, and chard don't need any other plants competing with them.
Tomatoes need to be spaced for their mature size, but when they are young, they don't need all that space. The crops have to be put in at the same time so each plant has a chance to establish without competing for root space. Short term crops that you will harvest or that are shallow rooted and don't demand a lot of space or compete for the same nutrients. The secondary crop will be harvested out when the tomatoes need the space.
You can only do it once. Once the tomatoes or secondary crops are established, the roots will need all the space and won't allow any young plants to establish. I found this out the hard way.
Intensive planting or interplanting is a good way to increase yields from any given space. Tomatoes don't like being near cabbages.
Site orientation matters. The tomatoes should be planted so they won't block the plants in front from the light. Or, if shading is desired, like for cilantro, planting in the
dappled (not dense) light of other plants can help.
If tomatoes are started early in the season and you have a temperate climate you can plant cool season crops under them. Later in the season, it would be too hot for most of the cool season crops.
Where I am, I can technically grow tomatoes year round. I have more disease issues in the rainy season. Still I can only plant cool season crops between September and May and get a decent harvest. In the heat of summer, large plants like eggplant, pepper, kale, and chard don't need any other plants competing with them.
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applestar
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I noticed your list combined cool weather crops and warm-hot weather crops that do not thrive if expected to grow together.
Like @imafan mentioned, some of them are excellent for staggered planting in same bed to take advantage of different seasons.
Spinach, Lettuce, Broccoli, Peas should all be planted earliest and can occupy same bed to transplant tomatoes later as long as spacing is considered.
Onions are planted early too but take longer to harvest, as do carrots and beets, and can be companion to tomatoes which are planted later AS LONG AS you leave plenty of space and plan for height like imafan mentioned.
Melons and potatoes are best planted in separate beds of their own.
Out of all of the listed, bush beans might be the ideal companion to tomatoes. Basil are typical as are some flowers like marigolds and calendula.
Like @imafan mentioned, some of them are excellent for staggered planting in same bed to take advantage of different seasons.
Spinach, Lettuce, Broccoli, Peas should all be planted earliest and can occupy same bed to transplant tomatoes later as long as spacing is considered.
Onions are planted early too but take longer to harvest, as do carrots and beets, and can be companion to tomatoes which are planted later AS LONG AS you leave plenty of space and plan for height like imafan mentioned.
Melons and potatoes are best planted in separate beds of their own.
Out of all of the listed, bush beans might be the ideal companion to tomatoes. Basil are typical as are some flowers like marigolds and calendula.