If you’re new to gardening, or unfamiliar with companion planting, it may sound very strange to partner herbs and flowers with your tomato plants. It’s not, and it’s absolutely beneficial for your tomatoes.
Mono culture greenhouse gardening may be appealing because it limits pests and makes it easier to maintain the greenhouse. However, if you were to plant the correct companion plants together, you can minimize or eliminate pests and reduce your greenhouse upkeep.
Improved Pollination
One of the biggest secrets to high yields and best-quality tomatoes is good pollination. Unfortunately, not all greenhouse growers understand this and their tomato plants suffer the consequence.
Did you know that over 50% of your tomato harvest is likely to be lost due to poor pollination? Planting sufficient basil and marigold plants in your tomato greenhouse can attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies that will significantly increase your tomato plant's pollination.
Improved Taste and Space Efficiency
Not many people know that basil can improve the taste of your tomatoes as they belong to the same plant family and share a common compound. This is a wonderful trick that is easy for greenhouse growers to implement.
Growing basil between tomato plants helps you to maximize your growing space and won’t affect the growth of your tomatoes.
Pest Control
Regardless of what your main crop is, especially tomatoes, basil and marigold are amazing pest-repellant greenhouse plants. This benefit reduces your pest control budget and helps create an organic growing environment.
The basil plant contains oils that help you to repel insects that will harm your tomato plants. These include insects such as aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. Basil plants also create a natural scent mask for your tomato plants. This scent confuses some pests and prevents them from finding your tomato plants.
Just like basil, marigold plants also emit a very strong odor that repels most of your common greenhouse pests.
Visual Appeal
When you, your family, or your friends spend time in your tomato greenhouse just chilling and enjoying the plants, the blooms from your marigold and basil plants will be a welcomed sight. These plants will give your tomato greenhouse a colorful garden-like pop.
All in all, there are multiple benefits to adding these greenhouse flowers to your greenhouse. Planting them is a cost-effective way to improve yields, have greater pest control, and make your greenhouse more visually appealing.