10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (2024)

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Gardening experts share advice to make sure your tomatoes thrive where you plant them.

By

Felicia Feaster

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (1)

Felicia Feaster

Felicia Feaster has worked for the past 20-plus years as a lifestyle journalist. She specializes in writing about interior design, gardening, trends, culture, travel, and wellness.

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Published on May 18, 2024

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10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (2)

While tomatoes are a summer garden staple, the amount of fretting and fear involved in growing them may put them in the ranks of plants that can be challenging for even experienced gardeners. But there is no reason for backyard farmers to fear.

If you want to give your tomatoes a fighting chance, there are things you can do to give them a solid head start. Growing disease-resistant tomato varieties, getting enough sun, and regular watering are all good bedrock for growing healthy tomatoes, for instance.

But another critical step in ensuring your tomatoes have the best chance of growing happy and healthy is thinking not just about where you plant them but what you plant them next to. While certain companion plants for tomatoes help this plant thrive, other plants and vegetables should be planted elsewhere because they can inhibit healthy tomato growth.

Ahead, our experts explain which plants can actually hinder your tomato plant's growth if planted too close together in your garden.

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01of 10

Fennel

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (3)

Allelopathic plants release toxins into the soil that inhibit the growth of other plants, in a sense eliminating their competition. An allelopathic plant like fennel can directly impact tomato growth, says Carrie Spoonemore, co-creator of Park Seed’s From Seed to Spoon app, so she recommends gardeners not plant it near tomatoes.

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02of 10

Cabbage

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (4)

Cabbage and other plants in the brassica family can compete with tomatoes for vital nutrients in the soil, says Spoonemore, thus robbing tomatoes of an ideal growing medium. In addition, cabbage also has a wide growing habit that can crowd tomato plants out.

03of 10

Pole Beans

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (5)

Avoid pole beans near your tomatoes—they can grow aggressively and end up shading your tomatoes too much. "While some companion planting guides suggest planting pole beans with tomatoes, there is a risk of competition for sunlight, water, and nutrients, especially if the beans grow vigorously and shade the tomato plants excessively," says Spoonemore.

04of 10

Dill

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (6)

Herbs are often ideal companion plants for tomatoes, but dill is the exception. Mature dill plants can harm tomato plants, taking soil nutrients for themselves and inhibiting tomato root growth.

05of 10

Corn

Corn belongs to a group of vegetables that should not be planted close to tomatoes because, once grown and tall, they can shade tomatoes out and inhibit their growth.

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06of 10

Okra

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (8)

Until you’ve grown okra, you might not expect the towering growth habit and lovely pale yellow hibiscus-like flowers this Southern vegetable produces. Planting okra next to tomatoes isn't encouraged because its leafy height could keep tomatoes from getting their required 6 to 8 hours of sun a day.

07of 10

Potatoes

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (9)

Kelly Smith Trimble, a gardening expert and book author on the subject, recommends not planting potatoes near tomatoes. Potatoes are in the same Solanaceae (or nightshade) family as tomatoes, meaning that both plants are susceptible to the same pests and diseases.

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08of 10

Broccoli

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (10)

Some vegetables, like broccoli, are known as "heavy feeders" in the garden world, meaning they require rich soil with plenty of nutrients to grow. For that reason, broccoli should not be planted close to tomatoes to ensure your tomatoes have the nutrients they need to thrive.

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09of 10

Cauliflower

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (11)

Cauliflower attracts pests like cabbage worms and aphids that can also attack tomato plants. In addition, cauliflower is a heavy feeder that can sap the soil of vital nutrients.

10of 10

Eggplant

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (12)

Tomatoes and eggplants are in the same nightshade family, and as a result, eggplant will compete with tomatoes for nutrients. Eggplants can also spread blight, a fungal disease spread by insects, wind, water, and animals that is especially prevalent among potatoes and tomatoes. You will know if your tomatoes have been exposed to blight if you see browning, rotting fruit, and shriveled leaves on your plants.

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10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

10 Plants You Should Never Grow Next to Your Tomatoes? ›

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower

Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower
couve f (plural couves) several leaf vegetables, from the family Brassica oleracea. kale (plant) cabbage (plant) synonym ▲ Synonym: repolho.
https://en.wiktionary.org › wiki › couve
, kale, Brussels sprouts, and kohlrabi can stunt the growth of your tomato plant because they out-compete them for the same nutrients. These vegetables are in the brassica family.

