{"id":69346,"date":"2026-03-24T06:30:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/?p=69346"},"modified":"2026-03-24T03:40:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T07:40:06","slug":"plant-these-10-companion-plants-with-your-tomatoes-and-stop-planting-these-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/plant-these-10-companion-plants-with-your-tomatoes-and-stop-planting-these-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Plant These 10 Companion Plants With Your Tomatoes \u2014 and Stop Planting These 4"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-7::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-7{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-8::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-8{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-9::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-9{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-10::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-10{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-11::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-11{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-12::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-12{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-13::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-13{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-14::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-14{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-15::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-15{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-16::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-16{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-17::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-17{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-18::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-18{display:block;}<\/style><p>The mint you tucked next to your tomatoes last summer? It might have been sabotaging the tomatoes. So might the dill. Some of the most popular plants gardeners are told to grow alongside tomatoes don&rsquo;t just fail to help &mdash; they actively get in the way, and yet they keep showing up on companion planting lists year after year.<\/p>\n<p>This is the month to get it right. If you&rsquo;re planning your tomato beds in March, the window to set up proper companions before transplant time is still open. The right plants in the right spots can reduce pest pressure, improve pollination, and even help your tomatoes defend themselves. The wrong ones will compete, inhibit growth, or roll out the welcome mat for the exact pests you&rsquo;re trying to avoid.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Your Companion Plant Choices Matter More Than You Think<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_67509\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67509\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67509\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457.jpg\" alt=\"Tomato plants with green fruit and marigolds - companion plants in a permaculture garden. Marigolds help to pollinate more tomatoes.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67509\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67509 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3Crect%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Tomato plants with green fruit and marigolds - companion plants in a permaculture garden. Marigolds help to pollinate more tomatoes.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_1919752457-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-67509\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Companion planting has deep roots in gardening tradition, but in recent years, researchers have started separating the science from the folklore. A surprising amount of the most repeated advice turns out to be unverified folk wisdom.<\/p>\n<p>However, a handful of pairings have real, documented benefits &mdash; and knowing which is which is the difference between a garden that works for you and one that quietly works against you.<\/p>\n<p>The good news: you don&rsquo;t need a complicated companion planting map or a perfectly orchestrated polyculture. You need a short, reliable list. Here it is.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Basil<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_44055\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44055\" class=\"size-full wp-image-44055\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817.jpg\" alt=\"Sweet Basil growing in rich garden soil in a raised planter bed in a kitchen garden, fresh herbs for cooking\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-44055\" class=\"size-full wp-image-44055 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817.jpg\" alt=\"Sweet Basil growing in rich garden soil in a raised planter bed in a kitchen garden, fresh herbs for cooking\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2102589817.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-44055\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Basil releases aromatic oils that confuse and repel aphids, whiteflies, and tomato hornworm moths. More surprisingly, a <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/39039312\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024 study led by Kagoshima University<\/a> found that volatile compounds from basil plants actively prime tomatoes&rsquo; own immune systems, triggering natural defense responses before pest damage even occurs.<\/p>\n<p>Plant basil in clusters around the base of each tomato plant rather than in a single far-off row; proximity matters here. As a bonus, basil will flag powdery mildew and other diseases before your tomatoes show symptoms, giving you a critical head start on treatment.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Marigolds<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_34632\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34632\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1.jpg\" alt=\"beautiful flower of marigold in the garden.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34632\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34632 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1.jpg\" alt=\"beautiful flower of marigold in the garden.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Marigolds-1.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-34632\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Marigolds are the most recommended tomato companion, and also the most misunderstood. Most gardeners scatter a few around the bed and expect pest miracles. The real nematode-suppression benefit only kicks in when specific varieties like &lsquo;Nemagold&rsquo; or &lsquo;Golden Guardian&rsquo; are grown as a full cover crop before tomatoes are planted, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.ucr.edu\/~atploeg\/Ploegweblinks\/covercrops.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UC Riverside<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That said, marigolds reliably attract ladybugs and other beneficial insects that prey on aphids, and they draw pollinators to the bed. Plant them; just set the right expectations.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Nasturtiums<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_41380\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41380\" class=\"size-full wp-image-41380\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"A bed of flowering garden nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus), with yellow petals and red hearts.