Indeterminate tomato spacing

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lee53011
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Indeterminate tomato spacing

#1

Post: # 36048Unread post lee53011
Tue Dec 15, 2020 1:05 pm

I was wondering how everyone spaces their indeterminate tomatoes? I have an area alongside a cattle panel arch, that measures 8' by 1 1/2' on each side. If I single stem them, could I fit 8 on each side?
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karstopography
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#2

Post: # 36053Unread post karstopography
Tue Dec 15, 2020 1:33 pm

Two of my beds are 8’ long or 10’ long. Some of the indeterminates seem to grow in pretty narrow columns. Carmello and Pineapple are two that come to mind. Cherokee Purple and Super Fantastic seem to have leaf stems that are more erect and have a greater reach or footprint than the more drooping habits of carmello or Pineapple. Amish Paste is more of a narrow, small footprint, drooping type. Mortgage Lifter might be in between the two. Hillbilly doesn’t have a big footprint, just gets real tall like pineapple. Top Gun, a determinant, has a huge footprint. Celebrity has a pretty big footprint, too.

I did 5 plants, three Carmello, one Roma, and one Mortgage lifter in the 8’ run. Probably could have pushed that to 6 plants, but I don’t know if I would do more than that. The 5 plants let me have a little separation between each plant.

One thing I want to get a handle on is the growth habit of the various tomatoes. I like the small footprint, tall ones simply because more can fit in a smaller space. Going up, vertical, things are unlimited in space. It’s these sprawling, giant leaf stems that stick straight out types that hog all the space. Knowing the growing habit of a variety could potentially alter your spacing plans.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Amateurinawe
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#3

Post: # 36056Unread post Amateurinawe
Tue Dec 15, 2020 1:46 pm

i had 18 in a 10 by 3 bed. i think that is max that i could do with irrigation and feeding. The height was restricted to just over 6 foot and i pruned, probably a little too enthusiastically at first. On pulling the roots, they did seem to extend quite a few feet so there was considerable overlap and hence competition. whether this was a problem or not i don't know as i didn't do anything different to compare. One thing i will take more care of though is cleanliness, it is a bit easy to jump from neighbour to neighbour pruning and i want to take a little more care especially with different varieties.
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lee53011
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#4

Post: # 36072Unread post lee53011
Tue Dec 15, 2020 3:47 pm

As you can see in the picture, the raised bed itself is only 1 1/2' wide, but I'm hoping the roots will go down into the ground under and around the bed. At least, that's my hope. Trying to talk myself into being able to fit 8 plants on each side!

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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#5

Post: # 36073Unread post lee53011
Tue Dec 15, 2020 3:50 pm

karstopography, did you prune those to single stems?

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karstopography
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

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Post: # 36078Unread post karstopography
Tue Dec 15, 2020 4:46 pm

[mention]lee53011[/mention] Let’s see, With Carmello, I pruned one plant to one main stem or it might have just grown that way and the other two plants to three and four stems as I remember it. I think the one stem was every bit as productive as the multiple ones. I stake with Bamboo poles and sisal twine, ideally at least 2 poles per plant (I grow tall bamboo and have essentially an unlimited supply). Generally, I allow for any natural forking (not in the sucker position) and that can lead to 3 or 4 stems with these plants. I pinch the growth tips on the upper suckers at some point in the growing process if they can shade some of the fruit, otherwise, the lower suckers earlier in the season get pinched off early and completely with indeterminate plants. Fruit can get sunburned here so that’s why I allow the suckers to grow out a little in some cases just to shade some tomatoes positioned below.

I would estimate a tomato like Carmello or pineapple has about a 16”-20” diameter, but that’s working off memory. I don’t know it the amount of stems makes a big difference in diameter since they end up being trained like double helixes, spiral staircases, wrapped around the central axis, a pole or two closely aligned poles.

If my diameter is right, plant 1 goes in 6-8” from the wall, plant two needs to be no less than 16” from plant one. Now at 24” for two plants. Next one at 40”. Three plants at 40”. Next one at 56”. 4 at 56”. 5th plant at 72”, 6 feet, five plants. Sixth plant at 88”. Don’t see how to really cram any more than 6 plants in a 96” run without overlapping canopies.

