Plant spacing

[Mark0820]

Originally Posted by Bama mater

Mark0, I've used the weave the past few years because I have limited space and posts. Here is what I do and it works very well for me, and I think production is as good or better. I space my rows at 4' on centers then my plants are 18" oc. Here is a typical row. The O is a post, believe me this works, I always loved my cages spaced 3' x 4' but I couldn't grow near as many, plus space to store the cages was a problem. I'm using 1 1/4" pipe 7' long, if you use wood you may have to go every 3 plants.

O xxxx O xxxx O xxxx O xxxx O xxxx O

Glad to hear that 18 inches works for you. Last year, I used a post every two plants. It looks like I can do better than that and save some money on posts.

[Mark0820]

Originally Posted by Keiththibodeaux

I am thinking I will do the Florida Weave myself this year. Has there ever been a Topic on TV dedicated this, to gather ideas and best practices as I am seeing above.

There are several threads on the topic of Florida weave. There is one in the "growing for market" forum (I think that is where it is) that I have read several times. Do a search for "Florida weave" and you should find a good number of threads to read. You can also do the same Google search and will find a good amount of information on the Internet.

[erlyberd]

With four foot wide planting beds I space each plant about 16" because of my small garden size. Is it right, probally not but I like to cram them in. I keep all leaves pruned to first developing fruits and continue to prune pretty much all season long. I try to keep one main leader but that somehow always fails! It can be done, what are the con's though??? Less fruit?

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Farmette

Have any of you planted 2 rows, staggered in a 4 foot wide raised bed and if so, how far inside the length of wood of the bed do you place the first tomato plant? Have used CRW fence method last 3 years and thought I would try Florida weave this year.
Beds are 4 ft. by 12 ft.

Last year:

X X X X X
X X X X X

Not sure how to do this with same amount of plants in same size bed with Florida weave. Would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks!

Most of my garden is 4 ft raised beds. I use a trellis of metal conduit and try to stagger my plants on each side of the bed. Last year I crowded my plants with a maximum spacing of 2 ft and some as close as 18 inches and as a result I had serious disease problems as the plants got larger and created a wall of foliage on each side preventing proper air flow and sunlight. This year I plan to plant double rows in the beds but with nothing in a row closer than 3 ft. and staggered with the opposite row. Below are a couple of pictures of my trellis which replaced all the other methods I had tried. Our climate makes diseases a special problem due to the high humidity and heat and the trellis allows me to keep the plants more open.

[Plantersville]

Originally Posted by Keiththibodeaux

I have done 2 feet on center, and it is definitely too close for my climate, in my opinion. This year I plan to try 3 feet on center.

yep, same here in Texas........3 foot seems to be the magic number for me
even at that space they will be crowded together at seasons end.......

[Farmette]

b54red: Thanks for the pictures...I may have to go to 3 ft. also. How did the onions running down the center work out?

Originally Posted by Mark0820

You have listed a lot of very good points I never even thought of. If it was as simple as chopping up the lawn, I would have done that a long time ago. Unfortunately, I would need to remove some maple trees first.

I don't have any trees in the front lawn, but some of my neighbors laugh at me because of my tomato garden behind the house. If I started planting tomatoes in the front lawn, they would probably kick me out of the neighborhood (at the very least the tomatoes would end up on the side of the house).

And who do the neighbors drool around when fresh tomato time rolls around? They may act all huffy and ridicule a "tomato-lawn" when everyone is around but when it's just you and them... they WANT what you've got.
I always give my neighbors fresh tomatoes and they love them.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Farmette

b54red: Thanks for the pictures...I may have to go to 3 ft. also. How did the onions running down the center work out?

That was my first try planting the onions in the center and then following with tomatoes down the two sides and the results were great. Most of the onions were Bermudas and they were by far the largest I have ever grown of that type. The only problem came when it was time to get them out. It was fairly difficult to reach them under the trellis and through the foliage of some of the tomatoes. I think the partial shade the tomatoes afforded them allowed them to grow longer before starting to die back or maybe the two are just good companions.

[dice]

Space between rows is more important than space between plants.

I have had a hedge so thick that I could not get down the rows
between plants without breaking branches and knocking off fruit.
I reduced 4 rows to 3 in the same space; maintaining and harvesting
the plants became a lot more convenient. I like to keep "a pace"
between plants in the row, unless I am growing out an unstable
generation of a cross and I need to get more plants in. In that case
I am pruning to 1-3 stems to keep them from shading each other
and do not care how many fruit each plant produces. I grow on a
woven trellis supported by steel pipe poles at each end with a rigid
steel pipe top rail to keep it from sagging (I use recycled chain link
fence top rails).

[kurt]

Since I grow mostly cherrys.for the last couple of years at six feet I have been stringing horizontal lines between the rows and tying the vines so they grow horizontal.The plants seem to love it.Plus Iget a arbor (tunnel if you will)and the wife loves to harvest them instead of climbing a ladder to get to the berrys.As we all know some cherrys can get to 10foot plus.Letting them fall over will kink some vines and hinder growth and sometimes kill the tops.

[Mark0820]

I've been doing a little searching and reading about French intensive gardening. What I have found so far (which is not comprehensive research), with French intensive gardening the recommended spacing for tomatoes is 21 inches (there are probably other sources that recommend different spacing).

Since other Tville members have had success with 18 inch spacing, I think I will try that this year. I was also going to experiment with 15-16 inch spacing for a couple of plants, but given the information I found on French intensive gardening, that might be a little too close.