Nothing beats a homegrown tomato, and we are close to seeing some early tomatoes ripe for the picking. Be aware however, some garden pests are close by and they are looking for a tasty tomato as well!
To help control the critters and add to your fresh grown basket of garden goodness, consider growing these plants with your tomato plants. Fear not, it's not too late for planting these.
Basil, garlic, mint, and sage are great to grow with tomato plants. Hey, don't forget the marigolds for that added splash of garden color!
Here's what each does for your garden:
- Basil repels disease and insects. It repels mosquitoes, flies, and fruit flies.
- Garlic repels red spider mites and a garlic spray can help control late blight.
- Mint helps mask the scent of the tomato plant from insects. When the can't smell it, they can't find and that means no free meal.
- Sage helps repel ticks from your garden and around your yard.
- Marigolds helps protect your tomatoes from root-knot nematodes and repel white flies (germ spreaders).
Just make sure, as these companion plants grow, you keep them cut back if they're in your tomato beds. You don't want these plants blocking too much of the sun that tomato plants need in order to grow some great tasting beauties!
The best area to plant these helpful friends is near the boarder of your garden bed.