BFF - Marigolds and Tomatoes

Garden Update:
The potatoes have sprouted and the plants are visible now - some over an inch tall.
The English peas are 4-5 inches tall and sending out lots of tendrils, twining up the fence where I planted them.
The cabbage is doing well.
The broccoli seedlings are doing well.
I planted 80 yellow onion sets 2 weekends ago and they are starting to sprout above the ground.
Our raspberry bushes are budding out.
Our 2 new blueberry bushes (varities "Elliott" and "Patriot") are full of buds and will be blooming any day.
Our new apple tree is budding out.
Our new peach tree has bloomed and is starting to show leaves.
The carrots were a bust. Almost none of them have sprouted. Our soil is just too heavy and full of clay to properly grow carrots. We will rework the ground, incorporate some new compost and possibly plant it with tomatoes or peppers.

This weekend is THE date for planting the tomatoes and peppers. The plants have grown big and they're ready to be transferred to the garden.

Now, you may recall that I said our pledge for this year was "if we can't eat it, we won't grow it."

I need to make an amendment to that rule.

I am planting marigolds, specifically amongst the tomatoes.

I'm not planting them for aesthetic reasons. Marigolds are quite beneficial and a must if you plan to grow your 'maters organically.

Marigolds can be used anywhere to deter Mexican bean beetles, squash bugs, thrips, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies. They are also known to repel harmful root knot nematodes (soil dwelling microscopic white worms) that attack tomatoes, potatoes, roses, and strawberries. The root of the marigold produces a chemical that kills nematodes as they enter the soil. If a whole area is infested, at the end of the season, turn the marigolds under so the roots will decay in the soil. You can safely plant there again the following spring.

Here are some other plants that get along well with tomatoes...

Basil - Probably the most widely used companion for tomatoes, basil attracts bees to aid in pollination, as well as repels whitefly, aphids and spider mites. Basil sprays are also thought to destroy these same pests, while some gardeners also believe that tomatoes grown near basil will also produce tomatoes with a basil tinged flavor. And of course, using basil as a companion also provides plenty of this lovely herb for your kitchen.

Nasturtiums - Thought to reduce the chances of fungal attack on your tomatoes and to also repel aphids and Green Shield beetles.

Stinging Nettles - Scientifically proven to dramatically increase the overall yield of tomato plants as well as to deter fungal disease.

Borage - Attracts beneficial insects.

Lemon Balm - Attracts beneficial insects.

Umbilliferae - A family which includes parsley, parsnips, carrots and others that attracts hoverflies which in both mature and larvae form feed on a wide host of tomato pests.

Thyme, Asparagus, Foxglove, Lavender and Garlic are also good companions to be intercropped with tomatoes.

On a final note, Rosemary, Potatoes, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Strawberries, members of the Brassica family (Cabbage, Kale, etc) and Dill should NOT be planted near tomatoes for these plants often attract pests which will attack tomatoes.