Quote:
Originally Posted by roper2008
Thanks red. I don't think I will plant them quite as close as
in the video. Normally in my 4 x 4 raised bed I only put 2
tomato plants. If I do it single stem, I could put at least 4.
One in each corner. Any extra space I can put basil.
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I plant in 4 ft raised beds but they are anywhere from 10 to 30 ft long. I have found that it is best to stagger the plants from one side to the other so you might be able to plant 5 plants per bed if you will maintain the single stem. Put 3 on one side 2 ft apart and stagger 2 on the other 2 ft apart. I basically did that all the way down a 30 ft bed last year but I didn't keep it to one stem and they looked great til they got big and then I had two solid walls of foliage on each side of the bed and very poor airflow. That resulted in a horrible case of gray mold which wiped out a lot of my plants.
This year I am going to do one bed with single stems and stagger them about 2 ft apart and maintain the single stem. It will be an experiment and in my other beds I will allow more room and more stems for my favorite varieties. I will also include these varieties in the single stem bed so I can compare the quality and production from each method. I have found out the hard way that pruning is very necessary in my hot humid climate if I want to have a chance at any of the plants lasting til the fruits ripen on the vine; but I have never gone as far as just one stem.