Plant with tomatoes

Companion Herbs for Tomato Gardens

Worst Tomato Companion Plants

These plants are infamous for inhibiting tomato plant growth and increasing their susceptibility to pests or diseases and should not be planted with tomatoes.

• Cabbage (Brassica) family: Relatives of cabbage stunt the growth of tomato plants (including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, rutabaga, and turnip). However, some gardeners do like placing collard greens a few feet away from their tomato plants to lure away damaging harlequin bugs.
• Corn: The corn earworm is the same as the tomato fruitworm (Helicoverpa zea). Growing plants in proximity that are susceptible to the same pests can invite disaster and a decimated garden.
• Eggplant, peppers, and potatoes: These plants are in the nightshade family like tomatoes, and are all susceptible to early and late blight, which can build up in the soil and get worse each year. Avoid planting them near each other or in place of each other for at least three years. Hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata, the larva stage of the five-spotted hawkmoth) love the foliage and fruit of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants and can quickly decimate plants. Also, planting tomatoes near potatoes can make the potatoes more susceptible to potato blight.
• Fennel: Fennel secretes a substance from its roots that inhibits tomato plant growth. This secretion affects many other garden plants, too. However, some gardeners deploy fennel to manage aphid invasions.
• Walnuts: Do not plant tomatoes under walnut or butternut trees, which produce an allelopathic chemical called juglone that inhibits the growth of tomatoes (and all the members of the nightshade family). Tomatoes are also susceptible to the disease walnut wilt.

Tomatoes and Roses

While several plants are touted as terrific tomato companions, tomatoes can act as companion plants, too. Tomatoes have been shown to protect roses from a disease called black spot.

If you can't plant tomatoes among your roses, make a spray of liquefied tomato leaves, a tablespoon of cornstarch, and about 4 pints of water. Spritz your roses once a week to keep black spot at bay.

Great Companion Plants for Roses

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Cover Crops. USDA.

2. Pest Control Companion Planting Chart. Brigham Young University. 

3. Phytophthora Blight. University of Massachusetts Vegetable Extension Program.

4. Baker, Brian P. and Grant, Jennifer A. Garlic and Garlic Oil Profile. New York State Integrated Pest Management. Cornell University.

5. Companion Planting Chart. University of California Cooperative Extension.

6. Gardening: It’s a Risky Business. Mississippi State University Extension, 2019. 

7. Gevens, Amanda; Seidl, Anna; Hudelson, Brian. Late Blight. University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, 2017.

8. Bauske, Mitchell J.; Robinson, Andrew P.; Gudmestad, Neil C. Early Blight in Potato. North Dakota State University, 2018. 

9. Herb Gardening. Colorado State University Extension.

10. Walnut Wilt. Kansas State University Research and Extension, 2022.

11. Gray, Laveryne. Companion Plantings: Tomatoes and Roses. Marion County Master Gardeners.  

21 Companion Plants For Tomatoes (And What Not To Plant Nearby)

Wondering what grows well with tomatoes? Fortunately, tomatoes have lots of friends in terms of good companion plants.

Companion plants for tomatoes can attract beneficial insects, deter and distract pests, provide a living trellis, add nutrients to the soil, and suppress weeds. Some of the best companion plants for tomatoes are herbs like basil, thyme, and chives, vegetables like asparagus and peppers, as well as flowers like marigolds and sunflowers.

This article will discuss the best companion plants for tomatoes and some not-so-friendly plants to avoid so you have all the information you need! Read on to learn all about companion plants for tomatoes!

Tomato Companion Plants: The Basics

1. Basil

2. Sunflowers

3. Carrots

4. Thyme

5. Beans

6. Marigold

7. Asparagus

8. Garlic

9. Parsley

10. Peppers

11. Onion

12. Chives

13. Cowpeas

14. Lettuce

15. Nasturtium

16. Celery

17. Cucumbers

18. Cilantro

19. Radishes

20. Peas

21. Buckwheat

Bad Companion Plants To Avoid Planting Near Tomatoes

Resources

Tomato Companion Plants: The Basics

The botanical Latin name for tomato plants is Solanum lycopersicum. Tomato plants are in the Solanaceae family, sometimes called the Nightshade family. Other vegetables in the Solanaceae plant family include potatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, and chili peppers. In general, scented culinary herbs make good companions for nightshades like tomatoes, while brassicas (cabbage family plants) can inhibit the growth of tomato plants.

