potatoes and tomatoes

[minifarmer]

Okay, here's a question for everyone. Since potatoes and tomatoes are members of the nightshade family and have similar requirements, but one heads skyward and one goes deep, could I interplant them with each other in my raised beds without having to keep the spacings between them. aka if your tomato plants go 4 to a row (one foot spacing), and your potato plants do also, could I put 4 tomato with 3 potato in each row??? Just curious. Karla

[KalenaPlants]

That's an excellent question. If anyone has a good answer, I'm just as curious.

[kitsapFG]

The answer is no you cannot do that successfully. The tomato plant while tall growing has a root system to support that top growth that can reach down as far as 2 feet and outwards by as much as 1 1/2 feet. That's why I plant my tomatoes in 2' squares rather than 1' squares. Potatoes have quite a bit of top growth to feed the tubers so they actually take up a lot of room in their upper story as well. Potatoes also need about 1 1/2 square feet of growing room as well. So trying to cram them together in the same space you were planning to put the tomatoes will just force both plants to not have near enough room for proper growth.

[nandmsmom]

According to Carrots Love Tomatoes, they should not be planted together because the tomatoes will increase the possiblity of potato blight.

[MoniDew]

they do attract the same insects! perhaps separating them is wise, so that both are not attacked at the same time - potentially causing the loss of both crops.

[gardengirl72]

Potatoes grow above the seed potato and need to be mounded as they grow so planting them with tomatoes wouldn't work.

[swoop]

i got so frustrated running out of space to plant my potatoes that i threw them in the garbage;). i took two 50 gallon garbage bags - poked holes in them - rolled them all the way down filled them with several inches of soil, compost, and peat a little organic sulphur and comfrey leaves - i put more soil as the plants grow and roll up the bag higher - at the end of the season i will cut the bag open and ...... well i haven't gotten there yet and i guess i shouldn't count my potatoes before they hatch? well you know what i mean. wish me luck i am a potato virgin.