What can you not plant near kale?

Question: What can you not plant near kale? I’m not sure how to design my vegetable garden and I know I want to plant kale and tomatoes. -Kenny T.

Answer: Although kale has lots of beneficial companion plants, there are some things that just shouldn’t be planted near your kale. We’ve listed them below so you can avoid planting them too close to one another.

• Black walnut: Black walnut trees are known for causing the death of plants growing closer than 50 feet to it,

• Sunflowers: Sunflowers planted near kale can prevent your kale seeds from germinating.

• Tomatoes: Any plant in the brassica family will stunt the growth of tomatoes. Brassica plants include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, honesty, horseradish,  kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, sweet alyssum, turnips, and watercress.

• Tree of heaven: Despite its lovely name, this plant will inhibit the growth of just about anything planted nearby.

Can I plant tomatoes and kale together?

Remember kale and other members of the brassica family should not be planted near tomatoes because they will impact the growth of the tomatoes. Brassica plants include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, broccoli raab, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, honesty, horseradish,  kohlrabi, radishes, rutabaga, sweet alyssum, turnips, and watercress.