How old are the plants, how long since planted, and which type? As indeterminate varieties (and even some determinates) grow toward maturity that 2 foot wide alleyway is going to rapidly disappear. That's one reason why a 3' minimum is recommended just so you can access the plants for harvesting and pest and disease control. So planting something in that path will only make your job harder.

Plus there are the issues of shading the small plants and the water, nutrient,and sun competition it creates.

Early spring seemingly empty bare soil space bugs all of us until we realize come summer that all that bare space has disappeared and it is now a jungle out there. :)

Dave

I think you can do lettuce, chard, spinach, bok choy, arugula,...
... without a concern for space and shade, as they will gone by the time the tomatoes grow wide and tall .
Again, it depend on the row spacing and the plants spacing in the rows.
I have planted lettuce , in raised bed, between the tomatoes few times. But then I prune my tomato plant and the ground around them is open and free.


Sey

In my experience you can plant fast growing greens in the tomato bed BEFORE you plant tomatoes. Then you put tomatoes and they will grow together for about a months, until tomatoes get so big that they shade everything and the greens runt out.

Agree with antmary. If you had posed this question a month ago it would have been okay since the cool weather plants would be well on their way to maturity prior to planting the tomatoes. As of now you may be able to plant some radishes or fast growing baby greens. Anything that takes longer than say 30 days, 40 at the max, won't have any time to mature before being crowded out.

Rodney

Thanks for the tips, everyone - taking everything into account I'm thinking it's probably best to not waste time and seeds. Last question though - has anyone had any success with interplanting basil? Word on the street is that they can share soil space and nutrients rather nicely, and the basil will help keep certain bugs away?

Dave hit the nail on the head... I'm probably being impatient and thinking just of aesthetics... just 'cos it looks like a nice open space doesn't mean something needs to be crammed in there... in time it'll be plenty full enough! :)

Oh, and to answer Dave's initial question:

Everything started from seed on 3/21, and transplanted on 5/1, so 8 weeks old, 2 of those weeks in the ground.

All indeterminate: Sweetie Cherry, Cosmonaut Volkov, Paul Robeson, Striped German, Mortgage Lifter, San Marzano, and Purple Tomatillo

Usually, I'll grow lettuce(s) in the tomato beds beginning in early spring making sure I leave spaces where the tomato plants will be inserted later on. Eventually, I'll plant the tomatoes and by the time they get big enough, the lettuce will be mostly harvested. I try to harvest the lettuce by "moving away" from the tomato plants, if that makes sense.

I'll often stick a couple of basil plants at the ends of raised beds containing tomatoes and it works fine.

I also grow dill at the ends usually from dill volunteers that have reseeded. Sometimes volunteer dill will find a way to grow up within the tomatoes without causing any problems.

Sey ... chard isn't a plant that "will be gone by the time the tomatoes grow wide and tall". Around here, chard stays around through the summer and into the fall and does fine. If the tomatoes lower branches are removed, I think chard might be an ideal choice for interplanting.

has anyone had any success with interplanting basil? Word on the street is that they can share soil space and nutrients rather nicely, and the basil will help keep certain bugs away?

I'm guessing you are talking about the "companion planting" fad? Not much of it pans put in actual practice which is why it never really caught on. They even go so far as to claim it makes the tomatoes sweeter which is well proven to be impossible. Pest patrol benefits - none yet they are very attractive to flea and Japanese beetles and aphids which most of us don't want gathering next to our tomato plants.

That's not to say you shouldn't plant basil near tomato plants if you wish. Many do simply because they go so well together on the plate when served and as long as the basil gets enough sun they grow fine although they don't need nearly as much water or nutrients as tomatoes do. Just don't expect them to have any magic side benefits. :)

Dave

Basil is a warm weather loving plant. It needs warmth and sun. Plus, if you know how to harvest it, it can last all season. So, No, I would not interplant basil wit any thing. I would rather plant it in pots, ALONE. PLUS they can get real bushy and big.