If you enjoy gardening and would like to know how to plant tomatoes in your backyard, we’ll show you how. Growing tomatoes in your garden can be both challenging and rewarding, especially if you have a successful harvest. Tomatoes are actually easy to maintain.
The trick is to know how far apart to plant tomatoes so that it develops properly. Tomatoes need plenty of sun exposure. This is why it needs enough space to grow and receive the right nutrients from the sun.
The spacing in between the crops is certainly a significant factor when it comes to the production and development process. It prevents the crops from spreading virus and disease to one another.
Planting Techniques
So, how far from each other should you plant your tomatoes? The right spacing will actually depend on the type of method you use to plant the tomato. Read on.
Staking Indeterminate Tomatoes
Tomatoes, just like any other plant, need a solid support to prevent itself from falling back to the ground. Staking a tomato can help produce a healthier harvest and prevent it from getting infested by insects. It also tends to get more sunlight and is easier to harvest.
Using stakes is more cost-effective and often produces the best results.
Materials you’ll need:
- Tomato seeds
- Wooden stakes
Here’s how:
- Plant the tomato seed. Maintain a distance of 24 to 30 inches between each seed. Make sure you allow a gap of 30 to 42 inches in each row.
- Use a stake. This will help support the tomato as they gradually grow. The stakes should be strong enough to hold the weight of the tomato, specifically once the plant bears the fruit.
Use a wooden stake that is 6 feet long and 2 inches wide. Maintain a 4-inch gap between the stake and the stem of the plant. The plant will only need the stake once it grows long enough to crawl around it.
Caging Indeterminate Tomatoes
Materials you’ll need:
- Tomato seed
- Cage
Here’s how:
- Plant the tomato seed with a spacing in between 24 to 30 inches from other plants.Maintain a distance of at least 30 inches between each row.
- Use a rectangular or a cylindrical cage. Plant the tomato seed in a cage. The enclosure will allow the tomato plant to develop and grow in a natural state. In case the plant extends its growth, you can tie it to the side of the cage. This will help support the weight of the tomatoes.
Sprawling Determinate Tomatoes
Some tomato plants can be sprawled on the soil instead using a stake or cage to support it. This technique is often used for determinate tomatoes.
Materials you’ll need:
- Tomato seed
- Mulch
Here’s how:
- Use a spacing of 3 to 4 feet in between the plants. Keep a distance of at least 5 feet in between rows.
- Add mulch to the soil. This will help protect the tomatoes from falling off or deteriorating.
How to Take Care of your Tomatoes
Here are some simple and easy tips on how to effectively grow your tomatoes.
- Plant with the right spacing. Make sure you follow the correct spacing we recommended above. This will help prevent your crops from acquiring disease during its growth process.
- Use a Cardboard. Extend it to one inch above and below the soil and wrap the tomato stems around it. This will protect the plant from becoming infested by cutworms. Use a stapler to attach the cardboard together. After 3 to 4 weeks, the cutworm will no longer be able to affect and damage the plant.
- Use a fertilizer. Apply a slow-release fertilizer during the planting stage to help provide the tomato with the nutrients it requires.
- Use a plant protector. During the planting stage, use a plant protector to reduce the transplant shock while keeping the warmth of the plant. This will prevent the plant from drying.
- Water the plant. Tomatoes require the right amount of water for it to grow properly. Start by watering the plant twice a week and do this early morning so that the plant will dry off before night time. Use a soaker hose irrigation to prevent the leaves from getting wet. This also prevents any disease from spreading among plants.
- Add mulch. As previously mentioned above, mulching can improve the development of the tomato by protecting it. It also provides enough moisture the plant needs in order to thrive well. Use 5 to 10 sheets of newspaper and insert it between the rows. Water and soak the newspaper first before you lay it down. Then top it off with grass clippings and bark mulch. These ingredients can add warmth to the soil and help increase the production of tomatoes.
- Use growing tools. Using growth activators or enhancers can help your plants grow healthier and abundant. Some products allow the plant to increase its number of yields and produce bigger fruits.
Why Spacing is Important
Planting, growing, and harvesting tomatoes on your own is already an accomplishment. However, it takes the right technique to be ableto do this successfully. One of the most important factors is to know the right spacing when you’re planting the tomato seeds.
At the same time, you should also consider the planting method you are going to use to grow tomatoes. You can either use staking, caging or sprawling but take note that each technique requires a different amount of spacing. Allowing each plant to grow in its own space can help it develop to its full potential.
So if you think you are ready to plant your own tomatoes in your garden, make sure you follow our instructions above and apply it to the planting method you prefer to use. Personally, I staked my tomatoes and followed the same steps I suggested above. The final result was quite fulfilling and definitely worth the hard work and perseverance.
We hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you have you own suggestions or recommendations, please feel free to send us a comment or message. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Please share this article with your family and friends.