Four Herb Companions for Tomatoes

Are you familiar with the idea of companion plants? If not, it could be a great way to enjoy a garden brimming with tasty veggies and fruit. Companion planting involves placing complementary plants near each other in the ground.  Many companions for your garden vegetables are herb plants.

Many people practice companion vegetable planting as a way to ensure a successful harvest. But herbs can also be a great companion to vegetables like tomatoes.

Herb companions are the same as vegetable companions but they offer distinct benefits for the other items in your garden. For instance, some herbs will discourage the presence of pets. Others might make your vegetables taste better. And when it comes to tomatoes, the right herbs to plant in the garden might be different from what’s fantastic for cucumbers, peppers, or beans.

Today, we’re going to look at the four best herb companions for tomatoes. We’ll break down the benefits of each so you can make the best choice for your personal garden. Let’s get started!

1. Basil – My Favorite Herb Companion

The taste of basil and tomato is like nothing else. Tons of excellent dishes pair this vegetable and herb to create a taste sensation that people across the globe can’t get enough of. Caprese salad morphs these two things together with a bit of cheese and a touch of tang. Margherita Pizza does the same to the adoration of many people.

Of course, the fact that basil and tomato go together well in recipes isn’t the only reason you might choose to companion plant the two together. There are several benefits to adding both to your garden, though, to create a match made in heaven.

Basil has a very strong scent, which is a hidden weapon when it’s planted near tomatoes. The scent is something that insects do not want to experience. This makes it ideal for repelling certain tomato pests, like thrips. You might spend less time fighting bugs if you have basil near your tomatoes and more time is something all of us can appreciate.

But it isn’t just the tomatoes that are going to shine in this relationship. Tomatoes get large on the vine and their plants have tons of leaves. These two things can offer a great amount of afternoon shade to the growing basil. It has delicate leaves that can wither from a lot of bright sunlight.

Tomatoes and basil are protectors to each other and a great way to ensure your kitchen is full of tasty morsels for all the meals you make.

2. Borage

Borage is our second choice for a companion plant near your growing tomatoes. Also known as bee flower or starflower, borage is a plant that is mainly harvested for its seed. It’s an annual with hairy and coarse leaves which grow up to three feet tall with star-shaped blue flowers. The stems and leaves are a color somewhere between grey and green.

Most people choose to grow borage as an ornamental plant, but the flowers and leaves are edible if you want to try something new in your diet. You might notice that the plant tastes a bit like a cucumber.

So why plant borage with your tomatoes? It’s an excellent pollinator plant. It’s an excellent way to bring bees into your yard to boost your harvest by pollinating your tomatoes. However, this isn’t the sole reason you should consider planting both.

Some people have noticed that when tomatoes and borage are planted together, the tomatoes grow better. Borage can also boost the tomatoes’ natural ability to resist disease. And when it comes to pests, borage repels tomato hornworms, which can create widespread devastation in your garden.

3. Thyme

Similar to basil, thyme has a wonderful aroma. The scent it gives off is also very strong and can keep some types of pests away. It’s best to keep whiteflies and tomato hornworms away, but some studies indicate that it can also push out armyworms that might want to snack on your tomatoes.

One of the best characteristics of thyme is that it’s very low growing, which makes it ideal as a natural source of mulch. Planting a bit of thyme near your tomato plants can keep the soil from drying too quickly. It’s also a great method to suppress weeds.

Something to be aware of is that thyme is a perennial in some places, so it will come back the next year and the one after that. On the other hand, tomatoes are annual and need to be replanted after the season is complete.

4. Dill

Finally, let’s talk about dill. It’s the last of our choice of companion herbs to grow with tomatoes. Dill, along with other members of the carrot family, can bring in beneficial insects to help out with your garden.

From parasitic wasps to lacewings and ladybugs, these insects can all keep away more harmful pests that threaten your garden. What these excellent insects excel at is feeding on aphids, tomato hornworms, and many other pests that want nothing but to nosh on your garden veggies.

However, there is a twist on planting dill near tomatoes. If you choose to do so, make sure the dill is given the chance to bloom. Dill has a totally different flavor after it flowers. This makes it a great choice to succession plant the dill so you have lots of it for yourself as well as the insects that offer a positive presence to your garden.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have a good idea of which herbs you should grow with your tomatoes, it will be easier than ever to fill your kitchen with a bounty of vegetables. Anytime you have more veggies than you will eat, canning can make them last. Imagine having a well-stocked pantry to eat all year round.

You can learn more about pressure canning, water bath canning, blanching for the freezer, and more at the Canning 101: Preserve Your Own Healthy Food class at Stoney Creek Farm. Sign up today and make your garden go further than ever.