Best Herbs To Plant With Tomatoes: 6 Perfect Companions For Better Flavor & Bigger Harvests

Companion planting tomatoes with herbs is a great way to optimize the health and yield of plants. Being strategic about which herbs to plant with tomatoes​ can reduce the number of pests, attract pollinators, and even enrich the soil and boost production.

While it’s typical to focus on pairing certain vegetables and flowers as tomato companion plants, don’t overlook herbs. Not only can herbs help tomatoes grow better, but they make perfect flavor partners. So, if you want to learn how to grow tomatoes like a pro, then don’t just focus on starting tomato seeds – consider what else you can plant at the same time.

There are many easy herbs to grow from seed, including annual and perennial varieties. However, some perennials won’t be established in their first year, so for protection for your current crop, you’ll need to buy young plants. There are a variety of perfect perennial herbs for pots, which can be positioned exactly where you need them.

Why Grow Herbs with Tomatoes?

Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants near each other to their advantage. Here are some of the potential benefits of pairing herbs with tomatoes:

• Attracting pollinators to improve yield
• Attracting beneficial insects to prey on pests
• Deterring pests with their fragrance
• Acting as a trap crop by enticing pests away from tomatoes
• Deterring soil pests, including nematodes
• Enriching the soil
• Preventing weeds
• Improving flavor
• Maximising use of the planting space
• Growing healthier, more productive plants with bigger yields

Companion pairings often provide more than one benefit at a time, and the most beautiful herbs raise the look of the vegetable garden. Some pairings are one-sided, but often plants benefit each other.

When choosing herbs to grow with tomatoes, be sure they are suitable for your growing conditions and climate. Check your USDA hardiness zone to ensure perennial herbs will thrive. A companion plant can only help if it grows successfully where you plant it.

Best Herbs to Grow with Tomatoes

Tomatoes have many companion plants, including herbs that do double duty. They can provide some of the above benefits while also providing a tasty flavor companion for your tomatoes in the kitchen.

Ideally harvest herbs little and often to keep them growing and allow them to recover. The Vego herb scissors, available in the Gardening Know How Shop, are perfect for the task, featuring ten precision blades to allow for quick, uniform cutting, snipping, and mincing of a variety of herbs.

1. Basil

Basil is a classic pairing with tomatoes, both in the kitchen and in the garden. The flavor profiles complement each other in pasta sauces, pizzas, and simple dishes like caprese salad. They both also grow well in similar conditions, including full sun and summer heat. Use basil in between rows of tomatoes or in containers near tomato plants.

As a companion plant, basil does a lot for tomatoes, and this pairing has been studied more than most others. Tomatoes planted with basil have been shown to grow better and even produce fruit with improved flavor.

Additionally, basil’s aroma deters thrips, which carry and transmit tomato spotted wilt virus, and confuses the moths that lay the eggs of tomato hornworms. When in flower, basil attracts pollinators like bees.

There are many delicious types of basil to choose from, and it's quick and easy to grow from seed. Rather than settle for one variety, try growing a mix, such as the Culinary Blend Basil Organic Seeds available in the Shop. The selection includes five zingy varieties: Genovese, Dark Opal, Thai, lemon, and lime basil.

2. Parsley

Parsley is another great flavor companion for tomatoes. It is a common ingredient in many Italian, tomato-based dishes, including pasta sauces. Parsley adds a fresh, green flavor that cuts through the rich, savoriness of tomatoes.

In the garden, parsley planted near tomatoes attracts swallowtail butterflies, and is a host plant for their eggs. It also attracts hoverflies, predators of both aphids and thrips that can damage tomato plants.

Parsley grows lower to the ground than tomatoes and benefits from some late afternoon shade, so plant it right next to tomatoes or between rows. It's quick and easy to grow from seed.

In terms of variety, you can choose between curly and flat leaf. Lisette parsley, available in the Shop, is a recommended lush, vibrant curly type, while Italian flat-leaf organic parsley is even more flavorful and nutritious.