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41380\" class=\"size-full wp-image-41380 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts.jpg\" alt=\"A bed of flowering garden nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus), with yellow petals and red hearts.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-bed-of-flowering-garden-nasturtiums-Tropaeolum-majus-with-yellow-petals-and-red-hearts.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-41380\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Mary Hutchison &ndash; Own work &ndash; CC0\/Wiki Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nasturtiums are what gardeners call a trap crop: they attract aphids and whiteflies so aggressively that pests go for the nasturtiums instead of your tomatoes. This only works if you let it happen, which means resisting the urge to spray your nasturtiums when they get covered in insects.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s exactly the point. Their flowers and leaves are also edible, with a peppery kick that makes them a legitimate dual-purpose addition to any garden.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Borage<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_40330\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40330\" class=\"size-full wp-image-40330\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of borage (borago officinalis) flowers in bloom\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40330\" class=\"size-full wp-image-40330 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of borage (borago officinalis) flowers in bloom\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2400651679.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-5\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-40330\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Borage deters tomato hornworms and cabbage moth caterpillars, and it attracts pollinators with its striking blue flowers. The most useful thing about borage, though, may be its self-seeding habit: plant it once at the edge of your tomato bed, and it will return on its own year after year.<\/p>\n<p>Give it space &mdash; it sprawls &mdash; but the free recurring protection is worth the real estate.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Garlic<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_43690\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43690\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43690\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879.jpg\" alt=\"young green healthy garlic plants in the garden. Garden and vegetable garden in spring. wooden beds. Eco-friendly vegetable growing. amateur dacha organic farming. Healthy healthy food\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43690\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43690 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879.jpg\" alt=\"young green healthy garlic plants in the garden. Garden and vegetable garden in spring. wooden beds. Eco-friendly vegetable growing. amateur dacha organic farming. Healthy healthy food\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Shutterstock_2302447879.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-6\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-43690\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Garlic&rsquo;s sulfurous odor masks the smell of ripening tomato fruit, disorienting pest moths and keeping away cabbage loopers and root maggots. Beyond pest deterrence, garlic&rsquo;s antibacterial and antifungal compounds also help suppress soil-borne disease around tomato roots. The same logic applies across the entire allium family: onions, leeks, shallots, and chives all share that pungent, pest-disrupting smell.<\/p>\n<p>Chives, in particular, pull double duty &mdash; they deter aphids and hornworms through most of the season, and when they flower, they attract pollinators and beneficial wasps to the bed. One <a href=\"https:\/\/agrilifetoday.tamu.edu\/2023\/03\/28\/improving-tomato-plants-through-companion-planting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Texas A&amp;M vegetable specialist<\/a> noted that planting two or three rows of onions around a tomato patch created a physical and olfactory barrier that rabbits simply refused to cross.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Carrots<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_34539\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34539\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303.png\" alt=\"carrots garden hands soil\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-1080x608.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34539\" class=\"size-full wp-image-34539 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303.png\" alt=\"carrots garden hands soil\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303-1080x608.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Shutterstock_2191701303.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-7\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-34539\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Carrots do most of their work underground, which is exactly why they&rsquo;re valuable to tomatoes. Their deep taproots break up compacted soil and improve drainage, oxygen flow, and nutrient access around tomato roots, without competing for the same resources.<\/p>\n<p>Plant them early in the season before your tomatoes fill in, and you&rsquo;ll have a carrot harvest right around the time your tomatoes need the full bed to themselves.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Lettuce<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_68294\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-68294\" class=\"size-full wp-image-68294\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843.jpg\" alt=\"Teenage girl with her mother harvesting fresh green lettuce on a farm field on a sunny spring day\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-68294\" class=\"size-full wp-image-68294 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843.jpg\" alt=\"Teenage girl with her mother harvesting fresh green lettuce on a farm field on a sunny spring day\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2160953843.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-8\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-68294\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Lettuce is the practical companion: it fills the shaded, lower-level space beneath tomato plants that would otherwise go bare, acts as a living mulch that retains soil moisture, and doesn&rsquo;t compete for the same root depth.<\/p>\n<p>By midsummer, the partial shade from tomato foliage actually keeps lettuce from bolting. Stick to looseleaf varieties rather than heading types, and tuck them along the outer edges of the bed.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Asparagus<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_38415\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38415\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38415\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328.jpg\" alt=\"Organic farming asparagus in black soil\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38415\" class=\"size-full wp-image-38415 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328.jpg\" alt=\"Organic farming asparagus in black soil\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Shutterstock_1344091328.