1. Basil

Basil makes an excellent companion plant for tomato plants because it camouflages its scent. When the plant’s scent is hidden, pests like thrips and moths can’t locate the plant and attack it. Thrips are pests that love to eat tomato plants, spreading a disease known as Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus. Similarly, adult moths lay Hornworm eggs that produce Tomato Hornworms which eat the plant and can devastate a harvest.

Basil also discourages pests like mosquitos, flies, and fruit flies from getting near the tomato plant. Basil can also enhance the flavor and promote the growth of Tomato plants. Popular Basil varieties to grow near tomatoes include Genovese Basil and Giant Basil.

2. Sunflowers

Sunflowers make great companion plants because they attract bumblebees and birds to the garden area. Sunflowers also attract other smaller native bees to the garden, helping to pollinate the self-fertile tomato flowers in the area. These plants are not only compatible with tomatoes, but also with most other vegetables in the garden.

In late summer and early fall, sunflowers attract birds in the fall that eat sunflower seeds. As a result, these birds might eat some of the pest insects affecting tomatoes late in the season. Lastly, sunflowers provide an effective windbreak in windy areas, which is very helpful if growing indeterminate tomato varieties that can grow vines 6-8 feet long inside a tomato cage or up a tomato stake.

3. Carrots

Carrots make great companion plants because they support beneficial parasitic wasps if left to flower. As a biennial plant, flowering is most common with overwintered carrots, so consider leaving some carrots in your garden beds in the fall and into the spring. As a bonus, you’ll be able to collect seeds from the carrots as they flower during their second summer.

Carrots are one of the most commonly planted plants compatible with tomatoes. Carrots that are planted close to tomatoes may not grow as large as they might otherwise, but they also tend to have fantastic flavor. Popular carrot varieties for your vegetable garden include Royal Chantenay and Danvers 126. Here is a guide to the four main types of carrots.

4. Thyme

Thyme disguises tomato plants from Armyworm Moths, a common pest in southeastern gardens. The moths lay eggs on the plants, which hatch into larvae (Yellow Striped Armyworm) that eat the plants (leaves, fruits, etc.).

In addition, thyme plants are quite short, making them useful as a groundcover plant or living mulch at the base of tomato plants. Living groundcover like thyme can prevent rainwater from splashing onto the leaves, spreading soil-borne disease onto tomato leaves.

5. Beans

Beans are good companion plants for tomato plants because they attract bumblebees. Bumblebees are large native bees that are excellent pollinator beneficial insects in the garden. The flowers on bean plants attract bumblebees, leading them to visit tomato flowers.

Although tomato flowers are self-fertile, the flowers need to be jiggled to release the pollen for proper tomato flower pollination. For example, the wind, a gardener, or heavy insects like bumblebees can shake the flowers for pollination. So, attracting bumblebees to your tomato plants can be very helpful for tomato plant pollination, especially in sheltered yards.

6. Marigold

Marigolds make great companion plants because they deter nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic worm-like creatures that attack the roots of tomato plants, especially in warm sandy soils where tomatoes grow best. 

Marigolds are also grown around tomato plants to ward off whitefly. While they ward off pest insects, they may also help attract beneficial insects such as hoverfly and parasitic wasps.

“Grow with French marigolds to deter whitefly. Tomatoes grow well with basil, parsley, alliums, nasturtiums and asparagus.”

The Complete Book Of Vegetables, by Matthew Biggs

7. Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most popular companion plants for tomatoes. Asparagus repels harmful nematodes in the soil that can attack the roots of tomato plants. Tomatoes are also helpful for asparagus plants, as the scent of tomato plants can repel asparagus beetles.

8. Garlic

Garlic is a great companion for tomato plants because it can discourage spider mites when planted beside tomato plants. These strongly scented plants can also repel common flying pest insects.

Garlic is generally planted in the fall and left in the garden during the winter so its ready for an early summer harvest. This is perfect timing for it to repel insects which lay their eggs in spring as the garlic plants are at their most scented right before harvest.

