When gardening, especially in the case of limited space, you may think that planting a large number of tomatoes together will increase your chances of getting better yields. However, this is far from the truth. Continue to read the complete guide to understand the distance between tomatoes and other important plant spacing tips.The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
Generally speaking, you should plant tomatoes 18 to 24 inches away. However, the spacing recommendation depends on several other factors, such as the type of tomato planted and the type of garden.
Different factors affecting tomato row spacing
When planting tomatoes, the correct spacing helps to obtain the best yield, because it meets the nutrition and light requirements of plants, and finally achieves healthy growth and maximum fruit yield.
First of all, let's discuss all the different factors we need to remember when growing tomatoes and the distance they need to be separated. When planting tomatoes, consider the type of tomatoes you will plant and the space they need to grow fully in the garden.
Now, when it comes to gardens, you can plant in traditional row and square gardens, or even on raised garden beds. For some tomato varieties, you can also choose different container sizes to plant this fruit.
Considering all these factors, you can choose the best spacing for your tomatoes so that you can enjoy the fruits you grow.
Let's look at all these factors in detail below.
Tomato variety spacing
Tomato can be basically divided into two main varieties: specific tomato and uncertain tomato. However, tomatoes can also be found in dwarf and container varieties, which can be planted very close.
Let's learn more about different tomato varieties and their spacing requirements.
Determined varieties
The confirmed tomatoes are small in size and small in space, because they stop growing at a certain height.
These tomatoes are usually specially bred hybrids to occupy less space. Therefore, they are easier to grow in smaller gardens.
This tomato is suitable for growing in a cage because it does not need too much support. This feature makes it an ideal container tomato variety. Determine the growth season of tomato in the early part of the year.
When planting this tomato variety, the spacing between each plant is 1 ½ Two feet is enough. There should be 2 to 3 feet of space between each row.
Uncertain varieties
As the name implies, for uncertain tomatoes, you cannot measure the final height of plants. Therefore, compared with the determined varieties, these types of tomatoes need more spacing, and they benefit from the stack that provides additional support.
The uncertain tomato needs longer time to produce fruit. However, their growth period is much longer until the first frost comes.
Because this type of tomato grows better in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction, it is a wise choice to use vertical grids. This will allow you to plant these tomatoes at a distance of 1 ½ Go to 2 feet, because they will grow upward, not outward.
This tomato needs more lateral space; Therefore, good planting should be anywhere between 3 and 4 feet. Uncertain tomatoes can grow to 8 feet high, so they need a lot of space to stretch.
If you have a more spacious garden, you can let plants grow freely and absorb nutrients from the broader soil. However, in order to make this plant grow best in a small garden, stake is the only feasible option.
Dwarf Varieties
Keep in mind that the name of this variety refers to the plant size, not the fruit size.
Dwarf varieties produce average-sized tomatoes, but you can plant them in compact spaces.
These tomatoes grow to the height of 2 to 4½ feet, making them perfect for containers. Generally, you can space these tomatoes just 12 inches apart.
However, staking or caging young plants can provide added support once the plant bears large fruits. Another way to save space when growing tomatoes is to choose a raised bed.
Planting tomatoes in the four corners of the raised bed can let them overflow the edge without fighting for space. One 4×4-foot high bed with good soil quality can lay a good foundation for the rooting and growth of tomato plants. Due to space constraints, you can't plant too many tomatoes with a raised bed.
We suggest that at 4 × Tomatoes are planted in every corner of the 4-foot-high bed. However, the general spacing rule is to leave 1 between plants ½ To 2 feet of space.
Now that we have discussed the best distance to plant tomatoes according to different factors, let us know what will happen if you do not pay attention to the appropriate spacing requirements.
Plant health and disease prevention
The biggest reason for the spread of pests and diseases in tomato plants is that they are too close and the air circulation is not smooth.
In order to avoid the spread of diseases caused by wet leaves, proper spacing must be maintained between plants. The spacing ensures that the blades remain dry. Adequate spacing also reduces the contact between plants and prevents insects from moving from one tomato to another.
Like all plants, tomatoes need water and nutrients in the soil to grow healthily and bear fruit.
Ignoring the spacing requirement will lead to plants competing for soil nutrients, which are required for their healthy growth, flowering and fruiting. Tomato plants with proper spacing will not compete with each other for nutrients, so they will grow healthier.
Plants that do not get enough water and nutrients from the soil are likely to weaken and eventually die.
Conclusion
In short, tomato plants thrive at the right intervals according to their varieties, garden types and soil quality. Overcrowded tomato plants tend to grow weaker and have fewer fruits. They are also more susceptible to different diseases and pests.
If you plant plants with seeds, you can check the type and spacing requirements on the label. However, if you are not sure about the variety of tomatoes and the soil type in the garden, please remember that the farther you plant tomatoes, the better.
When in doubt, plant 4 feet of tomatoes in each row, and leave a space of 4 feet between each row. This will give your tomatoes the best chance to grow and harvest more fruit.
