Bean

Phaseolus vulgaris

Fabaceae

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Solanaceae

Can you plant beans and tomatoes together?

Yes. Beans and tomatoes grow well together. A shared bed gave about 18% more harvest than separate beds in 2 field trials. That rests on two studies, so treat it as a lead, not a rule.

Why beans and tomatoes work together

More harvest from the same bed. In 2 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 18% more harvest than the same space split into a bean bed and a tomato bed.
Mixed cropping of vegetables to improve organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in small farmer systems (Reynafarje · 2016)
and 1 more source
Garden charts recommend it. 1 garden chart entry recommends growing them together. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)

What to plant with beans and tomatoes

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

Squash & pumpkinWith beans: 17% more harvestWith tomatoes: 18% more harvest
CucumberWith beans: 14% more harvestWith tomatoes: 17% more harvest
BasilWith beans: 21% more harvestWith tomatoes: 7% more harvest
EggplantWith beans: 13% more harvestWith tomatoes: 12% more harvest
OkraWith beans: 25% more harvestWith tomatoes: About the same harvest

All 9 plants that suit both, with the evidence

What to keep away from beans and tomatoes

KohlrabiWith beans: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
ChivesWith beans: Garden charts advise against it, not tested
RosemaryWith tomatoes: Garden charts advise against it, not tested

The evidence in detail

For readers who want to dig in: every chart entry, study and yield trial behind the answer above, with the numbers.

Tradition, research and yield trials

Tradition

Good

avoidgood

1 chart entry: 1 recommend, 0 advise against.

All entries cite a source.

Research

No papers found on this pair.

Yield trial

Good

0.24

0.94

Tomato gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.

2 field trials. Published LERs lean high.

Good neighbours

What happens above and below ground

Each animation illustrates a mechanism a study reported for this pair. Pick a card to focus on it.

Everything at once.

What is going on (1)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Bean TomatoMedian land equivalent ratio 1.18 over 2 trials: growing them together gave 1.18 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Bean 0.24 + Tomato 0.94. Range across treatments 1.12 to 1.21. Medians are taken separately, so the parts need not add up to the median LER. LER above 1 is biased upward by publication bias.

Yield trialfield trial x2

Mixed cropping of vegetables to improve organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in small farmer systems (Reynafarje · 2016)

Effects of Intercropping System of Tomato and Common Bean on Growth, Yield Components and Land Equivalent Ratio in New Valley Governorate (El-Gaid · 2014)

Tradition saysGood

1 gardening-lore entry. Lore is a starting point, not proof.

Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)

Companion plants for both beans and tomatoes

Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.

Plant	With beans	With tomatoes
Squash & pumpkin	Fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake17% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 7 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and squash	18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and squash
Cucumber	14% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and cucumbers	Lures pests away17% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 4 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cucumbers
Basil	Fewer pests21% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for beans and basil	Helpful plant chemistry, fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake7% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 6 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and basil
Eggplant	13% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and eggplant	12% more harvest from the same spaceSame family (Solanaceae): shares pests and diseasesField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and eggplant
Okra	25% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and okra	About the same harvest as separate bedsField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and okra
Cilantro	No effect on pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for beans and cilantro	Less disease and fewer pestsField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cilantro
Garlic	Draws in pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for beans and garlic	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and garlic

Harvest from the same space compares a bed with both crops against the same area split into single-crop beds, counting the harvest of both crops (the land equivalent ratio in yield trials).

Recommended by garden charts for both, not tested yet

Celery Sage

The evidence, with sources

Yield trialGood2 entries

GoodLER 1.18field trial

Peru, NA; Additive design; median LER 1.18 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Bean 0.24, Tomato 0.95
Mixed cropping of vegetables to improve organic tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production in small farmer systems (Reynafarje · 2016)
GoodLER 1.18field trial

Egypt, 2010-2012; Additive design; median LER 1.18 over 6 treatment(s) · partial LER Bean 0.24, Tomato 0.93
Effects of Intercropping System of Tomato and Common Bean on Growth, Yield Components and Land Equivalent Ratio in New Valley Governorate (El-Gaid · 2014)

TraditionGood1 entry

GoodBean helps Tomato
Tomatoes: helped by beans
Companion planting: Myth or reality? (2010 · Utah Pests News)

Plan a bed with beans and tomatoes

All neighbours of bean and of tomato, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.

Have you grown beans and tomatoes together?

Tell other gardeners what happened: spacing, pests, harvest, or ask a question. Reader notes are not checked by us and do not change the verdicts on this page.