"Companion Plants: Tomato Asparagus" is written by Guest Writer, Angela England, of Suite 101 Plants & Bulbs. Companion planting is something gardeners have been doing for centuries. Even the act of planting two different types of apple trees for better pollination is a type of companion planting. Only recently has the science behind companion planting come to light.
One pair of plants that combines well together in a vegetable garden plot is the tomato plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) and the asparagus plant (Asparagus officinalis). And since both tomatoes and asparagus can be grown in the same place of the garden each year, planning the kitchen garden is just that much easier.
Tomatoes are actually a fruit, but grow on bushy vines and are treated as annual vegetables, planted new each year. Unlike many vegetables, crop rotation is not usually needed with tomatoes and you can plant tomatoes near the asparagus each year.
Asparagus plants are perennial and the edible spears are usually harvested rather early in the growing season while they are still tender. Gardeners who leave the leaves of the asparagus plant intact will enjoy new spears to harvest again next year. Leaving the foliage uncut also allows you to benefit the warm weather tomatoes that can be planted right alongside the asparagus rows.
Tomato plants protect asparagus from asparagus beetles. And in turn, asparagus plants have a chemical that has been shown to kill nematodes, a common cause of root ailments among tomatoes.
Another plant that pairs well with asparagus is the annual herb basil, which also likes tomatoes and can be sown directly outdoors after danger of frost. Other plants that like tomatoes are onions, parsley, marigolds, nasturtiums, carrots, chives and garlic.
Tomatoes have also been shown to help protect roses against black spot diseases. In fact, a solution can be made from pureed tomatoes, diluted in 1 ½ quarts of water mixed with 1Tbl of cornstarch to spray directly on effected roses. The same chemical elements that protect roses also discourage pests from attacking the asparagus plants.
Combining plants in the vegetable garden can work both ways, however, so use care to not plant vegetables that will hinder the growth of the tomatoes. Tomatoes are impeded by all members of the Brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, etc) as well as kohlrabi and fennel. Tomatoes also impede the growth of apricots, corn and potato plants.
A little bit of pre-planning is all it takes to give your kitchen garden the best chances possible for optimal growth.
Sources:
- Carrots like Tomatoes by Louise Riotte
- Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
