Beneficial Companion Planting - Tomatoes and Herbs in a Pot

In short: Plant one bush tomato in the centre of a container of at least 20 litres and set basil, parsley, oregano, thyme or chives 10–15 cm away around the edge. Give the pot 6–8 hours of direct sun, keep the soil evenly moist and feed every two weeks. Move it outdoors after 15 May.

A Useful Combination - Tomatoes and Herbs in a Pot

Spring is still a long way off, and you're surely thinking about what else to pre-grow so that the real gardening season can begin. If you own a small balcony, terrace, or windowsill, you can combine the pleasant with the useful. This year, you can try planting herbs and tomatoes together. It's the perfect pairing. Tomatoes, with their fruits and colors, satisfy everyone, even young growers, and herbs are a year-round delight on your plate. Pre-grow your herbs and tomatoes now so you can plant them in a container or planter box in May and harvest their tasty fruits in summer.

Choose a suitable container - size it according to how many plants you'll be planting together. We have good tips for you on which plants go well together.

Sowing Process

In a larger pot or container, you can choose 1 bush tomato plant, which will be in the center and create a focal point. Around the center, you can sow basil and curly parsley. For more variety, you can use basil with red-colored leaves. You can also add flowering plants - sweet alyssum and lobelia. Especially in larger pots - they nicely fill the space between individual seedlings. Basil and tomatoes aren't just excellent companions in the kitchen. They also complement each other beautifully when sown together. Basil has year-round fresh green leaves that pleasantly contrast with the red fruits of tomatoes. If you sow tomato and basil together and still have space in the pot, you can also add small daisies, which will emphasize the elegant appearance of such a planted composition. Small daisies are also suitable for cutting. If you prefer sowing cascading trailing tomatoes, leave space in front of the plant in the pot for the trailing tomato shoots. If you don't want to create a cascade with tomato shoots and prefer bush tomatoes, you can replace them with, for example, nasturtium or sweet pea. This combination is suitable if, for example, you want to cover a less attractive wall or an undecorated tree stump with a trailing plant, etc.

Sowing and pre-growing tomatoes can be done now. Use a growing container and substrate suitable for sowing. Pre-grow the seedlings at room temperature. In a warm room, without drafts and direct sunlight. Young plants that we transplant into designated decorative containers need to be protected from cold. We take such planted pots out onto the balcony after May 15th. We should protect young plants from frost, but also from harsh sun. We can create a small canopy from foil or paper above the plant, which should be permeable so that air can reach the plant.

Such a planted container or pot requires consistent care to ensure the plants have enough nutrients in this confined space. Tomatoes have high nutrient requirements. It's advisable to fertilize them every 14 days to achieve a high yield even when growing in pots. The most suitable fertilizers are in the form of sticks or liquid fertilizers.

Not only in garden beds, but also in pots, bush tomatoes need support. This can be purchased or made yourself. Branches or bamboo stakes are also suitable as supports. Place the supports in the pot during planting. If you install them later, you could damage the roots of the established plants. Support the plant as soon as the fruits begin to ripen. Gradually tie the plant to the support using soft twine or bast string.

How to proceed when planting in large containers and pots? Cover the bottom of the container with about a five-centimeter drainage layer of coarse sand. Cover it with non-woven fabric. Then add the soil. The soil should reach approximately 2-3 cm below the edge of the pot. This is to prevent water from flowing over the edge when watering. If you've chosen a large and heavy container for planting, place it in its final location before adding the soil. The container may be too heavy to move later. If you've chosen a bush tomato for the center of your composition, place the support. Other plants should be planted 10-15 cm away from the tomato. They will be closer to the edge of the pot. In the back part, it's suitable to place curly parsley, and basil in the front. Pre-grown seedlings are fragile, transplant them carefully. You can also add marjoram (in the front part) and sage (in the back part of the pot) to this composition. Or another herb that you often and gladly use in the kitchen.

Growing Bush Tomatoes

Bush tomatoes (Latin: Solanum lycopersicum) are very popular here for their spicy flavor and attractive fruit. The scent of homegrown tomatoes is synonymous with summer. Home-grown tomatoes have an unmistakable taste, different from the artificial taste of commercially grown tomatoes. In earlier times, tomatoes were grown as ornamental plants whose fruit was considered poisonous.

Tomatoes thrive in a sunny location. Most varieties can be sown directly in their final location. However, it is better to pre-grow bush tomatoes. Sowing is done as early as February. Use substrate specifically designed for sowing. It will provide more nutrients for the young plant. For tomatoes, sowing in nutrient-rich soil is important. The pre-grown plant should be sufficiently strong. Pre-grown tomatoes in the warmth of home should be gradually hardened off. Before transplanting, we can fertilize the plant for the first time with Kristalon Start. A fertilizer that supports plants in growing green mass. We plant them outside after May 15th, as they are susceptible to ground frost. Tomato seedlings are fragile and prone to breaking. Handle seedlings very carefully when transplanting. If we don't have plants pre-grown in peat pots, prepare a "muddy bed" for them in the pot and transplant them into substrate prepared with water in this way. Carefully settle the plant and press it down. Add drier substrate on top, which will prevent water evaporation. Once the plant takes root and develops stronger roots, we can gradually tie it to a support. Tie the plant for the first time once it has developed 3-4 true leaves. During the growing season, we pinch out side shoots from the plants and leave one main shoot, which we gradually tie up.

If your pre-grown plant sets flowers while still indoors, fruits will develop if night and day temperatures do not drop below 12°C. Water and fertilize tomatoes mainly in the evening, as their growth occurs at night. After the tomatoes finish growing, i.e., at the end of summer, cut the plant above the last fruiting shoot and let the tomatoes ripen. Cooler autumn weather will no longer allow them to produce new fruits.

Tomatoes are very healthy and are classified as antioxidants. They contain high levels of vitamin C, B vitamins, provitamin A (beta carotene), iron, phosphorus, and calcium. Many dishes can be created from tomatoes - for example, stuffed tomatoes, or you can make dried tomatoes.

Author: Hana Michalíková