Tomatoes are a must for delicious salads and should not be missing in any permaculture garden. In the following you will learn how to best integrate tomatoes into your permaculture garden and achieve maximum yield.

Tomatoes do particularly well in raised beds

Things to know about tomatoes

Tomato is not just a tomato. There are probably over 35,000 different varieties of tomatoes worldwide! The colors of the fruits vary from dark red to orange and yellow to green. There are even slightly purple tomatoes. In the spirit of permaculture, you should plant as old, "rustic" tomato varieties as possible in your permaculture garden - they should of course be native, wild tomatoes are best and the more colorful the better, for the eye and the stomach. We have collected the most beautiful wild tomato varieties for you in this article.
The tomato is a member of the nightshade family and the fruit contains toxic solanine when unripe. Therefore, only harvest and eat ripe tomatoes.

The best location for the tomatoes in the permaculture garden

The fact that tomatoes are a nightshade plant does not mean that they do better in the dark, on the contrary: tomatoes need a lot of sun to develop. They are also heavy feeders and therefore need a lot of nutrients. Since they are very warmth-loving, they are often grown on raised beds, hill beds or in greenhouses or polytunnels (€11.46). If you grow tomatoes on the cold frame, you can harvest earlier!
Most tomato varieties climb and therefore need a climbing aid, otherwise the fragile branches can break off. However, since the tomato cannot hold on to itself, it must be tied down.

Good and bad planting neighbors for tomatoes

Mixed cultures are used in permaculture. Useful mixed cultures not only ensure a colorful variety of plants, they also protect the plants - if used correctly - from pests and ensure an optimal supply of nutrients. You can find out more about mixed cultures in permaculture here.
Good neighbors for the tomato:

  • bush beans
  • strawberries
  • garlic
  • cabbage
  • Kohlrabi
  • paprika
  • Parsely
  • salad
  • spinach
  • zucchini

You should not plant next to the tomato:

  • peas
  • fennel
  • cucumbers
  • potatoes

Tomato or not?

In permaculture, natural diversity and growth are promoted while at the same time maximizing yield. In addition, permaculture seeks to automate the processes so that there is as little work as possible. Going to the extreme is time-consuming and a matter of controversy. In a permaculture garden you should therefore rather avoid it. There are even some wild tomato and bush tomato varieties where there is no need to cut corners anyway.

Category:

Garden design