Gardening

At what distance should tomatoes be planted?

Important points when planting Tomatoes:

  • What features do they have? The tomato is an annual plant with a bushy, perennial, herbaceous, autogamous, hairy and unarmed habit and can reach more than 1.5 m in height. Tomato is defined as the fruit of the plant, which has a high content of nutrients, among which vitamin C stands out (for every 100 g consumed raw, it has about 23 mg).
  • How far apart should the plants be? As it is a bushy plant, in tomato cultivation it is recommended to place rows with a separation of 60 to 80 cm between each plant. When tomato is planted in an orchard, double rows should be established with a distance of approximately 80 cm between rows and 50 cm between plants.
  • When and how to plant tomatoes? The tomato plant should be sown in spring or early summer, but the crop will also depend on the geographical location where it will be carried out. Tomato seeds must be selectedand planted directly in the ground or opt for a seedbed. Then, you have to choose a pot or tray where the plant can develop, among other steps.

What characteristics does the tomato have?

The tomato is an annual plant with a bushy, perennial, herbaceous, self-pollinating, hairy and unarmed habit and can reach more than 1.5 m in height.

Tomato is defined as the fruit of the plant, which has a high content of nutrients, among which vitamin C stands out (for every 100 g consumed raw, it has about 23 mg).

Whose content varies with the degree of maturity, state of cultivation, season and variety. From the Americas came the tomato to conquer the world.

So it was. Christopher Columbus and the Conqueror Hernán Cortés are credited with having brought the tomato to Spain and from there it spread throughout Europe and was distributed throughout the planet.

For some, the tomato is a vegetable and for others it is a fruit, but everyone agrees that it is a really tasty, healthy and very fresh food.

In culinary, the tomato is used as a fruit and also as a vegetable, to accompany salads, to make different types of stews, from sauces to juices with salt, sugar or both. There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes that are grown on a large scale or in home gardens.

How far apart should tomato plants be located?

The planting distance between crops is one of the first things to consider when preparing tomato planting and reproduction for the new season.

It is necessary to calculate very well the space available and the space that the plants will occupy, in order to plan the garden in the best possible way.

It does not matter if you have cultivation tables, terraces or traditional orchards, since it is very important to know the planting or planting distance of the tomato plants so that their development is the most optimal.

With the distance of the tomato plants in the crop, the crop can also be protected from pests and diseases, since in the event of an attack against one plant, the others, which have not yet been damaged, can be saved.

Gardeners and experts consider it very important to take into account the distance between tomato plants in order to obtain good results.

As it is a bushy plant, in tomato cultivation it is recommended to place rows with a separation of 60 to 80 cm between each plant.

When the tomato is planted in an orchard, double rows should be established with a distance of approximately 80 cm between the rows and 50 cm between plants.

Plants such as tagete can also be intercropped to avoid aphid-type pests.

Tomato plants have the peculiarity that they have a main root that does not develop excessively deep, but they have a large network of auxiliary roots around it.

That is why each plant needs a large volume of land and space to develop well. Although its main root can grow between 30 or 40 cm downwards, it normally tends to develop in the softest and most nourished soil that is about 20 cm from the ground.

Although there are a large number of varieties of tomatoes, most plants need stakes since they are going to develop horizontally, a very important element to take into account for the location distance between plants.

Hence, gardeners and experts consider that the ideal distance between tomato plants should be between 40 and 50 cm of separation between plants and the distance between lines or rows of tomato plants should be between 60 and 80 cm.

When it comes to commercial and very large tomato crops, the planting distance is generally five to six feet between benches and 18 to 24 inches between plants in a single row.

With these planting distances, population densities of 3,526 to 5,641 plants per cuerda can be obtained.

The most important thing to remember is that tomato plants have a short taproot and a large «network» of secondary and adventitious roots.

Therefore, each plant needs a large volume of soil to develop its roots well. Experts recommend taking advantage of the space between the tomato plants to associate them with plants that have a smaller and more superficial root system,

Like onions, garlic, lettuce or chard that do not need so many hours of sun.

When and how to plant tomatoes?

The tomato plant should be sown in spring or early summer, but the crop will also depend on the geographical location where it will be carried out. The steps to follow are those:

  1. Select the tomato seeds and sow directly in the ground or opt for a seedbed.
  2. Choose a pot or tray where the plant can develop.
  3. Water abundantly and maintain humidity without flooding and without drowning the plant.
  4. Fill with nutrient-rich substrates, placing compost or animal manure (cow, horse, sheep, etc.).
  5. Locate the crop in full sun or in a place where it can receive direct sunlight for at least 6 hours a day.
  6. Take care of the crop from possible pests and diseases such as root rot due to excess water and aphids.

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