What can I plant with tomatos?

[jmoore]

I just dug a new bed on the side of the house. It's about 10' long and 3' wide. I have three tomato plants started in the house that are going in that spot and was wondering if I could plant something else in there that might work.

I'm happy to leave the bed to just tomatos but I'd like to use the space if I can.

So, suggestions?

[rainbowgardener]

I put broccoli in the bed where the tomatoes will go. Broccoli goes in first while it's still to cold for tomatoes. By the time the tomato plants are getting big, the broccoli is done and can be pulled. Spinach and lettuce work the same way and last a little longer in the summer in the shade of the tomatoes.


Good companion plants for tomatoes are borage (attracts bees and other pollinators and supposedly helps deter tomato hornworm), marigold (deters bad nematodes), nasturtium (repels aphids and whiteflies). They always say basil and tomatoes are good together, but I always have trouble with the tomatoes shading the basil too much, so it hasn't worked for me. Carrots and tomatoes are good together. Onions, chives, and garlic are good companion plants for most anything, keep pests away. I scatter them through my garden.

[Duh_Vinci]

RG provided with some great suggestions, would work very well, specially when it comes to the brassica family planting, very smart use of space!

Two of my raised beds are about the size of what you have (10x4), here is what was planted in it last year:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/776738018_dcML3-XL.jpg[/img]

1. Black Krim Tomato
2. Cherokee Purple Tomato
3. Red Bell Pepper
4. Cherokee Purple Tomato
5. Brandywine Sudduth Tomato
6. Yellow Bell Pepper
7. Valencia Orange Tomato
8. Yellow Boy Tomato
9. 10, 11. Boston Pickling Cucumber
12, 13, 14, 15. Red Leaf Lettuce
16, 17, 18, 19. Red Onions
20, 21, 22, 23. Radishes (Champion, Icicle)
24, 25. Eggplants Ichiban
B. Sweet Basil under each tomato

But aside from it, there are so many variations of what can be done with that space!

Regards,
D

[martoosaat]

Sorry to revive a 'dead' thread, but I think I'm on topic:

I've a container box (2ft x 7in x 8in) with a tomato plant, and like jmoore want to do more with it. Is this enough space to plant things like basil or oregano in addition to my (yellow pear) tomato plant?

[applestar]

Did you list the dimensions correctly? because 2 ft - long, I'm assuming, by 7 INCHES by 8 INCHES doesn't sound big enough for even a single tomato plant.... 5 GALLON bucket is the minimum container size most recommended by folks who grow tomatoes in containers....

If it wasn't for the container size... or that it's in a container at all and not in the ground, I was going to mention [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=126172#126172]this post by HG[/url] because zucchini as a companion to tomatoes is a new one on me and has the wheels turning in my head again.

[martoosaat]

2ft x 7in x 8in = ~0.77 cubic feet. 5 gallons is ~0.67 cubic feet. There is the question of depth, though - does the main root on a tomato grow sideways?

[applestar]

OK, I didn't do the math, but the depth is still my main concern, as it seems yours.

This link has been posted before, but it's a really good one:
[url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137ch26.html]ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETABLE CROPS: Ch XXVI TOMATO[/url]

[Ozark Lady]

A leggy tomato can be laid sideways, to use up some of the length and it will root all along the stem.

The issue would be, can you keep it cool? In hot areas of the country, you are going for depth of planting to keep the heat from being an issue.

Something cooling, something low to the ground. But, remember, the more plants growing in this same area, the more nutrient uptake, and the more water needed.

Hey, make it a bonsai... ha ha shallow dish etc. Really you could decorate the container, and prune the tomato and make it really cute!

[martoosaat]

@applestar
Thanks for the link, that was good information! So I can expect in-ground root systems to get up to 3 feet deep, but I guess my tomato will make do what the container gives it.

@OL
Hmm, I forgot that tomatoes will grow roots along the main stem if it's buried. Unfortunately, this guy's already in the dirt and doesn't look like he'll stand for any monkey business!

[stars1]

RG provided with some great suggestions, would work very well, specially when it comes to the brassica family planting, very smart use of space!

Two of my raised beds are about the size of what you have (10x4), here is what was planted in it last year:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/776738018_dcML3-XL.jpg[/img]

1. Black Krim Tomato
2. Cherokee Purple Tomato
3. Red Bell Pepper
4. Cherokee Purple Tomato
5. Brandywine Sudduth Tomato
6. Yellow Bell Pepper
7. Valencia Orange Tomato
8. Yellow Boy Tomato
9. 10, 11. Boston Pickling Cucumber
12, 13, 14, 15. Red Leaf Lettuce
16, 17, 18, 19. Red Onions
20, 21, 22, 23. Radishes (Champion, Icicle)
24, 25. Eggplants Ichiban
B. Sweet Basil under each tomato

But aside from it, there are so many variations of what can be done with that space!

Regards,
D

Usefull information, dear. Thanks.

[jal_ut]

Tomatoes and parsley.