It’s a jungle! Still have a couple weeks before I can plant them out. I’m in the hot and humid south so disease pressure is something I have to worry about. Hoping to do 15 inch spacing – and then I can fit 48 plants in the actual garden. Is that too ambitious in a humid climate? Anyone pull this off?
by vinyliving
21 Comments
I live in NC, zone 8b. I tried 12 inch spacing and it wasn’t great, not enough airflow. I haven’t tried 15, but 18 seems to work out well for me.
For this reason I plant ALL of my tomatoes & peppers in 5 gallon Firehouse Sub pickle buckets. $3 each. I have 22 (?) buckets on my back porch right now happily feeding my need
Looks like the perfect amount to me!
Looks like you will be opening a roadside stand.
Throw the extra up on Facebook for a couple bucks a plant. I do this every year I grow and it’s fun, I meet other gardeners, and I make a little scratch on the side.
Amazing
Those look amazing
I feel this in my soul!!
https://preview.redd.it/8kh565adjgte1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a963f38d441136556fee3149e601564a61f28ce1
I’ve succeeded well with 12 and 18 inch space in a mild/moderate humid area. Needs more nutrients than when it’s spaced further. I also heavily prune suckers in the beginning to make the plants more manageable and improve airflow.
Yard sale 5 buck a piece
You were thinking ‘if I give my neighbours plants, I won’t have to give them my precious tomatoes’
I use a lot of grow bags and raised beds. Airflow around the base is critical but you also need the leaves to shade the fruits once real summer gets here. Make sure you mulch well.
Remember once temps are above 90, 95F every day the tomatoes will have a very hard time setting fruit. Shade cloth helps with that some but never enough. The humidity also makes pollination very difficult and shade cloth can’t help with that at all.
Also the more stressed the plants are, the more vulnerable they are to diseases.
How far south are you? I’m in southeast Tx and am already getting harvests. My season ends in June usually. I have tried to stretch that with shade cloth and variety selections but the pests were so bad last year that none of it helped.
Good looking tomatoes seedings…I say plant as many as you can and give the rest as gifts to other gardeners!
Same here (plus what is coming over 120+) just pot op every so what week(s) and have fun!
https://preview.redd.it/3gtwxgq1ugte1.jpeg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e9267c4199cc8087b45fd3682ea5aa7f8bb1bd0
Regardless of space, that’s a lot of tomatoes. Last season we planted two dozen and it was plenty. What would you do with that much produce? In 4×8 foot beds we plant six and kind of stagger them. This allows for air flow between the plants.
I did over a hundred of tomato alone and I did other plants as well. I’m out of room. I need to build a green house for next year.
Sauce to freeze..
Fifteen inches ,i never do less than 24 in and usually 36in spacing.
Sell em “Hot dogs 5 dollars”
Don’t be ashamed. Like to see the positive attitude, plant em if you got em.
You were probably thinking about tomato sandwiches.
Don’t worry about being the only one I’ve had over 80 inside for over a month