Have you noticed how well tomatoes and basil grow together? Or how bees are constant visitors to the veggie garden when flowers are planted among the veggies?
This buddy system is known as companion planting, an age-old practice that has discovered how certain vegetables, herbs and flowers thrive when grown together. It could be that they attract pollinators, or repel insects, provide shade or release nutrients.
Basil and tomatoes are the best of companions, and for good reason. The strongly fragrant basil leaves repel pests like white fly, aphids, and tomato horn worm, that can decimate a tomato crop. Gardens will tell you that basil planted close to tomatoes improves the flavour of the fruit and that synergy even extends to the culinary realm.
The clincher is that both tomatoes and basil like the same growing conditions; plenty of sun, deep, fertile soil that has been well-composted and regular watering.
Start by sowing tomato and basil seed into individual seed trays. This prevents over-sowing and makes it easier to set out the plants in their final position.
Opt for bush tomato varieties like Kirchhoffs Floradade, Heinz 1370, Oxheart or Window Box Red (for containers) and basil varieties like Sweet basil and Basil Genovese (the pesto basil).
Use a germinating mix and keep the soil consistently moist while the seed is germinating. A good idea is to create a micro-climate by enclosing the seed-tray in a see-through plastic bag or just covering it with cling wrap.
Once the seed has germinated, water with Margaret Roberts Organic Supercharger. Plant out the seedlings once they have developed their second set of true leaves.
When setting out the plants, there are a few options. Alternate tomato and basil plants, plant a row of tomatoes with basil in front in a staggered patten, or plant tomatoes in the middle of the bed with basil at each corner.
If you don’t have space, grow the tomatoes and basil in containers in a sunny space. Placed close together they still act as companions. Water plants daily in hot weather and feed once a month to replace nutrients that drain out.
The other good companion that tomatoes need is one that attracts bees to pollinate the flowers. Enter the sunflower, that is rich in nectar, and is the right colour to attract bees. Not to mention that it is the brightest, happiest flower for your veggie patch.
There are two heirloom sunflower varieties that are easy to grow from seed. ‘Dwarf Sunspot’ is a classic yellow sunflower, with big seed filled heads, on dwarf bushes. It grows 40 to 60cm high, which means it can easily be planted among the veggies in full sun, or in containers.
‘Tall Yellow’ is a pretty orange colour with a dark centre. The head orientation is very flat and close to stem with good sized 15cm sunflowers. Plants grow up to 1,5m so should be planted towards the back of a bed so that they don’t shade the tomatoes. They may need staking.
The secret with pollinating plants is to plant enough plants to attract the bees, so group your sunflowers together, making it easier for the bees to harvest the pollen.
Like tomatoes and basil, sunflowers grow best in full sun, in well-prepared soil that drains well.
Sunflower seed can be sown directly into the soil, once the risk of frost is over. Sow two seeds together, cover with 15mm of soil, firm down gently and water. Space according to directions on the seed packet and keep the soil consistently moist during germination.
Here’s a tip: Because sunflower seed is big and easy to sow, let the kids do the sowing. They will love to watch the sunflowers growing and flowering and it’s a great way to introduce them to the joy of gardening.
