Summertime is a great season to get your garden going, bringing delicious fruits, veggies, and herbs right into your backyard. Even toward the end of summer, it’s not too late to get started if you begin with purchased plants from a garden center or your local Lowe’s.
A recent gardening hack on TikTok is helping anyone have a greener thumb, making tomato crops pest-free and flavor-rich.
The scoop
In a TikTok post shared by Ali (@aligrowsthings), the user showcases a companion planting technique that yields juicy veggies and helps prevent gardeners from needing harsh pesticides.
@aligrowsthings Companion planting is one of the things that has taken my gardens to the next level ✨ Some of my favorite companion plant combinations: (1) tomatoes, basil & marigold (2) peppers, marigolds & nasturtiums (3) corn, beans, and squash/pumpkins (“3 sisters”) (4) carrots, onions & rosemary (4) cucumbers, radishes, beans & marigolds (5) peppers, basil & parsley (6) zucchini & nasturtiums (7) spinach & beans (8) lettuce & chives (9) strawberry & borage (10) plant chives or parsley at the base of roses to deter aphids Main benefits of companion planting: improves soil health, minimizes pest issues, more plant growth —> your plants thrive when you pair them with other plants they like (aka plants that share similar growing conditions, help each other out, deter one another’s pests, etc.) Take tomato, basil and marigold: basil protects tomatoes from whiteflies, aphids, and hornworms. Marigolds attract ladybugs and parasitic wasps, which eat tomato hornworms (they attract other beneficial insects as well.) Nasturtiums are excellent and beautiful: they act as a trap crop, attracting pests away from your other vegetables. (They are also fully edible, leaf flower and seed.) Bush beans and pole beans can be planted around the garden to improve soil health, as they fix the soil with nitrogen, just be careful to keep them away from alliums (garlic, onions, chives). 🌻 Plant sunflowers everywhere, they atttact pollinators and JOY. The more flowers the better. Herbs planted all over will protect your garden from most pests (things that have a strong scent tend to throw the pests and creatures off) Happy planting 🌱✨🐝💐🥒🍅👩🌾🌻🌙 #gardentok #homegarden #inthegarden #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #kitchengarden #companionplanting #companionplants #hugelkultur #gardeningtips #gardenwithme #gardening #gardensoftiktok #homegarden #gardeninghacks #gardeningforbeginners #gardeningtiktok #garden ♬ growth – Gede Yudis
“Companion planting is one of the things that has taken my gardens to the next level,” Ali says. The video shows the user planting four tomato plants alongside two basil and two marigold plants.
“Basil and marigold protect tomatoes from harmful pests, and attract beneficial insects,” Ali adds.
Ali’s video cuts to two weeks later, where her tomatoes are thriving in the garden, accompanied by the user’s secret helpers, the companion plants.
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How it’s helping
Companion planting is a great hack for anyone looking to make their gardens healthier, more diverse, and have less maintenance. It simply requires planting two or more complementary plants nearby one another in your garden.
Other gardeners have shared companion plant hacks, including one who paired potatoes with garlic. With the garlic being antifungal and a natural pest repellent, this hack yields better potatoes. Plus, much like planting basil with tomato, the garlic improves the taste of the potatoes.
Another companion planter used marigolds and other flowers with her watermelons to keep the unwanted bugs out and the helpful pollinators in.
On top of diversifying your garden, these companion planting hacks will cut down your time in the garden, giving you the time to cook up delicious garden recipes.
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Any steps you can take to make growing your own food easier are worth it. Not only does having a garden save you money on food and keep harmful chemicals or preservatives from touching your meals, but a garden can connect you with nature. Links between gardening and improved mental health make this yummy pastime all the more worth it.
What everyone’s saying
Fellow gardeners and companion planting pursuers expressed their awe for Ali’s companion-planted tomatoes in the comments of the video.
One user said, “Ahhh your garden is so beautiful!!!”
Another person added, “Wonderful garden and vegetables. Awesome job! Gardening is life!”
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