Asparagus and Tomatoes
by John Yazo
Tomatoes are one of the most favorite crops that are grown in the garden and there is a lot of pride taken by most when growing them. It is a plant that gets along with many of the other common crops grown in the home garden. Companion planting with tomatoes has many benefits that can be had. Asparagus is one of those companion plants to the tomato, along with basil, parsley.
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable crops. It's shoots are picked as young spears in the springtime. As the season move on, it's foliage matures into an airy, fern-like cloud and changes color to a yellowish-gold in the fall. Asparagus takes up a permanent location in the garden, but can be an attractive accent plant, when space imitations are a problem you can plant asparagus as a border or hedge plant to accent your landscape.
Tomatoes are a great way to protect your asparagus plants from the asparagus-beetles, this is because it contains a substance called solanine. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison that is found in species of the nightshade family, such as eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes. It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including leaves, fruit, or tuber and is very toxic even in small quantities. Solanine contains both fungicide and pesticide properties and is a natural defense for plants.
A chemical from the juices of asparagus has also been found effective on tomato plants as a defense for nematodes, root-knot, sting, stubby root, and even meadow nematodes.
Companion planting is not an exact science. There is a lot of trial and error to be done to find a combination that will work best for you. It is an interesting and educational method of gardening.
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