Tomatoes Love Marigolds: Tomato Companion Planting

Summary: Tomatoes love marigolds, according to companion planting strategies, because marigold neighbors encourage aphid-free tomatoes.

marigold neighbors yield aphid-free tomatoes, according to companion planting principles: Ruth Hartnup (Ruth and Dave), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Companion planting is a gardening strategy to group together plants that thrive in proximity and to separate plants that languish as garden neighbors.

The dynamics of companion planting remain elusive and almost magical or miraculous in the effects produced by plants as adversarial or as beneficial neighbors in gardens. Experimentation, research, tradition and word-of-mouth are common avenues for identifying plants that flourish together and those that wither together.

Especially valuable for gardeners is the circle of friends enjoyed by tomatoes, one of the most popularly grown and harvested of garden plants. Gardens feature tomatoes because of their global culinary popularity and because of their easy cultivation.

Happy tomato plants produce an abundance of tomatoes, which satisfy as fresh or cooked ingredients and also as canned ingredients for future recipes. An allure of an overly productive tomato plant is the plethora of recipes, from easy to complex, from which to choose.

Tomatoes especially cherish marigolds as neighbors.

The scented beauties in the sunflower family of Asteraceae benevolently and effectively repel such floral pests as nematodes. The roundworms have tubular digestive systems, open at both ends, and display a talent for adapting to a wide range of environments, from marine to terrestrial and from polar to tropical.

The Tagetes genus of marigolds, a New World native sprawling across both North and South America, includes such garden favorites as French marigolds (Tagetes patula) and Mexican marigolds (Tagetes lucida). Marigolds slowly produce a chemical in their roots that is fatal to nematodes. Marigolds control root-knot nematodes, which feature larvae with a potentially lethal effect on roots and which plague tomatoes.

Tomatoes have a proclivity for staking claims to the same areas of a garden with future plantings in mind. Their preference should be honored whenever possible. A problem with disease-riddled tomatoes serves as the only exception and compelling reason for relocation of tomatoes from their habitual spots.

In addition to the fragrant and pretty camaraderie between tomatoes and marigolds, tomatoes also flourish in companion plantings with herbs, roses (Rosa) and vegetables.

Companionable herbs include basil (Ocimum basilicum), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), mint (Mentha), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).

Companionable vegetables include asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), carrots (Daucus carota sativus), celery (Apium graveolens var. dulce), onions (Allium cepa) and radishes (Raphanus sativus).

Tomatoes extend their amiability in the garden to delectability in the kitchen with their favored floral companions. Their tasty camaraderie is especially apparent in salads.

In addition to popular garden companions, tomatoes team wonderfully, in and out of garden, with such well-known flowering plants as nasturtiums (Tropaeolum). All parts of nasturtiums are edible. Nasturtium flowers contribute vivid color to tomato salads.

Neighbors that are irksome to tomatoes include: cabbage (Brassica oleracea); other cabbage family members, such as broccoli (Brassica oleracea) and kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group); corn; fennel (Foeniculum vulgare); and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum).

Tomatoes also join many garden plants in being troubled by nearby black walnut trees (Juglans nigra).

Although tomatoes are hardy, reliable garden dwellers, they are easily coaxed into resplendent perfection in appearance and taste through companion plantings with beneficial floral neighbors.

Happy tomato plants lead to happy eating for happy gardeners.

tomatoes and marigolds: Rob and Stephanie Levy (robstephaustralia), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

marigold neighbors yield aphid-free tomatoes, according to companion planting principles: Ruth Hartnup (Ruth and Dave), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruthanddave/5978880742/

tomatoes and marigolds: Rob and Stephanie Levy (robstephaustralia), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/robandstephanielevy/238758231/

For further information:
Marriner, Derdriu. "Carrots Love Tomatoes: Carrot Companion Planting." Earth and Space News. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2015/01/carrots-love-tomatoes-carrot-companion.html