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Can You Plant Two Tomato Plants Together?

There’s no better summertime feeling than been treated to plump, juicy tomatoes. They are popular vegetables, and they come in different varieties. If you’re a gardener and you’re just as confused about whether you can plant two tomato plants together or not, then you’re not alone. This article provides the answer to that question; keep reading to find out.

This article will effectively answer questions relating to:

  1. Can you plant two tomato plants together?
  2. Why Spacing matters
  3. Spacing Based on Tomato Varieties.

Interested? Awesome. Let’s take a look.

Contents

Can You Plant Two Tomato Plants Together?

While it is not usually advised, you can plant two tomato plants together. However, they need proper care, and adequate space should be put between them. If you’re planting in a small container or you’re using a small bed, there is a great possibility of you being tempted to plant these tomato plants together. However, this should be avoided because it is a recipe for disaster in your garden. Closely planted tomato plants can lead to stunted growth and many other issues that could affect your tomato harvest.

In summary, if you can, avoid planting two tomato plants together. I’ve seen a lot of people asking how many tomato plants per 5-gallon bucket is ideal? Only one plant is ideal. Any extra addition will lead to problems and thus decreased yield.

Why Spacing Matters

Without the right space, many problems could develop in your plants like plant diseases; this is because closely planted tomatoes will not get enough air and sun and will therefore be very moist, which attracts harmful plant diseases. Also, resources like water, nutrient, and sunlight which is supposed to enhance the tomato plant growth will not be sufficient for each plant and will lead to stunted growth which in turn, will lead to a low production during harvest. When enough space is provided for plants, it leads to:

  1. Enough sunlight for plants
  2. Ideal airflow for plants
  3. Correct distribution of resources amongst tomato plants
  4. Bountiful production at the end of the harvest

Spacing Based on Tomato Varieties

The spacing of tomato plants depends on the type of tomatoes being planted and the kind of support implemented. There are hundreds of tomato varieties available to choose from, but your choice should be based on your climate and soil type. The varieties are further divided into two types; the determinate variety and the indeterminate variety.

  1. Determinate Tomatoes: determinate tomatoes should be planted a feet or two apart. The full-size determinate tomatoes are to be planted two feet apart or more.
  2. Indeterminate tomatoes: this tomato variety needs to be planted at least 18 – 24 inches apart when they are staked. However, if they are unstaked, then you can space them three to four apart.

Another way to space tomatoes is based on the support used. If your plant is sprawled on the floor, then it would need more spacing than trellised plants. The caged tomatoes should be within 2 – 3 feet while uncaged tomato plants should be spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart.

When your tomatoes are properly spaced, they grow healthily and provide a better harvest than when they are overcrowded and those that are too crowded or too spaced out. With the process stated above, you can easily space your tomato plants properly to enhance plant growth.

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