9. Parsley

Parsley makes a great companion plant for tomatoes because it attracts ladybugs, which feed on tomato plant pests like hornworms. In addition, parsley attracts hoverflies that feed on aphids, keeping aphids away from your tomato plant. Parsley is also fantastic to plant near your tomatoes as it often goes into the same dishes and cooked recipes.

10. Peppers

Peppers make good companion plants for tomato plants because they thrive in similar conditions. These plants are both nightshades and are often grown together. Growing them together helps make annual crop rotation easier as these plants are both prone to the same types of soil borne plant diseases. Keep your peppers with your tomatoes and rotate them around the garden!

11. Onion

Onions and other allium family members (garlic, green onions/scallions, chives) repel aphids, keeping them away from nightshade plants like tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes. Onions also take quite a long time to grow, meaning they will still be standing alongside your tomatoes during the long, hot days of July.

12. Chives

Chives make great companion plants for tomatoes because they contain sulfur-based oils. These highly-scented oils prevent pests from attacking your tomato plant. In addition, chives can improve the flavor of your tomatoes and are lovely for seasoning tomato dishes. Lastly, chives attract bees to their spring flowers, increasing the population of beneficial insects in your garden area.

13. Cowpeas

Cowpeas are a good companion plant for tomato plants because they distract and draw away the pest green stink bug. In southern gardens, planting cowpeas in an area away from your tomatoes can draw green stink bugs over to the cowpeas, as they like cowpeas more than tomato plants.

To keep your tomato plants safe, check the cowpeas often, removing any green stinkbugs you do see. Then, drop them in a bucket of soapy water.

14. Lettuce

Lettuce is a good companion plant for tomatoes due to its size and shape, as well as for its culinary uses. Tomatoes grow well in warm weather while lettuce tends to bolt (prematurely grow seeds), so lettuce is often planted in the shade of large tomato cages. The lettuce gets some cover from the sun and in turn fills in the empty soil space around the base of tomato plants to keep weeds from moving in (weeds LOVE to find and colonize bare soil).

15. Nasturtium

Nasturtium is an edible flowering plant often used as a “trap” companion plant to attract aphids, keeping them away from your tomato plants. The peppery scent can also deter pests like whitefly and certain beetles. Lastly, these plants grow very quickly from seed and sprawl all over the ground, helping to keep soil moist and providing habitat for beneficial predator insects like spiders.

16. Celery

Celery makes an excellent companion plant for tomato plants because it can lessen soil-borne disease and promote growth for your tomato plants. It’s also handy to have nearby as it goes in many of the same recipes. Lastly, celery has specific watering and care requirements which means you’ll be in that area of the garden quite often, making it easier to check on and care for your tomato plants.

17.

You can grow cucumbers at the base of tomato plants to keep weeds down as a living mulch. These two plants both love warm summer weather and will thrive in the same area of the garden

First, place a trellis behind the tomato plant for the cucumbers to grow up. Then, position the trellis on the north side of the garden where it will not shade the tomato plant during sunny days. Some of the cucumber vines will grow up the trellis while others may shade the ground at the base of the tomato plant.

18. Cilantro

Cilantro can help to control tomato hornworms and other hungry pest larvae. The cilantro attracts and supports parasitic wasps if the plants are allowed to flower (the wasps eat the nectar). These wasps lay eggs inside tomato hornworms, which then die after the larval wasps pupate.

Additionally, having cilantro nearby your tomatoes is perfect if you like to make spicy summer dishes like fresh guacamole and pico di gallo. You’ll have your own salsa garden!

19. Radishes

Radishes are a favorite crop of pest insects like flea beetles and may distract them from attacking tomatoes. Flea beetles eat the leaves of many vegetable plants (pumpkins, peppers, tomatoes, kale, squash, etc.), but they prefer radishes and will eat the radish leaves instead. Radishes can be planted year-round in mild climates or can be planted in late summer where mid-summer temperatures are overly hot.

20. Peas

Peas are an excellent predecessor companion plant for tomatoes. Peas are planted much earlier in the spring because they are a cool-season crop, while tomatoes are a warm-season crop. Since both plants requite a vertical support of some sort, the peas can be swapped out for tomato plants when weather becomes too warm for peas to thrive.

