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Planting garlic with tomatoes


9 of the Best Plant Companions for Garlic

There is truly no scent more comforting to me than that of crushed garlic cloves sauteing in olive oil.

You can always tell when someone close to you has recently enjoyed fresh garlic.

And while some may find that scent a bit overpowering, I happen to love the smell of this pungent bulb.

And if you think it doesn’t smell when it’s growing in the ground, think again.

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I planted four garlic cloves in a container recently and set the pot on the rolling garden cart in my office.

It took just a few hours for my entire office to take on the earthy, tangy scent of this aromatic herb.

The good news for gardeners everywhere is that many insects and pests find the odor less than appealing.

In fact, they find it downright repulsive.

This fragrant bulb makes a wonderful natural pest repellent. Only a few insects are like me and don’t mind the scent at all.

In this article, you’ll find out which plants grow best alongside this aromatic bulb. Plus, I’ve included a short list of plants not to sow next door to the odiferous Allium sativum.

What You’ll Learn

Why Companion Plant?

Companion planting is an excellent way for plants with mutually beneficial traits to support each other’s growth.

Basically, it means planting things thoughtfully in the same raised bed or row so that the surrounding vegetation will thrive or offer some form of mutual benefit.

Here are the three main roles that garlic and its companions can play when planted together:

The bulb also attracts predatory and beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, wasps, and lacewings.

The only things you should not grow alongside it are:

This is because the herb is known to inhibit their growth or compete for resources.

According to Louise Riotte, author of the companion planting guide, “Carrots Love Tomatoes,” available via Amazon, garlic and all other Alliums inhibit the growth of beans.

Carrots Love Tomatoes

In short, garlic benefits most plants in your garden, with just a few exceptions. In this article, we’ll focus on nine of the best plants to grow as companions.

9 Companion Plants for Garlic

Most people plant A. sativum outdoors in the fall, allowing it to go dormant during the winter before it begins vigorous growth in the spring.

But some of the plants that are most beneficial to put in the ground with the bulbs prefer a spring sowing.

Because of this, companion planting takes a bit of advance planning.

To pair with plants that you’d typically grow in the spring, you can either sow a spring crop of prechilled hardneck garlic, or a softneck type to be harvested in three months, which doesn’t require chilling.

If you sow your cloves in the fall, leave room to add spring-planted companions in March, April, and May.

Try ‘Music’ in Zones 7 and below, alongside any of the following nine plants.

‘Music’

This rich, flavorful hardneck cultivar is available packs of three bulbs from Burpee.

Or try softneck cultivar ‘Texas Rose’ in Zones 8 and up.

‘Texas Rose’

It’s available in sets of four bulbs from Burpee.

1. Cabbage

Garlic is known to repel common cabbage pests such as cabbage loopers, diamondback moths, and cabbage moths and worms.

But that’s not all.

I once came home in late summer to find my beautiful cabbage heads decimated by – you guessed it – moose.

Their hoofprints were all over my loamy garden soil. (Sniff, sniff!)

Moose regularly visit my yard here in Alaska and have been known to enjoy my apple, aspen, maple, willow, and birch trees as well as my cabbage plants. Photo by Laura Melchor.

What I know now is that garlic deters pests as big as moose and deer, as well as smaller mammals like rabbits and squirrels.

Yet another reason to plant it all over my garden!

For a tasty cabbage to interplant, why not try this beautiful ‘Brunswick’ cabbage.

‘Brunswick’

You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.

And be sure to check out our guide to growing cabbage in the garden here.

2. Chamomile

Tea made from this sweet-smelling herb has helped me through many a stomachache.

If you love chamomile, Matricaria chamomilla, try planting it next to your garlic: it’s said to improve the flavor of the aromatic Allium.

German Chamomile

Find seed packets in a variety of sizes for this pretty, daisy-like plant at Eden Brothers.

Learn more about growing chamomile in your herb garden here.

3. Fruit Trees

Have you ever considered planting garlic at the base of your fruit trees?

If not, now’s the time to start.

Garlic’s antifungal properties can protect against apple scab in apple trees, and leaf curl in peach trees. It also repels aphids, Japanese beetles, and mites.

Most importantly for me up here in Alaska, the odiferous bulb repels moose.

Even though I’ve already built fences around my fruit trees, I’ll probably plant garlic there too.

My local moose are extremely persistent, and the more defense my trees have, the better.

Try ‘Crimson Rocket’ peach for a sweet, juicy companion to your Allium plants.

‘Crimson Rocket’

This cultivar is hardy to Zones 5 to 8, and you can find bare root trees available at Burpee.

