subject: Tomato Growing Tips That Will Help Keep Your Tomatoes Alive [print this page] Pests are an ongoing problem when growing tomatoes as most home gardeners know. Those little 'beasts' appear from nowhere and before you know it they can be on every leaf there is. So how can this problem be sorted out? One method is to use the organic style control called companion planting and another method is to use chemical sprays. When using the organic method there are two benefits because you help keep the pests at bay, but you also can eat the plants that you use.
Pest problems for tomato plants are:
- Aphids
- White fly
- Hornworms
- Insects
- Red spider mite
- Flies and mosquitoes
Although these certain pests just love tomato plants there are other plants that will drive them away.
Tomato growing tips for companion planting.
What I really do enjoy about companion planting is the fact that two jobs are being taken care of at the same time. The tomatoes plants are getting a good chance to be healthy and relatively pest free producing lovely, sweet fruit and you are growing herbs and other plants for use in the kitchen.
Listed here are the most popular campanion plants for teaming up with your tomato plants:
- Garlic which repels red spider mites. Crushed garlic is also made into a concentrated spray to spray straight onto the leaves to repel aphids, whitefly and deter fungus growth.
- Marigolds are well known for their ability to repel the white fly which is a major pest in the tomato garden. There are two types of marigold plants, the Mexican Marigold and the French Marigold. The latter has the added benefit of exuding a substance from their roots which kills nematodes in the immediate area.
- Basil which most cooks know is a wonderful herb to use in the kitchen and it repels thrips, mosquitoes and flies in the tomato patch. This herb is absolutely beautiful served with fresh tomatoes, so what more could you ask for in a companion plant.
- Borage is very popular because it deters that horrible fat greet hornworm which can make a meal out of the tomato plant in no time at all. Tomato gardeners say that borage also enhances the flavor of tomatoes grown nearby. The borage plant will self seed so there will be plants growing for next year.
Benefits of organic pest control.
Many of the plants that are used in companion planting also add nutrients to the soil that aid in making the tomato plant very healthy and many tomato growing enthusiasts say that the flavor of their tomatoes is enhanced using this pest control method.
Rotating crops in the garden is also a great way to reduce the pest problem. Be sure when rotating the tomato growing patch that plants of the same family (potatoes, peppers and eggplant) are not being planted to replace them as these plants attract the same pests as the tomato plant.
