Designing the garden need help please!!!

[Firewire]

Hi everybody

Totally new here have only done container gardens on my balcony and now finally have some property and can do a REAL garden. It will be SOOO nice to not be limited by what I can put in a pot!!!

I have a question about laying out my garden. Since this is my first year I want to do it right. I wanted to do raised beds but with the move it just got away from me this season so instead I'm going the more traditional route in the ground. Next year though we'll have the frames built and ready go to.

My question was on spacing between rows. Since I've only done container gardens it never was an issue. For example the common suggestion is 24-36" between rows of tomatoes, and I wanted 2 rows that's how far to space the seeds apart....but does that leave me enough room to weed and mulch etc around them? Or do I need to plan for extra space beyond that 24-36"? Its one thing to have to watch where I walk, its another when I can't get into the row to keep it clear.

I'm confused but glad there's snow on the ground so I can get this figured out now rather than learn once Ive already got them started then kicking myself because I don't have any room to care for them.

Thank you!!!!

 

[bid]

Hi firewire

I would say it depends on the variety of tomatoe. Indeterminates can use up a lot of space over the growing season. Determinates can be planted a little closer together. If you have the room, 3 feet between rows is great. If you have all the room you want I would go with 4 feet between the rows. More is better in this case IMO. That will improve your air circulation and maybe prevent some potential problems.

 

[Firewire]

Determinates are what Id be growing. So 3 feet in addition to the 36" it already says to put between plants? So I should have a total of 72" between my plants? Just want to be sure I'm doing this right

 

[bid]

Not exactly, if I am understanding your question correctly. I thought you were asking how far apart to space the rows, not the individual plants. 3 feet is a good distance to space the individual plants, although you can sometimes get away with a bit less. If you have 2 rows, 3 to 4 feet between rows is a good idea if you have the space. something like this:

T<--3-4 feet-->T
x x
x x
3' 3'
x x
x x
T T
x x
x x
3' 3'
x x
x x
T T

 

[thistlebloom]

Welcome firewire! This is an excellent place to ask questions and learn. Congratulations on your new garden space!

 

[Firewire]

No you were right I was asking about space between the rows. I just worded it poorly sorry about the confusion. I just want to be sure that I've left enough room between the rows (that 3-4ft) like you suggested to have enough room to weed, and care for them.

So can I follow the directions on the packets then as far as spacing my rows out? If it says 36" between rows then go with that? Just want to be sure I've got this correct before I order seeds.

 

[bid]

Seed packets usually give you a good general idea of what to do in terms of spacing, days to harvest, etc. You know you could always stagger your plants in the rows to provide a bit of extra space. You wouldn't lose but one or two plants total and it would give you a lot of extra space to cultivate around your plants.

T.........x
x.........x
x.........T
x.........x
T.........x
x.........x
x.........T

Something like that and you could always use some of that space for other plants. Herbs, carrots, lettuces..... Just some ideas.

 

[Firewire]

Am I being overly concerned about space between plants?

Bid I like that idea if it comes to it, Ill probably go that route.

My wife's worried that we won't have enough room to maneuver around the plants to care for them thats why I asked. Again this is our first season doing things this way so its a big learning curve for us.

 

[journey11]

2-3 feet is the space needed between each plant when initially set in the ground. You can count on a staked or caged tomato spreading out at least a foot or foot and a half in diameter. The space per plant is based on several considerations including plant spread (for sunlight and air flow), as well as root spread (so they can obtain sufficient nutrients without competing). As a general rule of thumb most plants will send out roots about as wide as they would spread their leaves/branches; this is called the drip line, but they could also go out quite a bit more on a tomato plant. You want to avoid a lot of walking on the root zone.

You'll want to leave enough room between your rows so that you can easily get in there to pick your tomatoes. I plant over 50 tomatoes each summer and usually harvest them into a wheelbarrow, so I leave enough room to get it down the row without clobbering my tomato plants. How ever much room you think you want/need between the rows, factor that out from the estimated spread of the plant, not the central point of the spot you planted the seedling. Three feet apart between two rows measured on center would not be enough at all. It would only leave you about a foot to move in--not enough. So in reality, you will want a two or three foot space between two rows so you can pass--this would be rows about 4-5 feet apart on center. Did all that make any sense?

If in doubt, more space is better! Don't cram them too close together. Consider how big the plant will get when it is full grown.

and congratulations on your new garden plot. I remember how excited I was when we moved to our new home 4 years ago and I finally had all this space for a big ol' garden!

ETA: Of course, you'll probably have rows of other things along either side of your tomato rows...You can leave your space to pass between the tomatoes and those veggies there instead. You could have your two rows of tomatoes as close as 3 feet to each other, then access your tomatoes from either side of this double row, instead of down the middle. That is probably a more space efficient option. But you will need to leave passing space on either side of the double tomato rows, considering the spread of the other neighboring veggie too.