In addition, peas are legumes that draw nitrogen from the air down into the garden soil. Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for young tomato plants as they establish leaves. These leaves are required for photosynthesis and capture energy, producing delicious tomatoes later in the season.

21. Buckwheat

Buckwheat is a good predecessor companion plant for tomatoes. It does not grow simultaneously but is planted in the same spot earlier in the year as a “cover crop.” It enriches the soil for the tomatoes and can help control disease.

If growing buckwheat, sow 6-8 weeks before the tomatoes. Then, cut it down when the first flowers appear at the soil line. Don’t let it grow seeds, as they can sprout and take over the garden. Lastly, chop up the buckwheat stalks and use them as a mulch or add them to the compost heap to make nutrient-rich compost.

Bad Companion Plants To Avoid Planting Near Tomatoes

Avoid planting Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Collards, Dill, Fennel, Kohlrabi near tomato plants. All plants in the brassica family (cabbage family), such as broccoli and kale, tend to be bad planting partners. Kohlrabi is a particularly harmful companion plant because it can stunt growth.

Mature dill and fennel plants can stunt tomato plant growth. Fennel and dill can also attract Swallowtail Butterflies which lay their eggs on the plants, resulting in caterpillars that eat nearby tomatoes. Avoid planting dill and fennel nearby your tomato plants.

Resources

• Different Types Of Tomatoes (Cherry, Plum, Globe, Beefsteak, Oxheart)
• Companion Planting Book “Vegetables Love Flowers” by Lisa Mason Ziegler
• Recommended Tomato Fertilizer
• Order Different Types of Tomato Seedling Plants and Seed Packets from Burpee
• Follow my Tomatoes Board on Pinterest
• Get my Gardening Email Newsletter

MORE COMPANION PLANTING ARTICLES

Nightshade solanum flower Home care Decorative tomato useful properties

Solanum or nightshade (Solanum), ornamental tomato, Cuban cherry, Jerusalem cherry, winter cherry is a genus of plants of the Solanaceae family, numbering about 1200 species. Among them are the usual vegetable crops - tomato, potato, eggplant, vegetable pepper. The Latin name of the genus is given in honor of the hero of the opera by the Italian composer G. Donizetti "Love Potion".

Botanical description of false nightshade

False nightshade (lat. Solanum pseudocapsicum) is grown as an ornamental plant. It is a semi-shrub with a height of 30 cm-1.8 m, when grown in room conditions it is limited to a height of 60 cm. The long winding stems of the plant are densely covered with leaves. Leaf plates are ovoid with pointed tops, dark green color.

Potato-like flowers: regular shape with double perianth, five stamens and one pistil, anthers narrow, fused around the style into a cone-shaped tube. Most often the flowers are white, may be bluish. The fruits are ellipsoid berries about 1 cm long, they are shiny, green color changes to yellow, orange, red as it ripens.

Solanum is incredibly hardy, even an inexperienced florist can cope with cultivation and care. Create favorable conditions, water, periodically feed the plant and prune.

Decorative tomato will decorate your house, apartment, office, any institution with dark green leaves and a scattering of bright berries. An unusual and bright bush fills the space with light, charges with positive, and fertility and unpretentiousness add pluses to it.

False-transverse nightshade grows naturally in South America and can be found all over the world with a warm climate. Prefers places along the banks of water bodies, in wet meadows, in thickets of shrubs.

Solanum blooms and bears fruit

Solanum blooms in spring or summer (May-August). Then fruits are tied, if there are few of them, pollination has not occurred (next time the plant needs to be helped by cross-pollination).

Solanum pseudocapsicum: is it possible to eat the fruits?

Solanum are the berries edible?

The external attractiveness of the fruits of solanum false-pearl is deceptive. The berries are saturated with the poisonous substance glycoalkaloid solanine. Eating the fruits of solanum leads to indigestion. This is especially dangerous for children and pets, so their access to the plant should be limited. It should be noted that among the representatives of the genus there are plants with edible fruits - black nightshade, sunberry, pepino, naranhinja or Kito nightshade, cocoon.

