An experiment using two plants in one space

[QAGuy]

I had a tomato buddy give me some starts. One of them has two plants in one cell of a six pack. Now normally, I'd sacrifice one of them (usually the weaker plant).

Both of them are growing nicely and I wondered what would happen if I planted both of them in one spot in very strong cage.

My cages have four uprights and I normally have 4 main leaders tied to each upright.

If I plant both plants, I'd only have two leaders for each plant.

Anybody tried this?

Your thoughts both pro and con would be appreciated.

Thanks

[D.J. Wolf]

Myself personally, I would split the two plants apart very gently and plant them separately. The issue, as I see it, is if you planted both in the same spot, you would have 2 plants fighting for nutrients and water where you would normally only have the one plant. I honestly think your best bet is when it is time to repot, gently tease the two plants apart and plant them into separate pots.

[KarenO]

What variety?
I routinely plant two plants together to increase the number of plants I can select from in my breeding projects. Not in the same cell but two plants in the same cage. They would do better planted singly but they do well enough for what I need.
KarenO

[QAGuy]

Originally Posted by KarenO

What variety?
I routinely plant two plants together to increase the number of plants I can select from in my breeding projects. Not in the same cell but two plants in the same cage. They would do better planted singly but they do well enough fir what I need.
KarenO

Kellogg's Breakfast X First time trying it.

[QAGuy]

Originally Posted by D.J. Wolf

Myself personally, I would split the two plants apart very gently and plant them separately. The issue, as I see it, is if you planted both in the same spot, you would have 2 plants fighting for nutrients and water where you would normally only have the one plant. I honestly think your best bet is when it is time to repot, gently tease the two plants apart and plant them into separate pots.

No room to plant them separately, unfortunately. I would split the root ball and not plant them directly next to one another. Close proximity, about a foot apart. Not in pots, but in the ground.

[paradajky]

Give it a go! My folks would do that with nursery bought plants. Sometimes they'd separate, other times they'd leave them alone and together. They were always happy with the results.



This has me wondering what would happen if you were to try joining the two tomatoes together on the main trunk like a graft with the roots still in place. I'm sure people have done that. To the t-ville archives!!

[Dark Rumor]

I usually plant several doubles every year, I have had good luck with doubles, they will get really big so you may need to keep some of the new growth trimmed back.

[tryno12]

I did it last year with 40 = 80 total. Watered and fertilized enough and all was good yet a bit tight at times

[Oliver]

This year I'm doing that for the first time. One plant is Galina and the other is a plant a friend gave me. I don't expect the quality of tomatoes that I would get from a single plant, I just need enough tomatoes to give me seeds.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by QAGuy

I had a tomato buddy give me some starts. One of them has two plants in one cell of a six pack. Now normally, I'd sacrifice one of them (usually the weaker plant).

Both of them are growing nicely and I wondered what would happen if I planted both of them in one spot in very strong cage.

My cages have four uprights and I normally have 4 main leaders tied to each upright.

If I plant both plants, I'd only have two leaders for each plant.

Anybody tried this?

Your thoughts both pro and con would be appreciated.

Thanks

Hello QAGuy

The The Tomato Plant is the only Garden Plant that you can separate slowly with-out hurting the Plant root system, even if all the dirt falls out the root ball, Amen!!

[dshreter]

I would look up the AKMark threads here. He grows professionally in a greenhouse, and I believe does two plants per small grow bag. His results are truly epic.

If you can get sufficient nutrition to the plant, it’s no problem to plant closely.

[tryno12]

Well this year we'll see what happens with 4 in a hole - deep raised bed

[tryno12]

Maybe better pic??

[dshreter]

Originally Posted by tryno12

Well this year we'll see what happens with 4 in a hole - deep raised bed

Will you train each to a single stem? Otherwise I would expect this to be extremely crowded.

[tryno12]

no, just let them go in cage and eventual t post to hold up. last year doing 2 per hole pic attached. kinda messy but production was high. maybe depth of bed? water every day. fertilize enough - even once to much late aug didn't need it??
this year some 4 per hole we'll see - but 4 african queens in 1 hole

Actually bent t posts out into yard on both sides like a lean and support - worked ok