Tomatos and Onions in SFG

KT421 3/11/2013, 2:16 pm

Hello everyone,

I am getting my raised bed ready for the new season, and I have a question about companion crops. I know that tomatoes and onions are suppose to get on well together, but I had an idea about where to plant them, and I wanted to see if anyone else had tried it.

I am planting tomatoes in one 4'x4' plot, each with its own 2'x2' space. Since onions take so little space on their own, I was thinking of planting the onions in rows along the inner borders of the plot. This would free up a couple square feet in my other bed for other things.

Tomatos and Onions in SFG Spring11

Do you think this would work, or would it crowd the tomatoes too much?

**camprn** 3/11/2013, 2:31 pm

If the purpose of this planting combination is to offer tomatoes some degree of benefit from the onion plant, then this plan seems sound. If however, you want an onion harvest I would plant differently. Onions need sun as well as space. Unless you are going to heavily prune the tomato plants, the wee onions between the tomatoes will probably not produce much of a bulb.

Lindacol 3/11/2013, 6:30 pm

Are the tomatoes indeterminants or determinant? Indeterminants can be planted 1 per square and trained up a trellis. Determinants (bush types) need 9 squares each.

I would suggest planting 4 indeterminants along a northside trellis, then you can plant the onions in 4 squares to the south of the tomatoes and still have more squares to plant other things.

Kate888 3/11/2013, 7:24 pm

I did my determinate tomatoes up twine, and had them each in one square. Along the outside edge of the squares I did green onions. I wouldn't have been able to get to the inside edges.

KT421 3/12/2013, 1:29 pm

Thanks for the feedback.

I also have scallions to plant, which may be a better option. I may try putting those in a single row along the south edge.

The tomatoes are indeterminate: Burpee's Big Boy.

Kate888 3/12/2013, 3:58 pm

Kate888 wrote:I did my determinate tomatoes up twine, and had them each in one square. Along the outside edge of the squares I did green onions. I wouldn't have been able to get to the inside edges.

whoops, that was supposed to say INdeterminate tomatoes. Embarassed

Hoggar 3/13/2013, 12:28 pm

I plant my determinant and Indeterminate toms in the same 2' x 8' box with 1 square each and have had bumper crops for the last two years. I see no reason to waste the space of 9 squares on one plant.

Although that being said I am planning to put some determinants in pots this year so I can more easily move them into the greenhouse at the end of the season.

Hardcoir 3/13/2013, 3:06 pm

If you are trying to help your tomatoes, I suggest planting basil with them instead of onions.

We have 128 onions planted in 8 squares. They are on the outer edge of our large 50 x 2 rectangle. We keep it near our lettuce and parsley as part of our salad plot.

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