[Yorkshire Lass]

Hello All,

I sowed 40 plus tomato seeds during lock down all outdoor varieties in the hope that 50% germinated.  Well guess what I have had almost 100% germination, I have place the usual in my garden and want to plant the rest in the allotment (never grown then in the allotment before).  My question is what spacing do I need to use?  And do all varieties need the same spacing?

[mumofstig]

Cordon varieties get about 2ft between them here and 3ft between any of the big bushy types

[jambop]

Hi I think I understand what you are getting at... how close can I space them I have so many
Well You can definitely put them closer than 2ft and they will still grow and give you a crop of tomatoes. The thing is there are potential pitfalls. The closer they are the less air gets through them and if a blight spell comes along they will be more susceptible. Then there is watering . You will have to make sure they have enough if they are together. Light they like the sun if they are too close you may have a problem.
For a guide last year I had a bed which was 3m x 1.5m (so 10ft x 5ft in old money) and I had 10 roma (two rows of five) tomato plants grown as bush in it! Yes it was packed but I got an amazing crop of lovely sweet tomatoes from it! It needed watered and fed a bit more and it did need treatment when we had blighty weather. The last thing is of course you need to be able to tend them so you need access from both sides if the are close together.

[Growster...]

As Mum and Jambop say, and well done you for getting them all going!

The good thing about toms on an allotment, is that you can feed them with the smelliest, dirtiest, foul-looking feed like comfrey/manure water/nettles, and they romp away! They can dangle in all directions and really strut their stuff!

Anything growing at home has to be fed using the best china tea-service, preferably by a liveried butler...

(For the first time ever, I've had to shade some outdoor toms at home - unheard of in May...:0~

[missmoneypenny]

Plus allotment tomatoes just taste better.

[Deborah1]

Similar here. I sowed way more than I needed for my tomato house, saved seed etc etc. But they all came up and they all look so healthy how can you pick which ones are going on the compost heap? I couldn’t so I built a second shelter - less sturdy than the main one. I’ve still got half a dozen left over... nice plants. I’m going to have to see if my neighbour can find somewhere in his garden!

[Robster]

Loved that Growster, Ive treated my lotty toms really bad in the past just let them get on with it.  I've still got pasata in the freezer.  This year I have plenty more time and everything looks neat and well tended.  The yield, we we will see I guess.  Bob Flowerdew always said treat them mean.

[missmoneypenny]

Bob Flowerdew always said treat them mean.

I wouldn’t dream of it, my toms are little queens and get treated as such. Protecting, watering, comfrey feeding, pruning, mulching... nothings too much trouble.

edit to clarify quote

[Growster...]

You sure live up to your name, Moneypenny...;0)