30 gal container- 1 or 2 plants?

rtvvvv · March 15, 2015

building a new set of SWC's this time 30.5 gal size. i've done 2 in a 14gal
before..it worked but was crowded. thought i might get better production and size with more "root room" any thoughts?

Thanks!

JamesL · March 15, 2015

If it's wide enough, plenty of room for 2.
And you will get better production with more root room.

rtvvvv · March 15, 2015

19x30...won't the plants compete for "food"? and then produce less?

JamesL · March 15, 2015

Not as long as there is enough for 2!

gregory · March 15, 2015

I don't see a problem. I use 10 gallon containers and they grow fine.

Goldie321 · April 12, 2015

I use 5 gallon containers - one plant per - with no problems.

Gardenboy · April 20, 2015

I use a 15 and 20 gallon container and have tried to grow 2 tomato plants in one container...they will grow but they do compete for food and space. I end up separating them so they have room. I grow 1 tomato plant / indeterminate in 1 container. Much better results for root growth and production.

Goldie321 · April 20, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtvvvv

building a new set of SWC's this time 30.5 gal size. i've done 2 in a 14gal
before..it worked but was crowded. thought i might get better production and size with more "root room" any thoughts? Thanks!

The actual problem may not have been lack of space; but more likely the roots getting entwined with each other - perhaps choking each other off. With nowhere else to go that could be a problem.

dfollett · April 21, 2015

Depends on your objectives. I want variety, even if it is at the expense of a little size or production. I grow through the winter in a sun room in SWCs made with a full 27 gallon container on top using Raybo's 3-2-1 mix, his fertilizing method, his 'pea fence' support and his use of nylon netting for internal support. That creates eight vertical columns inside the support structure. I plant 4 full-size tomato plants - one in each quadrant.

I prune each plant to two stems, and train one up each of two vertical columns. Once a week I remove any leaves that intrude on or shade a neighbor plant, remove suckers and make sure each stem stays in its vertical space. On any sucker that gets large enough that it has blossoms, I leave the blossoms and remove the growing tip and remove the remaining small suckers. Some varieties produce extremely well, both in numbers and size. Others, don't do quite so well - I don't think they like the heavy pruning. However, I do get the variety I am after and once I find enough varieties that do well, I'll get the production.

In the summer, I plant two to a container and don't prune as aggressively - each plant gets four vertical columns. They do fine and produce very well. I have a quite short growing season - 90-120 days. Perhaps with a longer season, they would overgrow the containers.

berkeleyluddite · April 22, 2015

Usually I tried to grow a very tall indeterminate plant complimented by a shorter determinate plant in a particular large container in my yard. I tried to make sure the shorter one has the southwest exposure to increase their sun exposure given their limitation.

Last year I did a SunGold and Green Grape in the same container. The contrast in colors and a few random cross bred cherries totally made my year!

Kikaida · May 4, 2015

Just put two Roma's in a 25 gallon dirt-pot, determinate so not expecting any problems. Their parent plant is pretty small so we'll see.

hollowpoint · May 4, 2015

I'm growing 2 tomatoes in a 31 gallon SWC (Raybo's EarthTainer). One is a Cherokee Purple, and the other is a Black Krim. The Cherokee Purple is growing a fair amount faster than the Black Krim and almost looks like it's choking out the BK for space. Stems and leafs are already starting to get tangled up!

We'll see how it plays out the rest of the season...

March 15, 2015	#1
rtvvvv Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: mi Posts: 80	30 gal container- 1 or 2 plants? building a new set of SWC's this time 30.5 gal size. i've done 2 in a 14gal before..it worked but was crowded. thought i might get better production and size with more "root room" any thoughts? Thanks!

March 15, 2015	#5
gregory Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: mobile zone 8 Posts: 83	I don't see a problem. I use 10 gallon containers and they grow fine. __________________ Zone 8 Mobile AL

April 20, 2015	#7
Gardenboy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Posts: 784	Competition I use a 15 and 20 gallon container and have tried to grow 2 tomato plants in one container...they will grow but they do compete for food and space. I end up separating them so they have room. I grow 1 tomato plant / indeterminate in 1 container. Much better results for root growth and production.

March 15, 2015	#2
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	If it's wide enough, plenty of room for 2. And you will get better production with more root room.

April 12, 2015	#6
Goldie321 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Florida USA Posts: 116	I use 5 gallon containers - one plant per - with no problems.

April 21, 2015	#9
dfollett Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Utah Posts: 693	Depends on your objectives. I want variety, even if it is at the expense of a little size or production. I grow through the winter in a sun room in SWCs made with a full 27 gallon container on top using Raybo's 3-2-1 mix, his fertilizing method, his 'pea fence' support and his use of nylon netting for internal support. That creates eight vertical columns inside the support structure. I plant 4 full-size tomato plants - one in each quadrant. I prune each plant to two stems, and train one up each of two vertical columns. Once a week I remove any leaves that intrude on or shade a neighbor plant, remove suckers and make sure each stem stays in its vertical space. On any sucker that gets large enough that it has blossoms, I leave the blossoms and remove the growing tip and remove the remaining small suckers. Some varieties produce extremely well, both in numbers and size. Others, don't do quite so well - I don't think they like the heavy pruning. However, I do get the variety I am after and once I find enough varieties that do well, I'll get the production. In the summer, I plant two to a container and don't prune as aggressively - each plant gets four vertical columns. They do fine and produce very well. I have a quite short growing season - 90-120 days. Perhaps with a longer season, they would overgrow the containers.

April 22, 2015	#10
berkeleyluddite Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: CA Posts: 21	Usually I tried to grow a very tall indeterminate plant complimented by a shorter determinate plant in a particular large container in my yard. I tried to make sure the shorter one has the southwest exposure to increase their sun exposure given their limitation. Last year I did a SunGold and Green Grape in the same container. The contrast in colors and a few random cross bred cherries totally made my year!

May 4, 2015	#11
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	Just put two Roma's in a 25 gallon dirt-pot, determinate so not expecting any problems. Their parent plant is pretty small so we'll see.

May 4, 2015	#12
hollowpoint Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: California Posts: 5	I'm growing 2 tomatoes in a 31 gallon SWC (Raybo's EarthTainer). One is a Cherokee Purple, and the other is a Black Krim. The Cherokee Purple is growing a fair amount faster than the Black Krim and almost looks like it's choking out the BK for space. Stems and leafs are already starting to get tangled up! We'll see how it plays out the rest of the season...