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The Biggest Basil and Tomato Companion Planting Benefits

Gardening Guide: The Everything Tomato Guide: All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Tomatoes

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The Biggest Basil and Tomato Companion Planting Benefits

Other than growing a caprese salad at home, the benefits of basil and tomato companion planting include shading your basil, and protecting your tomatoes from pesky bugs and fungal diseases.

By Amanda MacArthur

Basil and Tomato Companion Planting

If time machines were a thing, you could go back to a classic 1972 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercial, where in the commercial, a man trips and falls, accidentally dipping his chocolate bar into a jar of peanut butter that a boy is eating from. After the initial disappointment, they both discover that chocolate and peanut butter are “two great tastes that taste great together.” You can’t plant Reese’s Cups, but if you want two garden plants that taste great together, try basil and tomato companion planting. It’s a Caprese salad right in your garden!

Some things are just meant to be together, right? They don’t just taste great together, though. Basil and tomato companion planting is beneficial to the entire growing process. Companion planting, in general, tends to bring benefits to your garden. Catnip is one good example of this, as it may help repel aphids, squash bugs, and other pests. Your cats will be pretty happy about having a supply of this herb around, too. And marigolds are often used as natural pest repellents, while at the same time they attract pollinators.

Discover 7 top tips for growing, harvesting, and enjoying tomatoes from your home garden—when you access the FREE guide The Best Way to Grow Tomatoes, right now!

Tomatoes and basil planted together.

Tomatoes and basil planted together.

Digging deeper into basil and tomato companion planting

You already know how intoxicatingly fragrant the basil plant is. I plant way more of it than I could ever need simply because I like smelling it while I’m in my yard (sure beats the tomato plant smell.) That same wonderful scent also happens to attract bees and butterflies, as well as ladybugs, which feed on aphids. It also repels pests like thrips, hornworms, milkweed bugs, flies, and mosquitos, not to mention, some fungal diseases.

Some gardeners also insist that basil and tomato companion planting improves the flavor of your tomatoes. The University of Florida actually conducted a study with a group of volunteers who planted lemon basil and tomatoes together, and the majority agreed that the tomatoes did taste better. 

Here’s what we do know. Because basil helps repel pests, tomatoes planted with basil often produce more fruit. And if you’re container gardening, you can get many of the benefits even if they aren’t in the same pot. Just arrange them so they are near each other. In the ground, plant basil and tomatoes about 15-20” apart.

They’re also easy to plant together since they both have similar needs. Tomatoes and basil require similar amounts of water, and they both love the sun, though basil enjoys some shade also, which the tomato plants can provide for them. 

Now, about that Caprese salad. Once your tomatoes are ripe and your basil is abundant, you can make my Simple Caprese salad recipe, all you’ll need is some mozzarella, olive oil, salt, and pepper! It really is one of the best ways to take advantage of your basil and tomato companion planting.

Have you planted basil and tomatoes together? Share your experience in the comments below. I’d love to know how it worked out.

Discover 7 top tips for growing, harvesting, and enjoying tomatoes from your home garden—when you access the FREE guide The Best Way to Grow Tomatoes, right now!

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Tags

basil, Basil and Tomato Companion Planting, companion planting, tomato companion, tomatoes

Comments
  • Dawn July 26, 2023

    Haven’t had a *bug problem in years

    Reply
  • Dawn July 26, 2023

    I have planted basil & tomatoes together for many years now. My family says I have a “basil problem” as I usually have as many varieties as I can find (this year, there are 9. Lol) They’re growing in the ground and in pots all around the tomato garden and potted tomatoes. Like tomatoes, basil each have their own flavor & I like mixing all the varieties into a caprice salad or simple pasta dish. I haven’t had a big problem on my tomatoes for years. Now I need a fix to work on my dogs and the raccoons who also like to steal my fruit.

    Reply
  • Joseph R. May 19, 2023

    Last year, 2022, I Solar Baked my Garden and grew Tomatoes in big pots. I also planted 3 pots with Basil. I set the Basil pots next to the Tomatoes and I had 6-foot-high Tomato plants Loaded with the most Tomatoes I ever had.

    Reply
    • Todd M. May 21, 2023

      Great! Good for you! You have me curious to try it out, maybe this Summer! Tm.

      Reply
  • Norma A. December 14, 2021

    So good to know but learned it late for my fall planted tomatoes here in Florida. Maybe next time…

    Reply

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Growing Zones for Tomatoes
  • Types of Tomato Plants: Standard, Hybrid and Heirloom
  • Preventing Cross Pollination of Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Classifications of Tomato Plants: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
  • Varieties of Tomato Plants
  • Growing Tomatoes from Seeds, Cuttings, or Seedlings
  • Growing Tomatoes in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds
  • Soil Requirements for Growing Tomatoes
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Tomatoes
  • Should You Fertilize Tomato Plants?
  • How and When to Water Tomato Plants
  • Harvesting and Pruning your Tomatoes
  • Storing and Preserving your Tomatoes
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Tomato Diseases
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Tomato Plants
  • The Right Way to Weed Your Tomato Garden
  • Tomato Rot: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Blossom-End Rot
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Tomatoes
  • The 5 Best Tomatoes for Salsa
  • The 10 Sweetest Tomatoes to Plant
  • Plant Profiles

  • Green Beefsteak Tomatoes
  • Red Beefsteak Tomatoes
  • San Marzano Tomatoes
  • Roma (or Plum) Tomatoes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Sunchocola Cherry Tomatoes
  • Recipes

  • Tomato Salsa
  • Balsamic Bruschetta
  • Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce
  • Fried Green Tomatoes
  • Stewed Tomatoes
  • Salsa Seafood Soup
  • Roasted Tomato Sauce
  • Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Tomatoes
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Tomatoes
  • Resources about Tomatoes
  • Tomatoes Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • The Biggest Basil and Tomato Companion Planting Benefits
  • 7+ Perfect Plants for an Edible Front Porch Garden
  • The Best Vegetables to Grow in a Greenhouse
  • 5 Tomato Canning Supplies to Preserve Sauce Longer
  • How to Ripen Tomatoes Quickly Three Ways
  • Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants? 5 Reasons and Remedies
  • How to Prune Tomato Plants, Peppers, Cucumbers and More
  • The 13 Best Grow Lights for Tomatoes and Peppers
  • How to Kill Aphids on Tomato Plants with Stuff from Your Pantry
  • The 15 Best Beefsteak Tomatoes To Grow in 2023
  • How to Stop Vegetable Blight from Ruining Tomatoes
  • Gardening Equipment Every Tomato Gardener Needs
  • How to Grow Your Own Pizza Garden for the Best Pizza Parties
  • How to Avoid Tomato Blossom End Rot
  • How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in a Crock-Pot
  • When to Start Your Tomato Seeds
  • How to Protect Your Tomato Harvest During a Rainy Summer Season
  • The 5 Best Tomatoes for Salsa

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