🌿 5. Plant Basil or Marigolds as “Guardian Plants”
Companion planting is a powerful organic hack to protect your tomatoes from pests and improve flavor.
- Best Companions:
- Basil: Enhances tomato flavor and repels flies.
- Marigolds: Deter nematodes and aphids.
- Garlic: Acts as a fungal suppressant.
- Tip: Plant them near your tomatoes to create a natural pest-repelling zone.
🪴 6. Prune Suckers Strategically (Not All of Them!)
Pruning tomatoes is often debated, but the key is targeted pruning, not total removal. This helps improve airflow and increases yield.
- Do Prune: Suckers below the first flower cluster for better airflow.
- Don’t Prune: Upper suckers—they help increase yield by growing more branches and flowers.
- Tip: Think ventilation at the bottom, production at the top.
☀️ 7. Train Tomatoes Vertically for Triple Yields
Switching from cages to string trellising (a method used by commercial growers) can dramatically boost fruit production.
- Advantages:
- Better light exposure
- Easier to prune and harvest
- More air circulation = less disease
- Tip: Use a single leader system to guide the plant upward on sturdy string or twine.
🧄 8. Make a Natural Garlic–Pepper Pest Spray
Skip the chemicals! This natural pest repellent deters aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites.
- Recipe:
- 2 garlic bulbs
- 2 hot peppers
- 1 liter warm water
- Instructions: Blend, strain, and add a few drops of mild soap. Spray weekly to keep pests away.
🍃 9. Mulch with Grass Clippings for a Nitrogen Boost
Grass clippings are a great way to slowly add nitrogen to the soil and help retain moisture around your tomato plants.
- Pro Tip: Apply in thin layers to avoid mold growth.
