Eggplant

Solanum melongena

Solanaceae

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

Solanaceae

Can you plant eggplant and tomatoes together?

Yes. Eggplant and tomatoes grow well together. A shared bed gave about 12% more harvest than separate beds in 2 field trials. That rests on two studies, so treat it as a lead, not a rule.

Why eggplant and tomatoes work together

More harvest from the same bed. In 2 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 12% more harvest than the same space split into a eggplant bed and a tomato bed.
Bio-agronomic efficiency indices of eggplant and tomato intercropping X1 - Índices de eficiência bio-agronômica do consórcio de berinjela e tomate (Cecílio Filho · 2022)
and 1 more source
Garden charts recommend it. 2 garden chart entries recommend growing them together. Charts pass on gardening tradition; they are not tests.
Responses of Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Population on Tomato Lycopersicon esculentnm Mixed with Other Crops under Glasshouse Conditions (Mansour · 2012 · APCBEE Procedia)
Same family, shared pests. Eggplant and tomatoes are both in the Solanaceae family, so the same pests and diseases can move from one to the other.
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

What to plant with eggplant and tomatoes

Good neighbours of both, best tested first.

CabbageWith eggplant: 54% more harvestWith tomatoes: 34% more harvest
MintWith eggplant: Fewer pestsWith tomatoes: 72% more harvest
CilantroWith eggplant: 67% more harvestWith tomatoes: Less disease
BeanWith eggplant: 13% more harvestWith tomatoes: 18% more harvest
GarlicWith eggplant: 25% more harvestWith tomatoes: Recommended by garden charts, not tested

All 7 plants that suit both, with the evidence

What to keep away from eggplant 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

Same family, shared pests and diseases. Both in Solanaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insects. Source: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden

Tradition

Good

avoidgood

2 chart entries: 2 recommend, 0 advise against.

All entries cite a source.

Research

No papers found on this pair.

Yield trial

Good

0.61

0.40

Eggplant 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 (2)

Pick a card to spotlight its animation in the scene.

Eggplant TomatoEggplant and Tomato are close relatives, so the same insects and diseases can hop from one to the other.

Same familyextension guidance x1

Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

Eggplant TomatoMedian land equivalent ratio 1.12 over 2 trials: growing them together gave 1.12 times the harvest of two separate plots of the same size.

Partial LERs (medians): Eggplant 0.62 + Tomato 0.40. Range across treatments 0.97 to 1.47. 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

Bio-agronomic efficiency indices of eggplant and tomato intercropping X1 - Índices de eficiência bio-agronômica do consórcio de berinjela e tomate (Cecílio Filho · 2022)

Intercropping of eggplant and tomato as function of times of transplant and cropping season (Cecilio Filho · 2022)

Tradition saysGood

2 gardening-lore entries. Lore is a starting point, not proof.

Responses of Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Population on Tomato Lycopersicon esculentnm Mixed with Other Crops under Glasshouse Conditions (Mansour · 2012 · APCBEE Procedia)

Companion plants for both eggplant and tomatoes

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

Plant	With eggplant	With tomatoes
Cabbage	54% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant and cabbage	34% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 4 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for tomatoes and cabbage
Mint	Fewer pestsField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant and mint	72% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and mint
Cilantro	Fewer pests67% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant and cilantro	Less disease and fewer pestsField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cilantro
Bean	13% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for eggplant and beans	18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and beans
Garlic	Fewer pests and better soil and nutrient uptake25% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 3 studies. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant and garlic	No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and garlic
Basil	Draws in pest-eating insectsGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for eggplant 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

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

Thyme

The evidence, with sources

Yield trialGood2 entries

GoodLER 1.14field trial

Brazil, 2009-2010; Additive design; median LER 1.14 over 20 treatment(s)
Bio-agronomic efficiency indices of eggplant and tomato intercropping X1 - Índices de eficiência bio-agronômica do consórcio de berinjela e tomate (Cecílio Filho · 2022)
GoodLER 1.10field trial

Brazil, 2009-2010; NA design; median LER 1.10 over 20 treatment(s) · partial LER Eggplant 0.615, Tomato 0.395
Intercropping of eggplant and tomato as function of times of transplant and cropping season (Cecilio Filho · 2022)

TraditionGood2 entries

GoodEggplant helps Tomato
Eggplant or Aubergine: helps tomatoes
Responses of Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Population on Tomato Lycopersicon esculentnm Mixed with Other Crops under Glasshouse Conditions (Mansour · 2012 · APCBEE Procedia)
GoodEggplant helps Tomato
Tomatoes: helped by eggplant
Responses of Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Population on Tomato Lycopersicon esculentnm Mixed with Other Crops under Glasshouse Conditions (Mansour · 2012 · APCBEE Procedia)

Same familyShares pests1 entry

Both in Solanaceae: often susceptible to the same diseases and insects
Crop Rotation in the Vegetable Garden (Steil · 2025 · Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Yard and Garden)

Plan a bed with eggplant and tomatoes

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

Have you grown eggplant 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.