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Growing Tomatoes

How many Tomato Plants can I put in this planter?

9 years ago

I just bought a 2x4 (10 inches deep) Ceder raised planter.

How many starter Tomato Plants can I put in this planter?

Featured Answer

digdirt2

9 years ago

For season long growing? Probably just one, maybe 2.

It all depends on the variety and type of tomato plant and how aggressively you will be pruning it, and how you will be supporting it.

You might fit 3 of the small dwarf types in it but it would be crowded, 2 determinate variety if supported but again the root balls will get crowded because of the depth and will need careful monitoring for water and nutrients (personally I'd only put 1). Indeterminate varieties definitely only one plant and for of the really huge varieties like Sungold it will be too small because it is so shallow.

Think of it this way - the common spacing on tomato plants in the ground is 3 sq. feet. You can get by with 2 sq. feet and some do if you prune them heavily but the root balls can still get really over-crowded. Tomato plants are taproot plants and really prefer deeper containers. For example a 2'x2' by 18" container would work better.

As the plant grows it will get very top heavy and such a shallow planter can easily tip over so you'll need to stake it to the ground or tie it off to something.

Dave

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Comments (9)

fireduck
9 years ago
what dave said....
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Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
9 years ago
The soil volume ( ~ 44 gallons) is enough for 4 plants ( 44 + 4 = 11 gallons per plant) but the issue is the air space for the top. So I think perhaps 3 determinants can be upper limit. In that case you will have to do some leaf branch pruning. JMO

Seysonn
dragon49
Original Author
9 years ago
So far, I have 2 plants that I started from seed. Both are pink Brandywine tomatoes. I'm probably going to to be buying one or 2 Tom's Terrific plants. I'm not going to be doing any pruning.
digdirt2
9 years ago
Pink Brandywine is a huge plant. Easily 8+ feet tall and 4 feet wide normally. 1 plant would take up the whole planter. The 10 inch depth of your planter is going to cause problems for even 1 plant of that variety given the size of its rootball.

I have never heard of nor can I find any info on a tomato called Tom's Terrific. Could you verify the name please? If you are talking about Tumbling Tom (3 plants), Tomboy (1 plant), Tommy Toe (1 plant), Micro Tom (3 plants), etc. all are different sizes so a different number of plants would fit.

Dave
dragon49
Original Author
9 years ago
I may have misnamed the Tomato that I usually buy at the nursery.

Regarding the 10 inch depth: I'm surprised it may be inadequate. Are you stating that when I plant tomatoes in the ground, the roots go downward, more than 10 inches?
dbarron
9 years ago
Yes, if the soil is decent, it may go nearly 2 foot into the soil in tomatoes I've seen. I'm actually impressed by a tomato's root system. I guess it's because a tomato is not strictly speaking an annual plant.
Seysonn_ 8a-NC/HZ-7
9 years ago
My raised beds are 11" but the underneath is native ground/soil. Most of tomato roots do not go straight downward. I think the tap roots serve an anchor.

But in a container 12" or more is better.
digdirt2
9 years ago
<Are you stating that when I plant tomatoes in the ground, the roots go downward, more than 10 inches?>

Heavens yes. I have dug up (when you pull them you never see all the length) plants with 3' long roots and even then very likely didn't get it all. Taproot plants can easily grow roots several feet long and in general, the bigger the plant the longer the roots. Article below talks about a measured growth of 22 inches in 3 weeks time. In a container they coil around but the deeper the container the better by far.

Interesting article on tomato root development

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