Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables to grow in a home garden, but many gardeners struggle to find the right spacing between tomato plants. The answer depends on the variety of tomato you are growing, as each variety has different space requirements.
If you are planting determinate tomatoes, you should space the plants 18-24 inches apart. Determinate tomatoes are bushier and produce fruit all at once, so they need more space to grow.
For indeterminate tomatoes, you should space the plants 12-18 inches apart. These tomatoes are vining and produce fruit over a longer period of time, so they need less space.
When planting tomatoes in a raised bed, you should give them 2-3 feet of space between rows. This will give them plenty of room to spread out and grow.
Finally, it’s important to remember that tomatoes need plenty of sunlight and air circulation to thrive. If you plant them too close together, they may not get enough sunlight and air circulation and won’t produce as much fruit.
In conclusion, the amount of space you should leave between tomato plants depends on the variety of tomato you are growing. For determinate tomatoes, you should leave 18-24 inches of space between plants, and for indeterminate tomatoes, you should leave 12-18 inches of space. When planting in a raised bed, you should give the plants 2-3 feet of space between rows. It’s also important to remember that tomatoes need plenty of sunlight and air circulation to thrive, so be sure to leave enough space between plants.