Can Green Pepper Plants Be Planted Alongside Tomato Plants?
The term”green pepper” is really a misnomer, because nearly all peppers, if sweet or hot, are green until ripening. Since the bell pepper (Capsicum annum ) is most often used for cooking and salads while still in its unripe phase, it’s gained the nickname honey. But, bell peppers run the gamut of colors from orange, yellow and crimson to purple, black and even chocolate. Both peppers and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum ) are members of the extensive family, Solanaceae.
Companion Planting
Most anglers know of association planting — a method wherein certain plants are grown alongside one another in the belief that they form a kind of symbiotic relationship that boosts the growth and health of each, usually by leading nutrients or evading pests in some manner. Burpee recommends planting berries and peppers with each other, in addition to with parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and carrots (Daucus carota), among other suitably companionable plants.
Benefits of Growing Peppers With Tomatoes
Because tomatoes and peppers are in exactly the exact same household, they discuss lots of the same needs — making them a fantastic match from the garden with each other. Both prefer sunny locations and a growing season which is very warm, but not too hot — ranging from 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, to set flowers and for optimum fruit production and taste. They have nutrient requirements and water and might be planted and harvested at nearly the same times. They discuss a similar optimum pH selection of 6.0 to 7.0, also since they have similar flowers, they promote the same pollinators.
Challenges of Growing Peppers With Tomatoes
The close family ties between peppers and tomatoes, while making them ideal companions on the one hand, can lead to different challenges on another. Neither plant likes wet leaves or sodden ground and both are vulnerable to many different fungal and bacterial diseases which will easily transfer between these. Wilt and molds, bacterial leaf spot and tobacco mosaic virus are blights or three diseases that they discuss. Solanums also share common insects such as the tomato hornworm, blister beetles along with cutworms.
Culinary Advantages
Peppers and tomatoes often appear in exactly the same dishes — from salads and salsas to sauces, chili and much of ethnic cuisine. Growing them in precisely the exact same plot close to the kitchen together with herbs like parsley, basil (Ocimum spp.) And cilantro (also referred to as coriander, Coriandrum sativum) retains them handy for fast harvesting at mealtime. In addition, peppers and herbs are quite ornamental and will continue to keep your sprawling tomatoes from looking quite so cluttered in a group planting.