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-9\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-38415\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This one surprises most gardeners, but the asparagus-tomato pairing is one of the few companion relationships with genuinely documented mutual benefit. Asparagus releases a compound that is toxic to root-knot nematodes, protecting tomato roots.<\/p>\n<p>Tomatoes, in return, produce solanine, which repels the asparagus beetle. Since asparagus is a perennial, this is more of a long-term garden design decision than a seasonal planting choice, but if you have an established asparagus bed, plant your tomatoes nearby.<\/p>\n<h2>9. Calendula<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_39576\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-39576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589.jpg\" alt=\"Bright flowers of calendula (Calendula officinalis), growing in the garden.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39576\" class=\"size-full wp-image-39576 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589.jpg\" alt=\"Bright flowers of calendula (Calendula officinalis), growing in the garden.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2271804589.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-10\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-39576\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Calendula&rsquo;s sticky stems trap aphids before they reach your tomatoes. It also attracts hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which are natural predators of caterpillars and whiteflies. Like nasturtiums, it functions as a sacrificial plant, requiring occasional cutting back or removal when pest load gets high.<\/p>\n<p>The bright orange flowers are edible and attractive, making it one of the most garden-worthy companions on this list.<\/p>\n<h2>10. Thyme<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_39959\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39959\" class=\"size-full wp-image-39959\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765.jpg\" alt=\"Thymus pseudolanuginosus - commonly called woolly thyme\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-39959\" class=\"size-full wp-image-39959 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765.jpg\" alt=\"Thymus pseudolanuginosus - commonly called woolly thyme\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Shutterstock_2362686765.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-11\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-39959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/savvygardening.com\/tomato-companion-plants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Savvy Gardening<\/a>, Iowa State University researchers found that interplanting tomatoes with thyme reduced egg-laying by yellow-striped armyworms, one of the more destructive tomato pests. Thyme grows as a low, spreading mat, making it a natural living mulch for tomato beds.<\/p>\n<p>It is perennial, so keep in mind that if you rotate your tomatoes to a new bed each year, the thyme will need to move too.<\/p>\n<h2>The 4 Plants You Should Never Grow With Tomatoes<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_42527\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42527\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42527\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15.jpg\" alt=\"Different tomatoes in baskets near the greenhouse. Harvesting tomatoes.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42527\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42527 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15.jpg\" alt=\"Different tomatoes in baskets near the greenhouse. Harvesting tomatoes.\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Untitled-design-15.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-12\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-42527\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The companion planting world is full of mistakes dressed up as good advice. These four plants appear on friendly companion lists all the time, and all four have a documented case against them.<\/p>\n<h2>1. Fennel<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_32015\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32015\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32015\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed.jpg\" alt=\"Fennel Bulb in garden bed\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32015\" class=\"size-full wp-image-32015 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed.jpg\" alt=\"Fennel Bulb in garden bed\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Fennel-Bulb-in-garden-bed.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-13\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-32015\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Fennel is probably the most dangerous plant you can put near tomatoes. It releases allelopathic compounds that actively inhibit the growth and development of nearby plants, and tomatoes are particularly sensitive. Keep fennel in a separate bed, far away.<\/p>\n<h2>2. Mint<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_66303\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66303\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66303\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533.jpg\" alt=\"Pycnanthemum muticum - Short-toothed Mountain Mint\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-66303\" class=\"size-full wp-image-66303 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533.jpg\" alt=\"Pycnanthemum muticum - Short-toothed Mountain Mint\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Shutterstock_2388400533.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-14\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-66303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mint is widely sold and widely planted next to tomatoes, and this is a genuine error. Maturing mint releases compounds that retard tomato growth. The internet loves pairing them, but experienced gardeners who have watched their tomatoes underperform next to mint know better.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Dill<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_42019\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42019\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42019\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful flower of Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42019\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42019 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful flower of Dill (Anethum graveolens) is an annual herb in the celery family Apiaceae\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Shutterstock_2585157127.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-15\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-42019\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Dill is a case study in frenemy plants. Young dill attracts beneficial insects; mature dill attracts tomato hornworm moths and has allelopathic properties that stunt tomato growth. If you grow dill, keep it well away from the tomato bed.