Plant tomatoes and zucchini together: yes or no?

Zucchini and tomatoes go well together on the plate and form a delicious liaison with many dishes. But do both types of vegetables also harmonize in the garden bed? Read here whether you can plant tomatoes and zucchini together.

Mixed culture possible in principle

Zucchini and tomato plants have very similar needs in terms of location, nutrient requirements, and water requirements. Both types need

• a sunny, warm and sheltered spot
• nutrient-rich, loose soil
• good fertilization with rich, organic fertilizers
• much water

Both zucchini and tomatoes are among the so-called because of their high nutrient requirements heavy feeders

. Basically, an old garden rule says that at best you plant plants with similar needs together. In this case, however, this is difficult because both species compete with each other for space, nutrients and water in a neighboring plantation. If the supply is insufficient, this can lead to serious problems and negatively affect plant health and fruit development. Therefore our advice is: A mixed culture of zucchini and tomatoes is possible, but not recommended.

Tip: You should anyway Tomatoes better in the greenhouse or cultivate under a foil roof construction, since the sensitive plants dreaded when it rains too much Late blight and late blight develop. Zucchini, on the other hand, grow without any problems outdoors.

Be sure to note

If you still want to plant the two crops together, you should pay more attention to compliance with the following rules. Then nothing should stand in the way of a successful mixed culture of tomato and zucchini.

Planting distance and lighting conditions

Both zucchini and tomatoes need a lot of space and should therefore not be placed directly next to each other. Zucchini plants in particular can get huge and tirelessly grow upwards. Their leaves grow very large and can shade tomatoes that are planted too tightly - which they don't like at all, after all, that's what they need nightshade a full sun location. In addition, zucchini grow strongly in width. Tomatoes, on the other hand, need the opportunity to stand upright on a stick or a trellis – depending on the variety – to grow.

It is therefore essential to keep these distances when planting:

• Zucchini: at least 100 x 100 centimeters square
• Tomatoes: 50 to 80 centimeters in row and 80 to 100 centimeters between rows, depending on the variety

Tip: Basically, the ground under the zucchini plant should be kept clear. However, you can put weakly consuming and space-consuming species such as onions or beetroot very close to the courgettes - this also prevents soil erosion.

water and nutrient supply

If tomatoes and courgettes have enough space, the most important conditions for healthy growth are already in place. Now all you have to do is ensure that the plants are watered and fertilized regularly and according to their needs:

• Soil should always be moist but not wet
• always water roots and keep leaves as dry as possible
• Fertilize with mature compost or rotted stable manure
• mulch covering it (e.g. B. from comfrey leaves, lawn clippings or sliced ​​tomato or zucchini leaves) to keep moisture in the soil

Tip: Both tomatoes and zucchini are quite susceptible to fungal diseases, for example mildew. You can mitigate this with preventive spraying horsetail broth and skimmed milk broth (one liter of milk to six liters of water).

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