Pepper Gardening Tips
Tomato Growing Tips To Help Control Pests by Kaye Dennan
Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan
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. You are giving your tomatoes a good chance to produce fine, luscious fruit, but you are also growing other plants which can be used in the kitchen as well.
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.
About the Author
There is so much to initially learn about planting tomatoes so visit our website at Grow Tomatoes Successfully where we have much more valuable information to share and you will also be able to sign up to our 10 part FREE mini-course ‘Luscious Tomatoes’.
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