Tomato & Herb Garden Layout

Tomatoes and herbs can coexist in a sunny garden area.

Many herbs can be grown with tomatoes. They increase culinary choices along with providing tomatoes with pest protection, weed control, and improved growth and flavor. These herbs can be used for companion plantings or intercropping and include basil, oregano and chives.

Considerations

Plant shade tolerating herbs in the shadow of tomato plants.

A garden needs to be planned out before the first shovel of soil is moved. Make sure the garden area receives at least 8 hours of sunlight and has a good loose soil that is well drained. Also, observe where the sun rises and sets so that herbs can be planted around tomato plants, taking advantage of the shade they will create as the sun moves across the sky.

Features

To increase tomato production, interplant with chives, basil and oregano.

Planting tomatoes with herbs utilizes the concepts of companion plantings and intercropping. Companion plantings use beneficial plant relationships where both plants benefit either through pest protection or improved flavor of fruit. Intercropping consists of planting plants in spaces or rows between other types of plants. An example of this is basil planted between tomato plants. This type of planting helps control pests and weeds.

Types of Herbs

Oregano and tomatoes not only make a good tomato sauce but are also great neighbors in the garden.

Chives help tomato plants grow and improve the flavor of the fruit while oregano repels aphids and white flies and is a ground cover that conserves soil moisture. Lovage and marjoram improves the flavor of tomatoes while lovage attracts parasitic wasps. Borage not only attracts beneficial insects but also attracts bees to the tomato garden and surrounding area.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: A Taste of Gardening
• University of California Cooperative Extension: Master GArdener Newspaper Articles: Tips for Growing Tasty Tomatoes
• Tomato Gardening Guru.com: Planning a Tomato Garden
• Companion Plants and the Tomato Garden
• National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service: Intercropping Principles and Production Practices