But my size I’m using on the general diameter of the plants could be off. Or you could have the plants touching. Or maybe there are super narrow indeterminates out there that are extra narrow.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#7

Post: # 36227Unread post Growsomethinwithjeff
Thu Dec 17, 2020 6:45 am

I was thinking 6 plants as well. spacing varies but I did mine 19 inches apart but I had 3 rows in the bed (this was to many). However, I would push 6 plants in a single row if you single stem them. You may have to fertilize a bit heavier, since the tomato feeder roots usually stay fairly close to the surface.

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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#8

Post: # 36231Unread post rossomendblot
Thu Dec 17, 2020 7:15 am

I can squeeze 8 single stem indeterminates into one 10ft side of our greenhouse. You do have to keep on top of the pruning. As mentioned, some varieties take up more room than others. Blight and other fungal issues aren't a problem in the greenhouse until late in the season when botytris appears. Outdoors I would be more inclined to grow them further apart.

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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#9

Post: # 36233Unread post brownrexx
Thu Dec 17, 2020 7:51 am

I grow all indeterminates and I do not prune of tie. I use cages and those plants get REALLY big. Actually I guess that I do prune a bit near the end of the season when the plants grow out the tops of the 5' cages. I usually only grow 17 or 18 plants because that is how many cages that I have.

The plants on the left are peppers and those cages are temporary and will be removed as the plants outgrow them. They are for rabbit or bird protection. They will eat or peck the seedlings but leave larger plants alone.

ImageDSC00762 by Brownrexx, on Flickr

lee53011
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#10

Post: # 36238Unread post lee53011
Thu Dec 17, 2020 9:28 am

[mention]brownrexx[/mention] That is how I grow them in another area.

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brownrexx
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#11

Post: # 36242Unread post brownrexx
Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:27 am

[mention]lee53011[/mention] I love using cages. It is so easy and I grow lots of other veggies so my time is limited.

lee53011
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#12

Post: # 36243Unread post lee53011
Thu Dec 17, 2020 10:30 am

[mention]brownrexx[/mention] I will be planting these on an arch, so cages will not work.

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MissS
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#13

Post: # 36263Unread post MissS
Thu Dec 17, 2020 2:27 pm

I have a good friend who is one of the most knowledgeable tomato grower that I know. He grows his tomatoes on cattle panels and the closest that he plants his is 24" apart. He still likes to leave them three feet apart in ideal circumstances.
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bower
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#14

Post: # 36278Unread post bower
Thu Dec 17, 2020 7:57 pm

At my friend's farm which is generally intensive, single-stem greenhouse grow, we space 18 inches minimum between plants. You would have to squeeze that a bit to get 6 plants in 8 ft.

I've done growouts where I had multiple plants in one container, they were spaced more closely than that and strictly pruned. Small fruited tomatoes or cherries will tolerate that better than larger fruited ones, but in the final analysis you will not get more fruit by having more plants in a given space. You can space closer and have more different varieties, but if the fruit are large you may only get a fruit or two from that plant or in some cases none at all. Karstopography makes a good point about different growth habits as well. Some varieties are not demanding of space but others can be extremely demanding. And they won't just tolerate constant pruning, their big leaves will reach out in all directions, and the less vigorous plants will not get enough light and likely fruit little or less.
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lee53011
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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#15

Post: # 36281Unread post lee53011
Thu Dec 17, 2020 8:29 pm

Last year I had way too many plants in that area. Between both sides, I had 16 zinnia plants, 3 cucumber plants, 6 red noodle bean plants, and 12 assorted melon plants. Mostly tigger melons, and Israel Ogden melons. From the growth, I think the ground is plenty rich. The Zinnias were about 3 times the size I thought they would be which is why it got so crowded! I think I will try 6 on each side, prune to single stems, and see what happens. There is 4 feet in between each bed, so airflow and light should be ok I think.

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Re: Indeterminate tomato spacing

#16

Post: # 38094Unread post arnorrian
Mon Jan 11, 2021 10:42 am

I use lean-and lower, with thorough pruning. Spacing of 40 cm (16 inches). Some varieties are slender, you can go even tighter (Tiger family, for example).
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