Potatoes vs Tomatoes - friends or foes ?

[Tomstrees]

Can you plant potatoes and tomatoes next to each other ?

Can you plant potatoes next to eggplants ?

and last but not least:

Can you plant potatoes next to hot peppers ?

Thanks, Tom

[Tom Wagner]

http://www.tomatocasual.com/2007/09/...-the-same-bed/

States:
be sure to write down a basic map of the plants locations so you do not replant anything from that family in the same area the following year.
This is referred to as crop rotation




http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/blight/
has this quote:

Identify late blight and know how to control it, to avoid being a source of spores that infect potatoes and tomatoes in neighboring gardens and commercial fields. This disease is capable of wiping out not only your entire potato and tomato crop but also commercial fields very quickly under wet conditions, and farmers who grow potatoes or tomatoes are at serious risk of losing their entire income for the season.

http://www.ghorganics.com/page2.html

Suggests:

Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can get early and late blight contaminating each other.



Interesting question. Can you plant potatoes next to potatoes is the next concern. I try to plant potatoes in isolated plots scattered in many locations, since planting potatoes next to potatoes is akin to planting tomatoes next to potatoes. Many times we don't have a choice. Rotation, disease control, and the like are in play. Solananums are popular, and to think that tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplants have to be separate is a logistical problem.

[feldon30]

I resemble that remark!

I have limited garden space, so have focused mostly on the "favorites" which is tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and beans. I don't have a lot of stuff to "rotate in" on a crop rotation plan. If I had a larger space, then I would be able to grow larger quantities of things like lettuce, broccoli, more root crops, etc.

After 3 poor fall tomato seasons, I am fairly certain I will only grow a dozen plants (mostly cherries) and will likely put them in a bed which has not previously had tomatoes. Then the 3 prime tomato beds can have a break. I'll probably put lots of legumes (beans, peas), squash, cucumbers, etc. and sell the extras at the farmer's market.

It is certainly tempting to grow the same things in the same places, particularly if a certain configuration of cages and beds has a desirable layout. Some people have even less choice if they have installed permanent or semi-permanent supports for tomato and cucumber plants in certain beds.

I wonder how my strawberry bed is going to play in all of this. I know after 2 years it's time for new plants. As I mentioned in another thread, a strawberry farm near Houston suffered major losses to crown rot because they grew in the same beds for 3 years in a row.


If there is one question I have, it's have any studies been done to substantiate the idea that following one solanum crop with another increases the buildup of disease beyond the amount that would be seen if simply growing the SAME crop year after year? In other words, is it intrinsically riskier to grow 10 tomato plants and 10 potato plants side-by-side than simply growing 20 tomato plants or 20 potato plants?

I find posts stating "You can't plant tomatoes and peppers together!" to be very knee-jerk and alarmist.

[Tomstrees]

Thanks Tom! Very informative links!

I've been planting tomatoes and peppers in the same spot for years now - but with the addition of potatoes and eggplant I thought I should be at least aware of any challenges that may arise.

I will def. check in throughout the season with updates as to how every things growing.

~ Tom