There’s nothing worse than finding your tomato plants covered in pests. Tomato plants are susceptible to aphids, spider mites and whiteflies, which can cause damage to the plant. Whiteflies and aphids can be particularly damaging, sucking sap from the plant’s leaves and stems which causes them to weaken, turn yellow and curl. Deterring pests can be difficult, especially if you’re an organic gardener who wants to avoid using sprays and harsh chemicals.
With this in mind, Alan Titchmarsh has shared how to deter pests from attacking your tomato plants by planting one pretty flower next to them. Companion planting is the act of planting one plant next to another plant to benefit the other.
Some plants and flowers are placed next to others to attract pollinators, while others are planted to deter pests from another plant.
One of Mr Titchmarsh’s favourite combinations is French marigolds and tomatoes.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh, he said marigolds are “very good for attracting pollinators who come for its nectar and its pollen…but it’s also particularly good when planted with one other crop, and that crop is the tomato.”
French marigolds have unpleasant-smelling roots, which actually benefit tomatoes when planted in the same soil as the crop.
The marigolds can be planted in the same grow bag as the tomatoes, or in the same vegetable patch or bed.
The gardening expert added: “You will find that the fact that the root exudate is so strong it puts off the whitefly.
“So what’s going to happen now is that those aromatic roots are going to mingle with the aromatic roots of the tomato, and in some way they do seem to deter whitefly.”
Another of Mr Titchmarsh’s favourite planting combinations is climbing sweet peas and French beans.
He grows the French beans and sweet peas up a metal wigwam, and as they grow, the flowers from the sweet peas bring pollinators to the French beans.
