What should be the distance between tomatoes
Tomatoes are thermophilic plants and can be grown outdoors or in greenhouses, depending on what climate you live in. At the same time, the conditions for its cultivation and care of the crop will differ. Separately, it should be said that you need to choose the right distance between the tomatoes so that the bushes do not interfere with each other. We will find out at what distance to plant tomatoes and why it is needed.
Distance between tomatoes
What depends on the distance
Tomatoes are classified as capricious crops that require constant care. Many gardeners plant tomato bushes by eye, which is considered highly undesirable. The only exception is the case when you plan to plant no more than a dozen bushes or there is an excess of space in the garden. It is worth considering the fact that vegetables need not only space, but also access to sunlight. Thus, planting too tightly can cause the plants to shade each other.
The correct distance among tomato bushes is necessary in order to minimize the risk of plant diseases. The closer the seedlings planted in the ground are, the more likely the plants are to get sick.
Thus, with a properly selected space for each plant, it is possible to reduce the percentage of crop loss and facilitate the care of tomatoes.
Influence of variety and ripening period
So, let's get down to answering the question of what should be the correct distance between tomato bushes. An important factor is the variety and type of tomato, depending on which the recommendations for planting and care change. Therefore, before proceeding with planting, you should carefully study all the information on the package with seeds.
The distance will vary depending on how quickly the particular tomato species ripens.
- Early fruits - it is recommended to leave about 30 cm among the seedlings, it is worth leaving about 50 cm between the beds
- Medium varieties - the gap will be 60-65 cm between the beds, and about 50 cm between the seedlings
- Late species - the distance between the beds is about 75 cm, leave no more than half a meter between the bushes
Every gardener knows that the land in the garden must be used very sparingly so that it is possible to plant as many plants and crops as possible. For tomatoes, you can plant grass between the beds. Do not worry that their presence will negatively affect the growth of the vegetable.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
As a rule, late-ripening varieties of vegetable crops are the most productive. This does not only apply to the tomato. The longer the plant grows, the more aboveground mass it creates. Therefore, all late-ripening vegetable crops are planted with a greater distance than early-ripening ones.
Features of planting in a greenhouse
The polycarbonate shelter helps protect a capricious crop from the effects of an aggressive environment.The greenhouse area has strict boundaries and boundaries, so it is extremely important to use the allocated space optimally.
Distance between bushes in the greenhouse
When planting, follow the recommendations
There is a category of varieties that are recommended to be grown strictly in greenhouse conditions, usually this includes self-pollinated varieties that are capable of independent reproduction. What is the distance to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse? In order to save space in the greenhouse, it is better to choose tall types of tomatoes, such varieties grow upwards, and do not scatter their vines around the garden. The most optimal distance among tomatoes is considered to be a gap of 30-40 cm.If you are planting medium or low-growing species, then it is worth increasing this distance to 50-60 cm.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
When planting tomatoes in a greenhouse, you should not plant seedlings close to the surface of glass, film or polycarbonate to save space. On hot sunny days, leaves in contact with this surface will get burned. And dripping condensation can cause fungal diseases of the leaves.
If you decide to minimize the gap between the tomato bushes as much as possible, you should be aware that you will have to pinch the tomatoes. Otherwise, the access of sunlight to the plant will be limited. As for the distance between the beds, you should not shorten it without urgent need.
It is best to plant tomatoes along the greenhouses, start in the east and move west, never across. This will ensure the maximum amount of light that will penetrate the walls of the greenhouse. The most successful arrangement of seedlings is 3x6, it involves the placement of 3 rows of six beds. This will ensure free access to each plant, which will simplify the care process as much as possible.
Features of planting in the open field
Let's turn to the process of placing seedlings in open ground and get acquainted with the schemes for planting tomatoes:
- Square-nested
- Ribbon-nesting
- Multiline
So how far should you plant tomatoes outdoors? The simplest and most understandable is the way of placing tomato beds in two or three rows, while the distance between the rows should be at least 40 cm. This option will be ideal for medium-sized tomatoes. If you grow lower varieties, then it makes sense to increase this gap to 50 cm. According to gardeners, this scheme simplifies the process of watering the bushes as much as possible. You can simply put a hose of water between the rows.
As for the distance between the rows, it should be made wider than the greenhouse, make it at least 70-80 cm. This island is needed so that the gardener can freely approach any plant.
Growing in a trench
It is no secret that tomatoes are not only thermophilic, but also hygrophilous plants. It is because of this feature that many gardeners plant crops in trenches. In order for such a solution to be successful, it is necessary to correctly determine the dimensions of the trench. The recommended dimensions can be determined using the most common shovel.
- The width of the trench should be approximately equal to the width of the bayonet of the shovel
- Depth - the hole dug should fit the tip of the shovel without any problems
After a trench of the required size has been dug, you need to water it abundantly and only then place the previously prepared seedlings in it.
The advantage of this method is that the water will stay longer than usual, which will save time on watering.
Tatiana Orlova (Candidate of Agricultural Sciences):
However, during heavy rains, such a trench will completely pick up water and lead to the tomato getting wet. To retain moisture in the garden bed after watering, it is enough to keep it under a layer of mulch 5-10 cm thick.
So, we figured out at what distance to plant tomatoes in the greenhouse. Choosing the right distance is an important preparatory step in growing tomatoes.Do not neglect this stage, otherwise it will negatively affect the quantity and quality of the future harvest.