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Mediterranean herbs<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_42418\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42418\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42418\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697.jpg\" alt=\"Folgate (Lavandula Austifolia) is a kind of Lavender in National Arboratorium Canberra\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-42418\" class=\"size-full wp-image-42418 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697.jpg\" alt=\"Folgate (Lavandula Austifolia) is a kind of Lavender in National Arboratorium Canberra\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Shutterstock_2262196697.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-16\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-42418\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Mediterranean herbs, like rosemary, sage, lavender, and most high-dry-sun herbs, prefer lean, low-fertility, well-drained soil. Tomatoes are heavy feeders that need consistent water and rich amendments. Sharing a bed forces one of them to suffer, and it is usually the herb. These plants are beautiful; they simply belong elsewhere in the garden.<\/p>\n<h2>What Companion Planting Can (and Can&rsquo;t) Do For You<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_31794\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31794\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31794\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK.jpg\" alt=\"Companion Planting with Bright Orange Marigold Flowers and Home Grown Organic Vegetables Growing on an Allotment in a Vegetable Garden in Rural Devon, England, UK\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-31794\" class=\"size-full wp-image-31794 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK.jpg\" alt=\"Companion Planting with Bright Orange Marigold Flowers and Home Grown Organic Vegetables Growing on an Allotment in a Vegetable Garden in Rural Devon, England, UK\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-1080x608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Companion-Planting-with-Bright-Orange-Marigold-Flowers-and-Home-Grown-Organic-Vegetables-Growing-on-an-Allotment-in-a-Vegetable-Garden-in-Rural-Devon-England-UK.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-17\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-31794\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Shutterstock.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Companion planting is not a substitute for healthy soil, proper watering, and attentive gardening. It will not eliminate pests entirely, and it will not rescue a tomato bed with underlying problems. What it can do is tilt the ecosystem in your favor by attracting more beneficial insects, reducing pest pressure at the edges, and making better use of every inch of your growing space.<\/p>\n<p>The companion planting advice most worth trusting is the advice backed by research: basil&rsquo;s defense-priming is confirmed, asparagus and tomato&rsquo;s mutual protection is documented, and thyme&rsquo;s armyworm deterrence comes from university studies. Much of the rest is tradition, and tradition is worth something in the garden, but it should be held a little more lightly.<\/p>\n<h2>A Garden That Works With Itself<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_41404\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41404\" class=\"size-full wp-image-41404\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants.jpg\" alt=\"zinnias with companion plants\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-41404\" class=\"size-full wp-image-41404 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants.jpg\" alt=\"zinnias with companion plants\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-728x410.jpg 728w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-320x180.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants-1080x608.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/zinnias-with-companion-plants.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-18\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-41404\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Image Credit: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0\/Wiki Commons.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>With planting season approaching, March is the right time to think through bed placement. Tuck basil between plants rather than in a separate row. Place marigolds around the outer border. Start sunflowers now if stink bugs are a regular problem in your area, since they need to be flowering when your tomatoes peak. Plant nasturtiums and calendula at the edges as sacrifice zones. Lettuce and carrots can go in early, before tomatoes are transplanted.<\/p>\n<p>You do not need a perfect companion planting plan. You need a handful of good ones, planted with a little intention, and you need to leave the bad actors out. Start with basil and marigolds if nothing else. Add nasturtiums for pest interception. Tuck lettuce in the shade. The garden will take it from there, doing exactly what gardens do best when they&rsquo;re given the right company: finding its own balance.<\/p>\n<h3>Read More<\/h3>\n<p class=\"viewsHeaderText\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/other\/do-these-12-raised-garden-bed-tasks-before-march-ends-or-lose-your-head-start\/ss-AA1YEOjW?disableErrorRedirect=true&amp;infiniteContentCount=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Do these 12 raised garden bed tasks before March ends, or lose your head start<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"viewsHeaderText\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-us\/news\/other\/12-vegetables-to-direct-sow-in-the-garden-right-now-in-march\/ss-AA1YF2L1?disableErrorRedirect=true&amp;infiniteContentCount=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">12 vegetables to direct sow in the garden right now in March<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The mint you tucked next to your tomatoes last summer? It might have been sabotaging the tomatoes. So might the dill. Some of the most popular plants gardeners are told to grow alongside tomatoes don&rsquo;t just fail to help &mdash; they actively get in the way, and yet they keep showing up on companion planting &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":69793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8085],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[8098],"class_list":["post-69346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardening"],"authors":[{"term_id":8098,"user_id":42,"is_guest":0,"slug":"kelsey-mcdonough","display_name":"Kelsey McDonough","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Kelsey-McDonough-1-scaled.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Kelsey-McDonough-1-scaled.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":69793,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Shutterstock_2118571007-300x169.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69346"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69962,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69346\/revisions\/69962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69346"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.backyardgardenlover.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=69346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}