Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Urbanite on April 20, 2016, 18:53
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Hi, iv`e only ever grown toms in pots or grow bags before, this year iv`e got an 8`x15` tunnel to play in,divided in to two beds with a 40cm central path.One bed will have a sectioned off work space with two quad grows for chillis, the rest of this bed will be cucs and melons(trained skywards).The other bed will be almost exclusively toms (i plan on dotting sweet peppers in 10L TUBS wherever i have space)...so how many tomato plants for this bed, im gonna run wires the length of the tunnel and train up strings...but what spacing,can i get away with 18" zig-zagged?
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Looking forward to the answer to this one. I planted out my toms about24" apart this afternoon, 2 rows zigzag. I can take a few out if need be.
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I used to get a lot of Botrytis with closer spacing - so now I'm sticking with 2ft between plants in any direction.
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I have mine about 18 inches apart under cover, but keep them as very "strict" cordons
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In the greenhouse at home where I grow tomatoes in the ground the beds are 2ft x 10 ft, I plant two staggered rows about 18" apart and 2ft between plants in each bed.
On the allotment I have 3ft x 18" bags that I fill with compost and plant three toms per bag. If I have any chilli plants spare I sometimes add a couple into each bag as well.
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I have mine about 18 inches apart under cover, but keep them as very "strict" cordons
Yes my 'cordons' are staggered at 18" in my greenhouse, but when the leaves start to grow too long, I tend to take them off a bit earlier than I used to to let more light in. My few 'bush' toms have a bigger spacing, but I tie them to short canes to help keep them off the ground.
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My 2 ft in all directions tomatoes look lovely at the moment. Fingers are crossed
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I've planted 5 tomatoes up each side of my 8x6 greenhouse for many years (leaves enough space for 2 cucumber plants at the north end).
This has worked fine with anything from Supersweet 100 & Ailsa Craig back in the 1990s, to Shirley & Sungold today.
As of this season, I'm less restricted, as retirement & a new allotment means a 10x20 polytunnel is imminent, so I'll experiment with wider spacings & also 'laying down' the vines once they reach hoop height, as my greenhouse restricts to 5/6 trusses & they're usually finished by mid to late September.