Best Companions for Tomatoes: Flowers that You Can Plant with Your Tomatoes
Are you thinking about planting flowers alongside your tomato plants? You're in luck! There are plenty of great flowers that can help you maximize your tomato yield, improve soil quality, and even repel pests.
Marigolds
Marigolds are a classic companion plant for gardeners, and for good reason. The flowers contain compounds that attract beneficial insects while repelling harmful ones, making them a natural choice for organic gardeners. Plus, they're easy to grow and come in a range of colors and sizes, so you can choose the perfect marigold variety for your garden.
If you're planting marigolds with tomatoes, try to space them evenly around your tomato plants. You can use them as a border around your tomato bed or interplant them with your tomato plants. Note that some gardeners believe that French marigolds are better companions for tomatoes than other varieties, so you may want to give those a try.
Borage
If you want to attract pollinators to your garden and improve soil quality, borage is an excellent flower to add to the mix. The blue, star-shaped flowers are incredibly attractive to bees and other pollinators and can improve the flavor and yield of your tomato plants.
Borage is also great at suppressing weeds and has a high mineral content, making it an excellent choice for improving soil quality. The plants are easy to grow and can self-seed, providing you with a free and natural source of beneficial flowers for years to come. Just be aware that borage can spread quickly, so you'll need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't take over your garden.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are another great flower to plant alongside your tomatoes. They attract beneficial insects, including bees and hoverflies, and repel pests like aphids and whiteflies. Plus, their bright flowers add a pop of color to your garden and are edible, making them a fun addition to your summer salads.
Plant nasturtiums around the edges of your tomato bed or interplant them with your tomato plants. They're low-growing and have trailing stems, so they work well as a ground cover. And if you're short on space, you can even grow nasturtiums in hanging baskets or other containers.
Conclusion
There are plenty of great flowers to plant alongside your tomatoes, and each one offers unique benefits. Marigolds attract beneficial insects and repel pests, borage improves soil quality and attracts pollinators, and nasturtiums repel pests and add a pop of color to your garden. So if you want to maximize your tomato yield and enjoy a beautiful garden, consider adding these companion flowers to your tomato bed.