Solanum orange: are the leaves poisonous or not?

Poisonous and the rest of the solanum false-transverse, so avoid getting the juice on the mucous membranes and skin. Wear gloves when handling the plant and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Useful properties of solanum pseudocaspicum

Ripe nightshade berries are used in folk medicine to treat sore throats. Leaves and stems are insecticidal. Their decoction (take 5-6 kg of fresh raw materials per 10 liters of water) is sprayed on plants against aphids and other pests.

Conditions for growing solanum

Illumination

Nightshade is photophilous, it makes no sense to grow it on the north side of the house. Lighting requires bright, but diffused, direct sunlight can greatly harm the plant. The ideal option would be to place it on an east or west window. When grown on a southern windowsill during the hours from 12:00 to 17:00, it is necessary to provide shading from direct sunlight.

Air temperature

For fruiting, the most favorable air temperature is within 18-20 °C. During the spring-summer period, maintain the temperature in the range of 18-25 ° C. In autumn, gradually lower the temperature, by winter it should vary between 15-18 ° C.

It is good for ornamental tomato to spend the summer outdoors. Temporarily moving outdoors makes the nightshade more hardy and prolific. For the plant, take a secluded place in the garden or on an open balcony, out of the reach of rainfall, direct sunlight and strong gusts of wind.

How to care for solanum at home

Solanum jasminoides early white photo

Watering

During the warm season (April-September), solanum should be watered regularly and plentifully. Allow the topsoil to dry slightly between waterings. From late autumn, water the solanum moderately, about 1 time per week. In February, new branches will appear, from now on gradually increase watering.

Humidity

Abundant fruiting also depends on sufficient humidity in the room. It should be around 65%. In the warm season, spray the plant daily with a fine spray. Periodically place the plant on a tray with wet expanded clay, moss, peat or pebbles, while making sure that the bottom of the pot does not come into contact with the surface of the water. During the heating season, do not place the plant near radiators and heaters.

Solanum needs a supply of fresh air, but it can be severely affected by drafts. When airing the room, be careful, especially in the cold season.

Top dressing

Almost every plant needs additional top dressing. If you do not feed solanum, it grows more slowly and bears fruit much worse. Starting from May until late autumn, solanum needs to be fed with fertilizers for flowering plants and tomatoes (Rainbow, Ideal preparations are suitable). Fertilizers are applied in liquid form at intervals of 7-14 days.

Solanum leaves turn yellow: why? Pruning and shaping the crown

Start shaping the bush in the first year of growth. 3-6 months after planting, pinch all the shoots to the second bud. Then wait until the side shoots reach a length of 10 cm and cut them again to the level of the two buds.

After the end of fruiting, nightshade leaves will begin to turn yellow and fall off . It is necessary to prune all shoots, shortening them by 1/3 of the length. In early spring, you can pinch the shoots to give the bush the desired shape. The bush of spherical shape looks very nice. To do this, you will need to regularly pinch young shoots. If you want to form a standard tree, plant several sprouts in a pot at once. As it grows, cut off the lower shoots so that the lower part is exposed, and twist the stems together. The "crown" is formed spherical or allowed to grow arbitrarily.

How to prune and transplant solanum after fruiting video:

Solanum rest period

The dormant period occurs during the winter months. Move the plant to a cool, damp room, stop feeding. Leave the lighting level the same, occasionally water.

How to transplant the solanum

Transplant the ornamental tomato as needed (when the solanum grows strongly). The most suitable time for transplantation is early spring.

The soil is required loose, water and breathable, neutral in reaction. A soil mixture consisting of two parts of peat or humus soil, two parts of soddy soil and one part of sand is suitable.

Nightshade needs frequent watering, and to keep moisture in the pot, a good drainage layer and drainage holes in the bottom of the container will be required. Expanded clay, pebbles, clay shards, small pebbles, brick chips, pieces of polystyrene are used as drainage; you can mix several components or use each material independently.

Increase the diameter of the container by a few centimeters with each transplant. Transplant the plant by transshipment so as not to damage the root system.

