Never Plant Vegetables That Sound Alike TogetherSouthern Gardening Folklore
I've heard this one before, it's pretty common. I've heard this one before, it's pretty common. Origin
This bit of garden folklore comes from rural farming culture in the South and Appalachia, where families passed down planting rules as a mix of rhyme, rhythm, and observation. The "sound-alike" idea likely started as a memory aid - but it stuck because some of those pairs actually do poorly together. Potatoes and tomatoes, for example, share the same family and pests, which can ruin both crops.
What began as superstition turned out to carry practical truth, showing how mountain wisdom often blended folk logic with real-world experience.
Notes
Legacy
Today, the saying survives as a bit of Southern garden humor, but agricultural science has confirmed that many "sound-alike" pairs - like potatoes and tomatoes - truly do share soil-borne diseases. The superstition lives on as one of those bits of old wisdom that turned out smarter than it sounded.
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How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 4). Never Plant Vegetables That Sound Alike Together
Southern Gardening Folklore . HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/never-plant-vegetables-that-sound-alike - MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Never Plant Vegetables That Sound Alike Together
Southern Gardening Folklore ." HillbillySlang.com, 4 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/never-plant-vegetables-that-sound-alike. - Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Never Plant Vegetables That Sound Alike Together
Southern Gardening Folklore ." HillbillySlang.com. October 4, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/never-plant-vegetables-that-sound-alike.
Dislaimer
What you're reading here is old Southern folklore and storytelling - not medical advice, and not meant to guide health, or pregnancy decisions (especially pregnancy decisions!). These tales are part of how folks once made sense of the world, passed down from grandparents and midwives.
If you have any medical questions or concerns, talk with a qualified healthcare professional.
Learn more on the Folklore hub page.