08/23/2026
I like using the lower part of a tomato bed instead of leaving every inch of soil bare, but I stick with plants that won’t overwhelm the tomatoes. 🌱
🌿 Basil: Stays fairly compact, enjoys the same warm conditions, and is conveniently close when tomatoes start ripening.
🌼 Marigolds: Their low growth fits nicely around tomatoes, while the flowers bring extra insect activity into the garden.
🥬 Leaf lettuce: The taller tomato plants can give it a little afternoon shade as summer gets hotter.
🌱 Green onions: Their narrow upright growth takes up very little room between larger plants.
🌸 Nasturtiums: I let them trail along the edge of the bed rather than climb through the tomato stems.
📏 The important part is still spacing. I don’t pack companions right against the tomato stem or let them block airflow around the lower leaves.
💧 And remember that everything in the bed is sharing the same water and nutrients, so crowded beds may need a little more attention than tomatoes growing alone.
That empty space beneath your tomato plants can be put to much better use. 🍅
