Gardening: Homebase shares tips to help grow tomatoes
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said: “Companion planting is a method of growing different plants adjacent to one another for the benefit of one or both of the companions.
“Some plants are thought to confuse or act as a decoy to potential pests, while a few provide food for the pest’s natural predators.”
When planting tomatoes, using other plants nearby can help to encourage a healthier plant with better fruit yields, while the wrong companions can have disastrous effects.
According to Matt Hagens at Obsessed Lawn, tomatoes love companions, and so it is best to parent them up with plants like basil, nasturtiums or marigolds.
These friendly neighbours not only help to “repel pests”, but they can also help to “enhance” the flavour of your tomatoes.
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Basil is known to make tomatoes taste better, and what’s more, it can be added to lots of tomato dishes.
Nasturtium can help to deter whiteflies as well as aphids, common problems when it comes to growing tomatoes in the summer.
Peppers also make great companions, as do spinach, lettuce and carrots which will help tomatoes thrive.
According to GardeningKnowHow, parsley and mint are other herbs which are good companions for tomatoes.
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The RHS added: “Companions can give added health to their neighbours. Parsley gives increased vigour to tomatoes and asparagus, horseradish planted near potatoes makes them stronger and more disease resistant.”
Matt continued: “Similarly avoid planting them too close to potatoes or fennel. Trust me, it’s like a bad neighbour feud that never ends well.”
Planting fennel near tomatoes can inhibit the growth of the tomatoes as well as many other plants too.
If you don’t choose to provide your tomatoes with companion plants, it is important to check regularly for disease or opt for a disease-resistant variety, including Crimson Crush.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) describes the Crimson Crush as a “standard indeterminate” tomato developed to be grown outside in the veg garden, allotment and garden.
Other varieties include Ailsa Craig, which produces trusses of medium-sized tomatoes, perfect for cooking or eating from the vine.
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