Encourage Pollinators with Companion Flowers
Although tomatoes are primarily self-pollinating, a little buzz from bumblebees and carpenter bees can shake extra yield out of fused blossoms. Peppers, with their more open flowers, also benefit from bee visits. Planting alyssum, borage, or marigolds nearby draws these pollinators in.
One summer, I tucked borage between my tomato cages and watched leafcutter bees nest in the soil nearby—nature’s own gardening assistants! These beneficial insects also prey on aphids and other pests, reducing the need for sprays.