First timer!!! I have 2 sweeties, 2 striped German, and 2 Cherokee purple in a 2.5 foot bed. Is it too crowded?!
Are these tomatoes cages enough?
How often should I prune?
Any and all advice very, very welcomed and appreciated!
by Impressive-Disk-6080
9 Comments
Unless you’re planning on stringently pruning, I’d say it’s too crowded.
Don’t prune. The spacing is good but there should be more soil. Tomatoes can grow roots 4 feet into the ground.
You are in for a world of hurt. You typically want your tomatoes spaced 2 feet apart, if aren’t isolating a single leader and using a string trellis method. They will all require a more robust support structure. Other than your spacing, I’d be just as concerned about the size of that bed. It looks rather shallow and you under filled it for some reason. You left way too much empty space. Take everything out and fill it to the brim of the bed. Your tomatoes will end up competing for nutrients.
Fitting six indeterminate tomatoes in my 3×12’ beds is a bit much. It’s going to be really tough to work with this many in such a small space. Especially when they are all growing too tall to pick on a above ground box.
I would have found a way to fit in more tomatoes. But, this is likely the “wrong” answer.
Too crowded and not enough soil. I typically grow indeterminate in 30 gallon tubs.
Determinate can get away with 5 to 10 gallon imo.
Those cages won’t do much when they grow.
You can buy concrete wire at any big bow store and make cages that will last for decades.
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Yes this is much too crowded. You can probably get away with it, but still each plant needs support
If you can try to space them out through the whole bed you have got there.
You can interplant with the marigolds and basil you have planted in the other half.
Also fill the whole bed with soil.
You can use some of the space taken up by the marigolds and then plant the marigolds among the tomato plants. That will give the tomatoes a lot more space while the flowers are still doing their job.