Growing tomatoes and peppers side by side is one of my favorite summer gardening adventures—nothing beats the thrill of harvesting a basket brimming with ripe, sun-warmed fruit for salsa night! Still, it can feel like a juggling act when tomatoes sprawl and peppers sulk, or when pests swoop in under cover of darkness. I know how disheartening it is to see blossom end rot on tomatoes or yellowing pepper leaves halfway through the season. These twelve tips will help you harmonize their needs so both crops flourish together!
Tomatoes (native to western South America) and peppers (originating in Central and South America) share many cultural preferences—warmth, sun, loamy soil—but each has its quirks. From pruning strategies and soil amendments to staking tactics and pollinator friends, we’ll cover everything you need to know. Let’s dive in and turn that corner of your garden into a peppery-tomato paradise!
Prune Suckers on Tomatoes but Leave Pepper Growth Intact
Tomato plants produce “suckers” (the shoots that sprout between stem and branch) which, if left unchecked, divert energy from fruit production. Carefully removing these suckers encourages bigger, juicier tomatoes—but peppers don’t form suckers, so let their side shoots develop naturally.
Without pruning, tomatoes can become a tangled jungle that shades your pepper plants, reducing their fruit set. Peppers benefit from all the foliage they can muster to fuel pepper development. I once neglected tomato suckers and ended up with a thicket so dense I couldn’t spot the peppers hiding beneath!