Growing solanum from seeds

Seeds of pseudocapsicum solanum photo

• Start solanum seeds at the end of February.
• Prepare the substrate from 1 part of humus or peat and 2 parts of soddy soil, you can take a universal soil mixture for growing seedlings of tomatoes or eggplant.
• Fill a wide container with prepared soil, moisten.
• Seeding depth is 0.5 cm.
• To create a greenhouse effect, cover crops with glass or film from above.
• Raise the shelter daily to ventilate.
• Provide diffused lighting.
• Keep the temperature between 22-25 °C, bottom heating is favorable.
• Moisten the soil as needed by spraying with a fine mist sprayer.
• Under these conditions, sprouts will appear in 3-4 weeks. Then the cover can be removed.
• When a pair of true leaves appear, plant the young plants in separate containers.

How to dive false nightshade, look at the video:

Propagation of nightshade by cuttings

With seed propagation, flowering and fruiting of solanum begins a little later. At home, solanum is often propagated by cuttings. The procedure is best done in the spring, especially after spring pruning there is a lot of material left.

• The length of the cutting should be about 10 cm, make the top cut straight and the bottom cut at a sharp angle.
• Cuttings are recommended to be rooted in water, first hold the cutting in a growth stimulant solution (Epin, Kornevin, Zircon).
• Roots will appear after a couple of weeks. Then we plant the cuttings in separate containers with a suitable substrate.

Propagation of solanum by cuttings photo of a rooted cutting

• It is advisable to keep the young plants under a glass jar or a cut plastic bottle for the first 7 days. Do not forget to lift the shelter daily for ventilation.

Diseases and pests of solanum

Nightshade is unpretentious, but if the conditions of detention and improper care are violated, it can suffer from diseases and pests.

Late blight is a dangerous disease in which the root system rots. This happens from excessive watering or damage to the roots during transplantation. The first signs are slow growth and wilting of the leaves. Some flower growers mistakenly assume that the plant lacks moisture and water it abundantly, which greatly aggravates the situation. The plant can be saved by an emergency transplant. It is necessary to cut off the affected areas and treat the cut sites with a fungicide (Fundazol preparation). With a strong defeat, the plant dies, so do not flood the solanum and do not forget about drainage.

Blackleg is a disease affecting seedlings. Delicate stems turn black and the sprouts die. It is difficult to treat the disease. Try treating the crops with a fungicide and sprinkle with wood ash. To prevent the onset of the disease, it is necessary to disinfect the substrate, container and seeds before sowing. Water the seedlings sparingly. While they are very small, add water drop by drop with a syringe. Carefulness will protect against more serious problems.

Among solanum pests, whiteflies, spider mites, aphids can disturb.

Whiteflies are small whitish insects whose larvae can be found on the underside of leaves. Pests appear when the bush is thickened and there is no fresh air. To remove adults, you can use traps: grease a sheet of cardboard with castor oil or other sticky substance and roll it into a cylinder around the plant. Top with a plastic bag and shake the solanum to make the whiteflies fly up and stick to the cardboard. The larvae are removed mechanically. You can moisten the sponge with soapy water and wipe the sheet plates. Or bathe the plant under a warm shower, but cover the ground with a bag. Then we carry out the treatment with an insecticidal preparation (Fitoverm, Aktara, Aktellik, Mospilan or Konfidor). If necessary, re-treat with insecticide after 5-7 days.

Spider mites are small, red-brown bugs that feed on plant sap. The pest appears when the air in the room is dry, so the care item for humidifying the air should not be ignored. Leaf plates turn yellow, and whitish cobwebs can be found on their surface. Remove damaged leaves, bathe the nightshade under a warm shower, protecting the earthen ball from getting wet. To combat the plant, you can use folk remedies: treatment with soapy water or a solution of tobacco infusion, decoction of garlic, onion peel. In extreme cases, treat with a special acaricide preparation.

Aphids are small insects of pale green or black color, multiply rapidly, settle on the reverse side of leaf blades or “cling around” young shoots. The most insidious and widespread pest of Solanaceae. Affected leaves curl, the plant as a whole withers. Bathe the nightshade under a warm shower to wash away pests. Carry out the treatment with a remedy according to folk recipes (solution of tobacco infusion, wormwood, tomato tops, garlic or onion peel, soap solution). If the pests reappear, use a special insecticide.