4. Peppers

Garlic can help keep troublesome fungi away from these sun- and warmth-loving plants.

Plant peppers alongside young garlic in late spring or early summer, and watch as your peppers thrive in the absence of soil-borne verticillium wilt, Phytophthora blight, and white mold.

I, for one, plan to plant ‘Jalapeno’ peppers alongside my A. sativum this spring.

These are two of the delicious ingredients that I use to make my favorite homemade salsa fresca.

How perfect will it be to be able to harvest them both from my own garden in the fall!

‘Jalapeno’

‘Jalapeno’ peppersare perennial in Zones 9 to 11, and grow as spicy annuals everywhere else.

You can find packets of 125 ‘Jalapeno’ seeds at Burpee.

Learn more about growing peppers in your garden here.

5. Roses

Though garlic’s nickname is “the stinking rose,” it’s not likely that you’ll ever actually confuse your garlic plants for one of these sweet smelling flowers.

And neither will the pests that love roses.

Rose pests hate garlic.

Plant cloves in a circle around your favorite rose bushes and watch as – for once – spider mites, ants, snails, and blackspot fungi leave your gorgeous blooms alone.

‘Coral Drift’

Try interplanting extra-cold-resistant ‘Coral Drift’ roses with your A. sativum.

They’re hardy in Zones 4 to 11, and bare roots are available from Burpee.

Read more about growing roses here.

6. Rue

Are onion flies laying eggs at the base of your garlic plants causing maggots to infest your Allium bulbs?

Try planting rue, Ruta graveolens, along the border of your Allium patch.

With a long history of medicinal use, this powerful-smelling herb is also a known pest repellent, particularly noted for its ability to keep flies and maggots away.

Ruta graveolens

Hardy in Zones 4 to 10, you can find rue seeds in a variety of package sizes from True Leaf Market.

7. Spinach

Spinach is beneficial because it creates a form of ground cover when interplanted with the stinking rose, preventing weeds from interfering with its growth.

You can also try sowing arugula and lettuce as similar low lying plants alongside your growing bulbs.

And since you’d be harvesting these plants, you’d need to succession plant seeds every two to four weeks to keep a continual protective layer around your garlic.

Just make sure you choose a spinach cultivar that spreads around six to nine inches and grows about six to nine inches tall at maturity.

You don’t want it to overshadow your A. sativum, but you do want it to spread so it can act as a useful weed barrier.

‘Double Take Hybrid’

Try ‘Double Take Hybrid’ spinach, hardy in Zones 2 to 9.

Packets of 200 seeds are available from Burpee.

8. Strawberries

First, a disclaimer: some gardeners think garlic can actually inhibit the growth of strawberries. But this hasn’t been definitively proven.

What has been proven is that garlic deters spider mites, which can devastate a strawberry patch.

For best results, plant two rows of smelly helper bulbs in between two rows of strawberries.

Looking for a sweet strawberry cultivar to grow in your A. sativum patch?

‘Jewel’

Try ‘Jewel.’ It’s hardy to Zones 4 to 8, and bare root plants are available from Burpee.

Or choose from one of our 35 favorite strawberry varieties.

9. Tomatoes

A nightshade like the aforementioned peppers, tomatoes benefit from growing near garlic, too. The odiferous bulbs can help to keep spider mites away from tomato plants.

Tomatoes can already be tricky to grow, so why not sow A. sativum in a row between your tomato plants for extra protection from pests?

‘Fresh Salsa Hybrid’

I plan to try these ‘Fresh Salsa Hybrid’ tomatoes in my garden – perfect for adding to homemade fresh salsa.

Plants and seeds are available from Burpee.

Planting garlic in between the tomatoes makes it that much easier to harvest both at once for garden-fresh salsa.

Plant a spring crop of garlic about a month before you sow the tomatoes and they’ll be ready for harvest at the same time.

Or see our roundup of the best tomato varieties to grow at home for more ideas!

Where There’s Garlic, There’ll Be Joy

The plants described above are perfect companions.

They either offer added benefits when grown alongside my favorite, flavorful bulb, or they stand to benefit significantly from being planted beside the delightfully stinky Allium.

But aside from the list of plants you don’t want to grow with A. sativum, you can pretty much stick the bulb near any growing thing and watch as it lends its pest-repelling superpowers.

Have you ever tried companion planting with garlic? Which veggies, fruits, or herbs benefited the most from growing in close proximity to this smelly herb? Let us know in the comments!