3. Mint

Flavor-wise, mint is an unexpected but delightful companion to tomatoes. Use fresh mint leaves with tomatoes and feta to make a light, refreshing summer salad. Add mint to gazpacho for a unique take on this cold soup.

As a companion in the garden, mint works by deterring aphids, flies, and flea beetles. The strong smell of mint plants is pleasant in the garden, but these pests don’t like it. For the best results, harvest or touch mint plants often to release more of the aroma.

One consideration for growing mint in the garden is that it grows and spreads aggressively. The best way to benefit from it as a tomato companion is to grow mint in containers placed near vegetable beds. Even with containers, keep an eye on mint and remove runners that climb over the edges of pots or through drainage holes.

Mint grows well from seed, so get planting at the same time as tomatoes to maximize the benefit. There are many types of mint to choose from, each with different culinary uses. Classic spearmint, available in the Shop, makes a delightful complement to lamb, while peppermint is perfect in teas and desserts.

4. Oregano

Oregano is a classic ingredient in pizza sauce and is included in our Ultimate Veggie Pizza Garden Seed Collection. It complements all kinds of tomato sauces and dishes with a similarly savory flavor.

As a companion plant, the strong scent of oregano masks the smell of tomato plants, keeping pests away. It's one of the best deer-resistant edibles yet attracts lacewings, which are predators of aphids, white flies, and cutworms.

Oregano grows close to the ground, so you can plant it around your tomatoes to act like a living mulch. It will help keep weeds down and retain moisture in the soil. Note that this may limit the herb’s growth due to reduced sunlight, so it might not grow as well as it would on its own. Oregano grows easily from seed, but growth is often slow in the first year – so plant ahead for this one.

In terms of variety, Italian oregano, available in the Shop, has that classic intense aroma, while Greek oregano boasts an even more potent flavor that pairs well with Greek, Italian, and Mexican dishes.

5. Thyme

Thyme complements tomatoes in savory, cooked dishes, like pastas or even simple roasted tomatoes. In the garden, thyme is similar to oregano but grows even lower to the ground. Mother of Thyme, available in the Shop, is a natural groundcover you can use between tomato plants and in rows to keep weeds at bay and reduce moisture loss from the soil. English thyme can be used similarly, but also looks great in containers.

Thyme likes full sun and prefers soil a little drier than tomatoes do, so don’t plant it directly under tomato plants in beds. You can grow it around tomato plants in containers, where the thyme will be able to spill over the sides and get more sunlight.

In addition to acting as a groundcover, thyme provides other benefits. The smell of thyme deters aphids, armyworms, and leafhoppers, and attracts pollinators and parasitic wasps that feed on hornworms.

6. Sage

Sage is a great culinary companion for rich tomato dishes. Use it in tomato soups, pastas with roasted tomatoes, or in sauces and tomato-based risotto. Sage particularly pairs well with tomatoes and parmesan.

In the garden, sage produces a strong scent that deters pests like cabbage moths and carrot flies. Let sage flower to attract parasitic wasps that prey on tomato hornworms. The flowers will also attract pollinators. Sage flowers are edible and taste great in fresh salads with or without tomatoes.

While sage does grow from seed, it won't be harvestable in its first year, so to protect your current tomato crop, invest in a plant from the garden center.

Companion planting is a great way to make the most of your garden. When you choose herb companions for tomato plants, you get the benefits in the garden and in the kitchen.

More Growing Inspiration

• Get a head start on harvesting with these 6 early tomatoes that ripen fast and still taste amazing.
• Learn how to grow basil in water​: try no-mess hydroponics for fresh harvests year-round.
• Check out self-watering rolling tomato planters in the Shop. They have an in-built trellis and wheels for the ultimate, flexible solution for growing your own.
• Discover how to keep grocery store herbs thriving indoors for months with these 3 simple tips to prolong your plants.
• Sign up for the Gardening Know How email newsletter for regular ideas and inspiration to help transform your garden.

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