In this video I’ll cover 15 science based companion planting choices for tomatoes. These 15 plants will help fight pests, disease, and weeds.
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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
Welcome to our online community! A place to be educated, inspired and hopefully entertained at the same time! A place where you can learn to grow your own food and become a better organic gardener. At the same time, a place to grow the beauty around you and stretch that imagination (that sometimes lies dormant, deep inside) through gardening.
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44 Comments
Great content.
Thank you for the tips! We appreciate it 😊
This one a keeper! I will be returning here to over and over I'm sure! Thanks again!!
Need plantation Video on Passion Fruits growing
What about leaf footed bugs? They are DESTROYING my tomato crop! There are tons of them. There are some stink bugs too but I don’t see nearly as many of them.
What about tomatillo pests?
Perfect, thanks Brian! I found your book a while back and now I don't know where I put it…. Ugh ridiculous! Have a blessed day 🙏💞p.s. found the book! 🎉🎉🎉
I'm sorry, but this is simply not true – there are no companion plants that will keep your tomato plants pest-free or disease-free! And in my 12 years of growing tomatoes I have never found a companion plant to even make a noticeable difference. If you have serious pest or disease problems in your area, companion planting won't prevent it.
Hairy vetch probably reduces soil-borne fungal diseases, but it will not help prevent airborne fungal diseases (of which there are many that affect tomatoes).
And not parsley nor hoverflies will help with a thrips infestation – they won't make any difference if you live in an area with a thrips problem, because the thrips blow or fly over from everywhere around you, land on your plants and then they colonise it very quickly. And if you somehow get rid of them (such as spraying contact insecticides), then another load of thrips comes in tomorrow (and the first ones are normally already infected with tomato spotted wilt virus, so it is game over at that point).
I appreciate the effort you make with your channel, but please be more careful about giving accurate information. When I was a beginner tomato grower I wasted so much time, energy and money following inaccurate advice gotten from YouTube presenters.
I noticed you didn’t mention marigolds. What’s your thoughts about them planted with tomatoes? I’ve seen a lot of videos that show them growing next to their tomatoes.
I thought they said fennel is allelopathic and shouldn’t be planted with tomatoes because they prevent fruiting.
I’ll say it again, your book is awesome! I keep it next to my regular seat in the living room and refer back to it often!
I live here in California. I have 3 tomato plants in a large container, in which I've also planted basil, marigolds, and allisium. I've had one "monster" horned tomato worm. It decimated one tomato plant before I got it off. It was a fatty. Since then, free and clear and the one tomato is recovering quite nicely. And of course, they're covered now.
most of the weeds I find in my garden are grasses, I hate grasses…
Wow, this is amazing. Thank you sweetheart. I usually grow marigolds and other wild or field flowers with toms. This year I put in parsley because I want to eat more and hadn't much space. I will try your other tips. So far in UK I have never seen a hornworm but with climate change, you never know.
@HappyTrucker1946
46 seconds ago (edited)
I had some sweet potaoes go bad from the store, dug a hole in my garden through them in and buried them, now the vine is going crazy. Should I wait for leafs to yellow and see what I get? I also have one growing in a container as you instructed, it's looking great.
Thank you so much. Great advice which I will do.
How about Grubs? Ive found a few of these in my raised vegetable beds
Another excellent informative video. Thanks, Brian!!
I have 2 of the biggest Black Walnut trees I have ever seen, in my yard. Canopy on both is well over 20'. For this reason( plus the voles & moles) growing peppers, tomatoes, carrots, beans, and strawberries in a "growpot garden". So far, so good. However, the birds & /or squirrels have dug up two bags of carrots? Going to sow carrots a third time and cover them with hardware cloth, we'll see. You did NOT mention Marigolds, old wives myth?
Thanks! Helpful info!
Great video. I have your book but hearing you go through the companion plants and explaining what each specific plants contributes to the tomato plant was great. Thank you so much for this video. Will be sharing this video with my sisters. Blessings❤️🌺
I have had a terrible time with tomatoes. I have lost 25 plants this year from some kind of wilt. I planted them in my raised beds and directly in my flowers bed. Out of 30 plants, 5 have survived and they were planted in pots. I’m about ready to give up on tomatoes. I live in the Florida Panhandle.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Last year I planted two eggplant as an experiment to see if I might like them as I had never eaten eggplant. I didn't get any to harvest but the flea beetles loved the plants yet not one noticeable on my tomatoes just a few feet away. Mind you, this is just one seasons experience so YMMV.