And to learn more about growing garlic in your garden, check out these guides next:

Garlic And Tomato Companion Planting

Home › Edible Gardens › Herbs › Garlic

Garlic

By: Amy Grant

Companion planting is a modern term applied to an age-old practice. Native Americans certainly utilized companion planting when cultivating their vegetables. Among the myriad of companion plant options, planting garlic with tomatoes, as well as with other types of vegetables, holds a unique place.

Can You Plant Garlic Near Tomatoes?

Companion planting works by increasing plant diversity. Simply put, companion planting is alternating two or more types of veggies in a single row. This practice seeks to confound insects that tend to consume certain crops, leading them to move onto greener pastures, so to speak. This practice is also referred to as intercropping— that is combining plants that are desired by insects among those that are undesirable.

The Native Americans commonly intercropped three specific crops– corn, pole beans, and squash— called the Three Sisters method. This mutually advantageous planting system allows the beans to make use of the corn stalks to climb up, provides the corn nitrogen through the beans, and the squash provides living mulch.

There are many common combinations for companion planting. Some of these involve other vegetables or often flowers and herbs that repel insect marauders or attract pollinators.

The answer to the above question is of course, you can plant garlic near tomatoes, but is there a benefit to such a companion planting? Strong smelling and tasting plants like onions and garlic are known to repel specific insect species.

Garlic and Tomato Companion Planting

So what benefit is there to planting garlic with tomatoes? Garlic is said to repel aphids when companion planted with roses. When garlic is grown around fruit trees, it deters borers, and specifically protects peach trees from leaf curl and apples from apple scab. Garlic in the garden is also said to deter:

Growing tomato plants next to garlic repels spider mites known to ravage the tomato crop. It seems that while most of us love the pungent flavor and aroma of garlic, the insect world finds it less irresistible. Keep in mind, however, that not all plants in the garden coexist with garlic as readily as companion planting garlic with tomatoes. Veggies such as peas, beans, and cabbage have abhorrence for garlic.

You cannot only plant tomato plants next to garlic as a natural insecticide, but you can make your own garlic spray too. To make a garlic insecticidal spray, simply crush four cloves of garlic and steep them in a liter of water for several days. Pour this brew into a spray bottle for use as an insecticide, provided you are one of the many of us who love the smell of garlic.

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What can be planted next to garlic - choose the right neighbors in the garden

It turns out that the neighborhood of some plants with garlic can protect the first from pests and diseases, increase yields. But not every culture will like to grow next to this odorous vegetable.

Garlic has long been known for its fungicidal and antibacterial properties. But it doesn't just help people. Garden plants also experience the beneficial effect of phytoncides secreted by the vegetable - active substances that inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora and repel pests.

Research in this area is still ongoing, but already now there are many facts confirming the benefits of garlic in mixed plantings. So you can solve two problems at once: save the area of ​​​​the plot for growing crops and reduce the use of chemicals against pests and diseases.

But garlic doesn't have to be planted in a bed with other plants. Often he shows his protective properties, even when planted in a neighboring garden. You can plant garlic between the rows. Choose the method of planting spring or winter garlic that is most suitable for your site.

In rare cases, when planted mixed with other crops, garlic does not produce a large yield. Therefore, if you want to grow a lot of this vegetable, give it a separate bed and provide individual care.

What to plant next to garlic in the garden

The list of plants that can be planted next to garlic is quite extensive, so look for more information in the paragraphs below.

When practicing mixed planting, do not forget about the annual crop rotation.

Can I plant tomatoes next to garlic?

Tomatoes will love being around garlic. It will protect plants from aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, reduce the activity of late blight and rust. And tomato bushes, in turn, will reduce the likelihood of garlic infection with scab. It is best to place the garlic bed at least half a meter from the tomato. You can plant garlic next to tomatoes both in the greenhouse and in the open field.

Planting garlic next to tomatoes has a nice bonus: the heads of garlic will grow larger than usual.

Can cucumbers be planted next to garlic?

Gardeners have different opinions about the positive effect of garlic on cucumbers. Some believe that there will be practically no benefit from such a planting, and the cucumbers themselves may slow down in growth. Others, on the contrary, argue that garlic relieves the whip from angular leaf spot (bacteriosis), aphids, bears, etc. In general, both sides are right. Just to achieve a positive effect, do not plant garlic too close to cucumbers, keep a distance of at least half a meter.

Can garlic be planted next to cabbages?

Experienced gardeners have long practiced joint planting of cabbage and garlic, usually spring. Garlic reliably protects heads of cabbage from various pests: aphids, cruciferous fleas, caterpillars. It also improves plant immunity. In a mixed planting, garlic is planted first, and after germination, cabbage. Since they have different root systems, the crops do not compete for food in the soil, but be prepared for the fact that the heads of garlic will not grow too large.