Difficulties in growing solanum

If not properly cared for, other problems can occur besides diseases and pests.

• If there are few berries on the bush or no fruits are set at all, pollination is insufficient. Help the bush yourself: using a soft brush, gently transfer pollen from one flower to another. Also, during the period of mass flowering, it is recommended to take a container with a plant once a day and shake it well.
• If the room temperature is too high and the air dry, the leaves and fruits fall off. Move the plant to a cool place and humidify the air.

Ornamental species of solanum with photos and names

Curly nightshade Solanum crispum

Curly nightshade Solanum crispum photo

Evergreen or semi-deciduous plant with climbing shoots. Reaches a height of 4-5 m. Leaf plates are oval, dark green in color, arranged alternately. The flowers are star-shaped, lilac-blue, collected in corymbose inflorescences.

Solanum jasminoides nightshade

Solanum jasminoides photo

Evergreen plant with climbing shoots. The leaf plate consists of 3-5 oval-shaped leaves, the leaf surface is glossy. The flowers are white with a slight blue tint, they are collected in inflorescences-shields on the tops of the shoots.

Rantonetti Nightshade Solanum rantonettii

Rantonetti Nightshade Solanum rantonettii photo in the garden

Even grown indoors as an annual plant, it looks like a miniature tree. Flowers are large, deep blue.

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Nightshade, ornamental tomato - a bright flower in your home

Contents

• 1. How to take care of the plant
  • 1.1. Temperature regime
  • 1.2. Illumination
  • 1.3. Watering and spraying
  • 1.4. Top dressing
  • 1.5. Cutting
  • 1.6. Transplantation
  • 1.7. Diseases

Solanum is a plant from the Solanaceae family. It usually grows in South America, but now many people grow it at home. Nightshade is considered an ornamental plant due to its flowers and fruits. Let's find out how to take care of it.

Temperature control

In spring and summer, the plant should be at a temperature of about 25 degrees. This is necessary to support vegetation. In winter, the temperature can be reduced to 13 degrees, since the dormant period begins.

Indoor nightshade needs fresh air, so in summer it can be taken outside. It is important to protect the flower from sunlight, rain and drafts, nightshade does not tolerate them well.

Illumination

The plant needs bright diffused light. It is not recommended to keep him near the northern windows, so he will not have enough light. The southern ones are also not the best option, there are too many sun rays concentrated there.

The best option is the western and eastern windows, where the plant can get enough light to grow and bear fruit.

Watering and spraying

Water nightshade regularly during bud and flower formation. As soon as the topsoil dries, the flower needs to be watered. In winter, the dormant phase begins, and the amount of watering is reduced.

In addition, the plant needs moist air. Indoor nightshade should be sprayed frequently and containers filled with water should be stored next to it. If the flower is in a dry room, it will not bear fruit so abundantly.

Top dressing

An important part of care. Fertilizers are usually applied from late spring to early autumn. You need to feed the nightshade every 10 days. It is best to use liquid fertilizers that are used for other ornamental flowers or tomatoes. Fertilizers are applied immediately after watering, otherwise the roots can be burned.

Trimming

Also an important part of care. It is necessary to prune the stems every year in the spring. If the nightshade berries began to ripen, and the leaves turn yellow, then it's time to prune. To make the plant lush, you should pinch the shoots.

Transplant

It is recommended to replant the cut after pruning. First, a pebble-based drainage layer is placed on the bottom of the new pot. A nutrient substrate is placed on top.

The latter can be made with your own hands on the basis of peat, turf and leafy soil. After transplantation, the plant is watered abundantly and placed in a warm and bright place. The first feeding should be carried out 2 weeks after transplantation.

Diseases

Nightshade can get sick if not properly cared for. If the plant is not producing fruit, try pollinating the flowers by hand with a soft brush (transfer the pollen by pollinating the plant).

If the nightshade fruits are constantly shedding, this may be the cause of too high a temperature in the room or an excess of moisture.

The plant is often attacked by aphids and spider mites. Usually, insects appear if the conditions for keeping the flower have been violated - too high temperature or humidity.

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