Tradition
No chart mentions this pair.
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Asteraceae
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
SolanaceaeCan you plant lettuce and tomatoes together?
It depends. The sources disagree about lettuce and tomatoes. A shared bed gave about 49% more harvest than separate beds in 6 field trials.
Why it depends
More harvest from the same bed. In 6 field trials, a bed with both crops gave about 49% more harvest than the same space split into a lettuce bed and a tomato bed.
What to plant with lettuce and tomatoes
Good neighbours of both, best tested first.
MintWith lettuce: Helpful plant chemistryWith tomatoes: 72% more harvest
BeanWith lettuce: 48% more harvestWith tomatoes: 18% more harvest
CucumberWith lettuce: 35% more harvestWith tomatoes: 17% more harvest
EggplantWith lettuce: 16% more harvestWith tomatoes: 12% more harvest
Squash & pumpkinWith lettuce: 10% more harvestWith tomatoes: 18% more harvest
What to keep away from lettuce and tomatoes
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
Research
Mixed
avoidgood
1 paper found: 0 positive, 0 negative, 1 mixed.
yield / land use
auto-classified not reviewed by a person
Yield trial
Good
0.61
0.87
Tomato gains more. Partial LER is each crop's share of the yield it would give alone.
6 field trials. Published LERs lean high.
It's complicated
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.
Companion plants for both lettuce and tomatoes
Plants that are good neighbours of each. Biggest harvest gain first; each cell links to the evidence for that pair.
| Plant | With lettuce | With tomatoes |
|---|---|---|
| Mint | Helpful plant chemistryGreenhouse or pot trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and mint | 72% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and mint |
| Bean | 48% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and beans | 18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and beans |
| Cucumber | Fewer pests35% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 5 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and cucumbers | Lures pests away17% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 4 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cucumbers |
| Eggplant | 16% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce 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 |
| Squash & pumpkin | 10% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: not listed.Evidence for lettuce and squash | 18% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and squash |
 Okra | 9% more harvest from the same spaceField trial, 1 study. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and okra | About the same harvest as separate bedsField trial, 2 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and okra |
 Onion | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce 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 |
 Cilantro | No trial foundNot tested. Charts: recommend.Evidence for lettuce and cilantro | Less disease and fewer pestsField trial, 3 studies. Charts: recommend.Evidence for tomatoes and cilantro |
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
The evidence, with sources
- Mixedyield / land usegreenhouse / pot trialauto-classifiedAgronomic efficiency of intercropping tomato and lettuce.Agronomic efficiency of intercropping tomato and lettuce (Cecílio Filho · 2011)Relevance 97% · effect confidence 70%
- GoodLER 1.27field trialPeru, NA; Additive design; median LER 1.27 over 1 treatment(s) · partial LER Lettuce 0.26, Tomato 1.02
- GoodLER 1.57greenhouse / pot trialBrazil, 2001-2002; Additive design; median LER 1.58 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Tomato 0.27Influência das épocas de cultivo e do estabelecimento do consórcio na produção de tomate e alface consorciados X1 - Influence of planting and intercropping establishment time on production of the cultures intercropping of tomato and lettuce (Rezende · 2005)
- GoodLER 1.95greenhouse / pot trialBrazil, 2003-2004; NA design; median LER 1.95 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Lettuce 0.95, Tomato 1Agronomic efficiency of intercropping tomato and lettuce (Cecílio Filho · 2011)
Show 3 more
- GoodLER 1.40greenhouse / pot trialBrazil, 2003-2004; NA design; median LER 1.40 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Lettuce 0.43, Tomato 0.96Agronomic efficiency of intercropping tomato and lettuce (Cecílio Filho · 2011)
- GoodLER 1.96field trialBrazil, 2003-2004; NA design; median LER 1.96 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Lettuce 0.96, Tomato 1
- GoodLER 1.41field trialBrazil, 2003-2004; NA design; median LER 1.41 over 8 treatment(s) · partial LER Lettuce 0.44, Tomato 0.965
All neighbours of lettuce and of tomato, or every pair at once in the companion planting chart.
Have you grown lettuce 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.