To enhance the release of phytoncides, we recommend trimming the garlic shoots a little once a week.

Can carrots be sown next to garlic?

Yes, you can, because such a neighborhood will benefit both vegetables. Carrots due to the effects of phytoncides will not suffer from carrot flies, aphids and psyllids. This is especially important at the stage of development of root crops. Also, the resulting crop will be stored longer. It is best to place the garlic bed next to the carrot. If this is not possible, planting garlic between rows or mixed planting will help out.

Interestingly, carrots also help garlic grow healthy. The substances secreted by it allow winter garlic to keep green juicy tops longer. As a result, both cultures can be harvested almost simultaneously. At the same time, the heads of garlic grow larger and are well stored. Another plus: you can plant carrots and garlic before winter together.

Garlic is also useful for other root crops. Planted next to beetroot, it will repel beet fly and slugs. But in general, beets prefer the neighborhood with tomatoes or spinach.

Can garlic be planted next to potatoes?

The Colorado potato beetle and phytophthora cause the most damage to the future potato crop. Both of these problems can be minimized by planting garlic cloves between the rows of a potato field. The vegetable will have the same effect on eggplants and peppers, increasing their yield. For planting, choose varieties of spring garlic, which are planted in the spring.

Can garlic be planted next to strawberries (garden strawberries)?

There are legends about the "friendship" of garlic and garden strawberries. These crops are considered among the best candidates for mixed plantings. Although some summer residents believe that it is still more efficient to plant garlic in a neighboring garden bed or between rows. In any case, phytoncides will have a beneficial effect on garden strawberries: slugs, spider mites, May beetle larvae and other pests will disappear, and the incidence of gray rot will decrease.

Sometimes the neighborhood with garlic makes garden strawberries healthy and strong, but, alas, low-yielding. To solve this problem, you can plant strawberries after garlic, and vice versa. Such a crop rotation is very effective and allows you to get a rich harvest of both berries and garlic heads.

Is it possible to sow greens next to garlic?

Even necessary! Garlic can be planted mixed with almost any herb. All types of salads, dill, parsley, mint, basil, spinach, coriander, etc. feel great next to the vegetable. And if you plant garlic near horseradish, both crops will contain more nutrients (especially vitamin C) than usual.

Can garlic be planted next to raspberries and currants?

Berry bushes will like the neighborhood with garlic. On raspberries, the number of raspberry beetles and ants will decrease, and currants will receive protection from aphids and bud mites. Also, garlic will restrain the growth of raspberries.

Can garlic be planted next to grapes?

Grapes do not like competitors, but are quite neutral to many plants. These include garlic, which you can successfully plant nearby. With this planting, the grapes will be less affected by pests. True, the heads of garlic may not grow too large, but the greens will surely amaze with their abundance.

Can flowers be planted next to garlic?

If you see arrows of spring or winter garlic in any flower bed, don't be surprised. The fact is that it perfectly protects flowers from fungal diseases (downy mildew, gray rot, etc.), repels aphids, thrips and other pests. Plant some garlic next to roses, carnations, tulips, and other bulbs to boost plant immunity.

Calendula, in turn, will protect the garlic from the onion fly.

What not to plant next to garlic

Not all plants will agree to coexist with garlic and regularly receive volatile protection from it. Worst of all, legumes (beans, peas, etc.) will react to this. They will have few flowers and ovaries, and the harvest itself is unlikely to amaze the imagination. So choose beds for these plants away from garlic.

Can onions be planted next to garlic?

Separately, it is worth mentioning the onion, a close "relative" of garlic. These plants have the same diseases and pests, so they are not able to protect each other. Can onions be planted next to garlic? In principle, yes, in summer cottages you can often observe such a picture. And it doesn't have to be done out of ignorance. If you pay attention to planting, then it is quite possible to get healthy vegetables of both types. But in general, planting garlic next to onions is not recommended. And if you really want to, then do not forget to provide the plants with proper care.

Many summer residents have noticed that large potatoes grow next to garlic, tomatoes are less likely to get late blight, cabbage does not suffer from slugs.

Read our article about other useful properties of this burning vegetable.

Is it possible to plant garlic with tomatoes and is it worth it?

It has long been known that the joint planting of different crops can significantly increase the yield, as well as protect plants from various pests and diseases. But with the wrong choice of neighbors, you can only aggravate the situation. So how not to make a mistake in such a difficult question? Well, the answer to this question is quite extensive, so in this article we will consider the question of whether it is possible to plant garlic with tomatoes.

