What Is a Companion Plant to Tomatillos?
The tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) is a green, tomato-like vegetable that’s used to create Mexican salsa verde. Tomatillos grow as annuals in the house garden. The plant needs two to 3 months to raise and produce fruit and therefore are cultivated in the same fashion as tomatoes. The fruit is ready to harvest when the newspaper covering of the tomatillo turns brownish. Several plants can grow as companion plants into the tomatillo in your own garden.
Herbs
Tomatillos grow nicely with basil and parsley. Basil helps you to repel hornworms that eat the fruit. The herb also keeps away other harmful pests such as mites. Parsley helps to repel the asparagus beetle and attracts hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids. The herb also attracts predatory wasps that eat other pests. Just as basil and parsley are utilized to complement tomato dishes, then the herbs may also be used with tomatillos.
Pollinators
Tomatillos must either be hand-pollinated or get some assistance from bees and other pollinators. Adding companion plants that attract these pollinators can assist in the pollination of your tomatillo plants. Marigolds and nasturtiums are two flowering plants that attract pollinators. Marigolds also have the added benefit of repelling nematodes in the soil, while nasturtiums discourage white flies.
Vegetables
Some root plants that work as companion plants to tomatillos include carrots and onions. Onions drive off beetles, spider mites and ants in the garden, plus you may use the onions after turning the tomatillos into salsa. Carrots split the soil as they grow so the roots of the tomatillo plants are not confined. Other vegetable plants that work nicely as a companion to this tomatillos include hot peppers and asparagus. The peppers help prevent root rot, while the asparagus shields the tomatillo plants from root nematodes. Tomatillos also grow nicely next to peas, which add nitrogen to the soil.
Unfriendly Plants
Tomatillos are incompatible with a couple of garden favorites, nevertheless. Corn and kohlrabi should be planted in a separate region of the garden when growing tomatillos. Corn attracts pests that attack the tomatillo plant, and kohlrabi stunts the development of this tomatillo plant. The plant does not grow well with fennel or dill, either. Both dill and fennel contain oils that inhibit root growth and could destroy neighboring plants. Potatoes and eggplants attract potato beetles and potato aphids and shouldn’t be planted near tomatillos, which can also be vulnerable to these pests.