I have your book and for a first year gardener my plants are 1. Alive and 2. Productive. Thank you!
Been learning and binging your videos. Have your book on the way, just placed order. Thank you for all the great tips. Limited space, so it’s challenging to grow much. Just harvested my first basil crop for new plants & freezing for later. 🌱 little wins is all I’m hoping for this year. Looking forward to watching Daisy May’s appearance. 😊
That was amazing and absolutely explains what happened to my tomato plants. We cut back a black walnut tree because we thought it was blocking the sun. It was, but now I know that's not all it was doing. 😠 I've learned so much from your channel. Thank you!!
They like my potato plants too 😢
Sure do appreciate your knowledge,research,experiments or whatever you did to learn what you know and for sharing it.
If I planted my tomatoes in pots should I plant the companion in the same pot or can I just put another pot of the companion plant near if?
Awesome information. Thank you
Are you planting beit alpha cucumber or another type of greenhouse cucumber this season? I remember you weren't too happy with them because of seeds but I sent you a message on Instagram one time explaining they are "gynoecious" and should be isolated or covered with a insect net to keep them from being cross pollenated. I'm doing that this year to see if it works like I've read in articles. Hoping for better results. If so I'll continue with this method.
Thanks Brian. Another interesting and useful video. Now I know what to plant together. Two years ago I planted tomatoes and potatoes in the same raised bed. Everything grew well but the harvest was less than I wanted. The potato plants were a lush 3 feet tall and the tomatoes were alright just didn't get the harvest I expected. My guess poor soil quality. Thanks again and bless you.
Cucumbers.
I can't wait to build my homesteading library and your book on companion planting is already in my Amazon cart! I'm just waiting for my hubby to get a job. The IT job market is crazy competitive right now and he has been out of work since Nov. I bet you are so glad to be out of the grind and into the garden! Have you considered doing classes or even short paid internships on your property? Or even online? I would LOVE to do a week (or just a weekend) on your property, helping to work on projects and learning from you in person. I have so many ideas that I've even considered starting a channel to document my journey or doing workshops because of how many people approach me for help or advice while I work in my front yard urban garden. Gardening has lit a passion inside me that I can't explain and am using it as PT in hopes that I can get back into a career, likely combining my Interior Design & Space Planning skills with gardening. I learned about and even did a few small Landscape Design jobs….but I never imagined that I'd want to help others to create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces with urban gardens.
Made almost every mistake due to limited space lol
Clearly, I need to plant more Basil as Marigolds don't work that well to deter pests in tomatoes. Thanks for the awesome and informative Garden video.
Great tips
Hey Brian, could you point me toward the science? I just finished the University of California Master Gardener program, and our text says "Numerous claims have been made about the ability of certain plants to protect certain other plants from pest damage (companion planting). However, these claims are not substantiated by data from scientific studies." Thanks.
Very interesting – I didnt know about Hairy Vetch, so will try that this coming spring. And its great to know which plants attract what particular insect.
I have your book which has taught me so much! Your videos also teach me and I really enjoy them.
Thanks for the pics of the bugs and plant damage within the video, truly helps.
Sorry o say but basil has no effect on the horn worms here in Florida, we have them planted all around our tomatoes and the horn worms keep on eating. lost two tomatoes last night including the tops of the plant.
Can't thank you enough for sharing this info, Brian. I've got big dreams this season for tomatoes and this will surely help!
Last year I followed your companion planting tips and my tomatoes were great so I've done it again this year. I dont like radish so allowing them to flower is no problem for me. It also allowed me to harvest seed to use this year. I even had a few volunteers pop up in different spots and I'm allowing them to grow where they are. I have a question about the alliums and basil though, how many plants do I need and how close should they be planted to the tomatoes? I guess the same question for the dill. Thanks for all your hard work in putting out all these great videos!!