Garlic has fungicidal and antibacterial properties and it helps not only people. Garden plants also experience the beneficial effects of emitted phytoncides - active substances that inhibit the growth of pathogenic microflora and repel pests.

Currently, there are many facts confirming the positive effect of the crop when planting together. Using this approach, two problems can be solved at once:

  1. Save the planting area and, accordingly, the effort expended on soil preparation
  2. Reduce the use of chemicals for diseases and pests

Garlic can be planted in neighboring beds, not necessarily mixed, it will also have protective properties. Choose the method that suits you best.

Contents

  1. Variants of joint planting
  2. Is it worth planting garlic with tomatoes
  3. What protects tomatoes from garlic
  4. What is the compatibility of tomatoes and garlic
  5. Conditions for joint cultivation
  6. How to properly land?

Collaborative planting options

Not only crop compatibility is important for a good harvest, but also planting methods. Consider the possible options.

It is recommended to plant the garlic a short distance from the tomatoes. The best option is 45-50 cm from the bush. In this case, garlic will not interfere with the development of the tomato root and will develop normally on its own. Grows juicy and large. This is the best option for greenhouses or mixed plantings.

An important point: these crops cannot be grown in one place for more than a year. They are very demanding on nutrition and deplete the soil substrate.

This is not the first time I plant tomatoes with garlic nearby in the garden. As a result, I grow large, healthy garlic and beautiful tomatoes. It's all about their compatibility and what it gives. After all, garlic protects tomato bushes from many diseases and pests.

Is it worth planting garlic with tomatoes? And the answer to this question is, unequivocally, yes.

Tomatoes will love the neighborhood with garlic. It will protect plants from pests and reduce the activity of certain diseases. And tomato bushes, in turn, will reduce the likelihood of garlic infection. It is best to place the garlic bed at least half a meter from the tomato. You can plant garlic next to tomatoes both in the greenhouse and in the open field. Let's take a closer look at it.

  1. Firstly, garlic contains phytoncides, these organic compounds give it taste and smell, and can also protect tomatoes from spider mites, aphids and cruciferous fleas. It will help to cope with diseases such as late blight and rust
  2. Secondly, the tomato will also help the neighbor reduce the likelihood of scab infection.
  3. Thirdly, garlic contains allicin, a powerful antioxidant, which, in turn, will improve the quality and extend the shelf life of fruits.

Both of these plants will also improve soil quality for each other. Now you have learned that garlic and tomatoes are great neighbors. But do not rush to plant them right away, because first you need to create the right conditions for both plants.

Planting garlic next to tomatoes has the added bonus of growing larger heads than usual.

What protects tomatoes from garlic

After the joint cultivation of these crops side by side, tomatoes cease to suffer from late blight. But before, quite often, this fungus affected tomatoes.

Now I have healthy garlic and tomatoes, but I will note that I still carry out preventive measures. After all, it is better to protect yourself than to fight diseases and destroy pests later.

What is the compatibility of tomatoes and garlic

The main thing on which the growth of vegetables depends is the soil. Winter garlic prefers light soils, and spring garlic prefers light loam. And tomatoes feel great on both types of soil, so both crops feel great when planted together. At the same time, the best crop grows only on soils with a high content of nutrients. To do this, you need to make organic and mineral fertilizers. From organic fertilizers, humus and wood ash are best.

Conditions for co-growing

Since both garlic and tomatoes are photophilous plants, both of them will need to be provided with enough light. Also, both plants need dry and warm air, so when growing in a greenhouse, you need to ventilate it regularly. Do not forget about watering, but there should not be too much water, as in this case the garlic may begin to rot and impair taste. Tomatoes are best watered under the root. Fertilizers will not be superfluous.

We have dealt with the conditions. Now you can talk and planting plants.

How to properly land?

I know about the benefits and conditions of co-cultivation, it remains to learn how to carry out the planting itself.

Garlic can be planted already in autumn, this type is called winter. The most important thing when planting winter garlic is not to make a mistake with the timing, if planted too early, the plant will begin to grow in the fall, too late - the garlic will not have time to take root. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the weather, from the moment of landing until the onset of stable cold weather, about a month should pass.

Planting should be carried out at a depth of 3-5 cm. The soil should be fertilized at the end of August-beginning of September, after which the bed should not be touched anymore. Just before planting, you can scatter urea on the garden bed, at the rate of 10-20 grams per square meter. m. A bed with plantings must be sprinkled with peat and covered with straw. These tips are also suitable for spring garlic, only it is planted in the spring.

Tomatoes are grown as seedlings already at the end of winter. When the sprouts reach a height of 15 cm, they can be transplanted into the ground.

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