You can surround tomatoes with strong-scented herbs and flowers that confuse or repel pests like aphids, whiteflies, hornworms, and spider mites.

Best things to plant with tomatoes to keep bugs away

1. Herbs that repel pests

  • Basil – Helps deter aphids, tomato hornworms, and whiteflies, and many gardeners notice healthier, more productive tomato plants when basil is nearby.
  • Alliums (garlic, chives, onions, leeks, shallots) – Their strong smell repels aphids, hornworms, and red spider mites; you can ring your tomato bed with them as a low “scent fence.”
  • Parsley – Often recommended as a companion; some growers report better vigor and fewer issues when parsley is tucked at the edges of tomato rows.
  • Mint-family herbs (oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary) – These aromatic herbs help deter a mix of pests like spider mites, flea beetles, aphids, and caterpillars, while their blooms attract beneficial wasps and pollinators that hunt tomato hornworms.

Mini tip: Keep mint itself in pots so it doesn’t take over, but you can still place the pots right beside your tomato bed.

2. Flowers that help protect tomatoes

  • Marigolds – Classic tomato companions; they’re linked with fewer root-knot nematodes and aboveground pests like hornworms and aphids thanks to their strong scent.
  • Nasturtiums – Work as a “trap crop,” pulling aphids and other sap-suckers away from your tomatoes so they chew nasturtiums instead.
  • Calendula – Attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies that eat aphids and other soft-bodied pests, indirectly protecting your tomatoes.

3. Helpful leafy and veggie companions

These don’t always repel pests directly, but they improve the mini‑ecosystem around your tomatoes.

  • Lettuce and spinach – Grow under and around tomatoes; they enjoy the partial shade and can act as a living mulch, keeping soil cooler and less inviting for some crawling pests.
  • Asparagus – Often listed as a mutual companion; tomatoes can deter asparagus beetles, and asparagus beds can share space with tomatoes in some perennial systems.
  • Cowpeas (for larger gardens) – Sometimes used along with tomatoes to reduce stinkbug pressure as part of a broader companion-planting system.

4. Simple layout idea (Quick Scoop style)

Imagine one tomato plant in the center:

  • Ring 1 (closest):
    • Alternate basil and parsley plants.
  • Ring 2:
    • A mix of marigolds and nasturtiums for scent and trap cropping.
  • Bed edges:
    • A border of chives/garlic/onions and a few clumps of thyme or oregano.

This gives you smell-based repellent plants, trap crops, and bug‑eating allies all in one small space.

5. What NOT to rely on

  • Companion plants help, but they don’t replace good basics: crop rotation, clean up old plant debris, proper spacing for airflow, and regular checks for pests.
  • Some “magic” pairings on forums don’t have much evidence; sticking with marigolds, alliums, basil, and nasturtiums around tomatoes is one of the more consistently supported mixes.

Mini TL;DR:
Plant basil, garlic/onions/chives, oregano/thyme, marigolds, nasturtiums, and calendula around your tomatoes to repel pests and attract beneficial insects, then keep everything well-spaced and tidy for the best bug control.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.