What plants go well with tomatoes? ›

Good companion plants for tomatoes

Therefore, lettuce (Lactuca sativa), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), basil (Ocimum basilicum), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and parsley (Petroselinum crispum) make great neighbours for tomatoes. They can even be planted or sown long before the tomatoes, in March or April.

Why should you not plant cucumbers near tomatoes? ›

Planting cucumbers and tomatoes right next to each other is often not recommended. These two plants often have similar requirements for nutrients, water and light, which can lead to competition. Both plants are heavy feeders and require a lot of nitrogen for healthy growth.

Can tomatoes and peppers be planted together? ›

The reality is that because the two have similar growth requirements, they can in fact be grown quite successfully together. Diseases common to both tomato and pepper include Verticillium wilt and bacterial spot.

Can cucumbers and tomatoes be planted together? ›

Cucumbers and tomatoes can be planted by each other as they share similar growing habits and therefore you can grow tomatoes by cucumbers. Greg Volente from Greenhouse Today explains that: 'Cucumbers and tomatoes are two vigorous growers in a spring garden. They're both vining plants and share similar basic needs.

What not to plant with peppers? ›

Basil and nasturtium prevent aphids and whiteflies, onions and garlic help against fungal diseases such as gray mold. You should not plant aubergines, peas, fennel, beet, potatoes and celery next to peppers and chili peppers.

What not to plant with cucumbers? ›

Brassicas: Plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can compete with cucumbers for the same nutrients in the soil. They also attract pests that can damage cucumber plants, such as flea beetles and cabbage worms.

What are the best companion plants for cucumbers? ›

Peas, corn, beans, and lentils: These plants' root systems increase nitrogen in the soil, which will benefit your cucumber plants. Mature corn stalks also provide natural support for climbing cucumbers and provide much-needed shade in sun-scorched spaces.

Can zucchini and tomatoes be planted together? ›

Zucchini and tomatoes can be grown as close neighbors and will make satisfactory companion plants. Both vegetables thrive in the same environmental conditions, so a garden plot that is ideal for one plant is therefore ideal for the other. They both need a location with full sun and benefit from nutrient-rich soil.

What not to plant with zucchini? ›

Potatoes can also spread diseases such as late blight, which can also affect zucchinis. Cucumbers and pumpkins should not be planted next to zucchinis as they belong to the same family (Cucurbitaceae) and therefore attract similar pests and diseases.

What grows well with tomatoes and peppers? ›

Alliums – Onions, garlic, chives and other alliums can all work well as companion plants for tomatoes and peppers, as they can for a wide range of other crops. Their strong smell can work to repel or distract a wide range of pests that might otherwise plague your plants.

Is coffee grounds good for tomato plants? ›

In a compost pile, coffee grounds decompose and break down, mingling with other organic matter like vegetable scraps, leaves, and grass clippings. This process creates a nutrient-rich compost that is much safer and more beneficial for tomato plants.

Can onions and tomatoes be planted together? ›

Plants that grow well with tomatoes include all the members of the onion family such as chives, onions, and garlic. Their pungent odor is said to deter insect pests. Can you plant tomatoes and peppers together? Peppers, both sweet and hot, are excellent companion plants.

What not to plant near celery? ›

Don't plant root crops, such as carrots, parsnips, and potatoes nearby. Celery has a shallow root system that can be damaged when a root crop is harvested. Corn is also not a good choice. It is a heavy feeder and can deplete the soil of the nutrients that celery needs, and the tall plants block too much sunlight.

Do marigolds help tomato plants? ›

Marigolds are considered companion plants to tomatoes in that they protect and enhance the growth of your tomatoes. So not only are these flowers pretty but they also do important jobs in the garden. What "jobs" do marigolds do in your garden? Marigolds help attract bees and other beneficial insects to tomato plants.

Should I put something around my tomato plants? ›

Support structures such as cages and trellises allow you to maximize your harvest by keeping the plants and fruit off the ground. The photos below will give you some ideas about some of the different ways you can support your plants and achieve true tomato transcendence this season.

What should you not plant next to cucumbers? ›

Brassicas: Plants like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower can compete with cucumbers for the same nutrients in the soil. They also attract pests that can damage cucumber plants, such as flea beetles and cabbage worms.

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