Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

Brassicaceae

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Solanaceae

Can you plant cabbage and tomatoes together?

Yes. Cabbage and tomatoes grow well together. A shared bed gave about 34% more harvest than separate beds in 2 field trials.

Why cabbage and tomatoes work together

More harvest from the same bed. In 2 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 34% more harvest than the same space split into a cabbage bed and a tomato bed.
White Cabbage Productivity in Intercropping Production Systems (Bavec · 2012)
and 1 more source
No clear effect on pests. In a field trial, growing them together made no clear difference to pests.
Manipulating the attractiveness and suitability of hosts for diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). (Badenes-Perez FR · 2005 · Journal of economic entomology)

What to plant with cabbage and tomatoes

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

ParsleyWith cabbage: 181% more harvestWith tomatoes: Recommended by garden charts, not tested
MintWith cabbage: Draws in pest-eating insectsWith tomatoes: 72% more harvest
CilantroWith cabbage: 70% more harvestWith tomatoes: Less disease
EggplantWith cabbage: 54% more harvestWith tomatoes: 12% more harvest
CeleryWith cabbage: 27% more harvestWith tomatoes: Recommended by garden charts, not tested

All 13 plants that suit both, with the evidence

What to keep away from cabbage and tomatoes

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

No chart mentions this pair.

Research

Good

avoidgood

2 papers found: 1 positive, 0 negative, 1 no effect.

trap cropyield / land use

auto-classified not reviewed by a person

Yield trial

Good

0.72

0.31

Cabbage 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 (3)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Cabbage TomatoStudies looked for trap crop from Cabbage to Tomato and found no clear effect. The studies do not say which plant acts as the decoy.

Researchfield trial x1

Manipulating the attractiveness and suitability of hosts for diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). (Badenes-Perez FR · 2005 · Journal of economic entomology)

Cabbage TomatoGrown together, Cabbage and Tomato gave more food from the same ground than apart.

Researchfield trial x1

[Structure and function of several intercropping ecosystems in newly built orchard]. (Zeng F · 2003 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)

Cabbage TomatoMedian land equivalent ratio 1.34 over 2 trials: growing them together gave 1.34 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Cabbage 0.72 + Tomato 0.31. Range across treatments 1.26 to 1.43. 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

White Cabbage Productivity in Intercropping Production Systems (Bavec · 2012)

Do Tomatoes Love Basil but Hate Brussels Sprouts? Competition and Land-Use Efficiency of Popularly Recommended and Discouraged Crop Mixtures in Biointensive Agriculture Systems (Bomford · 2009)

Companion plants for both cabbage and tomatoes

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

Plant	With cabbage	With tomatoes
Parsley	181% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and parsley	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and parsley
Mint	Draws in pest-eating insectsField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and mint	72% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and mint
Cilantro	Draws in pest-eating insects70% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 7 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and cilantro	Less disease and fewer pestsField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cilantro
Eggplant	54% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage 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
Celery	27% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and celery	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and celery
Basil	12% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage 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
Leek	16% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and leeks	Less disease and better soil and nutrient uptakeGreenhouse or pot trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and leeks
Onion	Fewer pests and draws in pest-eating insects8% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 8 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and onions	Better soil and nutrient uptake and bigger combined harvestMixed results on soil and nutrientsField trial, 7 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for tomatoes and onions
Okra	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and okra	About the same harvest as separate bedsField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and okra
Broccoli	Lures pests awaySame family (Brassicaceae): shares pests and diseasesField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for cabbage and broccoli	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and broccoli
Chives	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and chives	Fewer pests and less diseaseField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and chives
Thyme	Bigger combined harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and thyme	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and thyme
Sage	No effect on harvestField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for cabbage and sage	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and sage

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).

The evidence, with sources

ResearchGood2 entries

No effecttrap cropfield trialauto-classified

Manipulating the attractiveness and suitability of hosts for diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).
Manipulating the attractiveness and suitability of hosts for diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). (Badenes-Perez FR · 2005 · Journal of economic entomology)

Relevance 83% · effect confidence 92%
Goodyield / land usefield trialauto-classified

[Structure and function of several intercropping ecosystems in newly built orchard].
[Structure and function of several intercropping ecosystems in newly built orchard]. (Zeng F · 2003 · Ying yong sheng tai xue bao = The journal of applied ecology)

Relevance 90% · effect confidence 82%

Yield trialGood2 entries

GoodLER 1.62field trial

Slovenia, 2007-2009; Additive design; median LER 1.62 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.68
White Cabbage Productivity in Intercropping Production Systems (Bavec · 2012)
GoodLER 1.06field trial

USA, 2001-2002; Replacement design; median LER 1.06 over 2 treatment(s) · partial LER Cabbage 0.755, Tomato 0.31
Do Tomatoes Love Basil but Hate Brussels Sprouts? Competition and Land-Use Efficiency of Popularly Recommended and Discouraged Crop Mixtures in Biointensive Agriculture Systems (Bomford · 2009)

Plan a bed with cabbage and tomatoes

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

Have you grown cabbage 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.