Determinate-type tomatoes need plenty of space between plants to accommodate their bushy growth. Unsupported determinate tomatoes can be planted 2 to 2 1/2 feet apart in rows spaced 4 feet apart. Indeterminate tomatoes grow, flower, and set fruit continuously throughout the growing season.
If you don't separate and thin your seedlings, they will become stunted and will not produce well. This happens because the seedlings are competing with each other for root space, water, nutrients, and air.
Tomatoes need plenty of air circulation to prevent diseases from spreading. If the healthy plants are too close together, the leaves will touch each other and disease can easily spread from one plant to another.
You want to give your tomatoes plenty of time to grow in some healthy roots before you pull them apart. So once your plants are about 4-6 inches tall and have their second set of leaves you're good to go.
Researchers from Rutgers University write that staked tomatoes can be planted less than two feet apart within rows, with rows spaced more than three feet apart.
However, tomato plants can be a bit finicky when it comes to getting too close to their tomato neighbors, and they like a bit of space between themselves and their fellow garden companions.
Best Companion Plants for Peppers. Tomatoes: Peppers and tomatoes are both members of the nightshade family, and they complement each other well.
What happens when you plant tomatoes too close together? You get less fruit and increase the risk of blight and mold. You might also decrease pollination rate. Basically all flowers have to be pollinated to bear fruit; tomatoes included.
TOMATO WATERING TIPS
Water in the morning to the keep the soil moist through the heat of the day. Always water at the base of the plant — watering from above invites disease. Check tomatoes growing in pots often since they dry out quickly. Be consistent — fluctuations in water supply lead to cracking and blossom end ...
The advantage in removing the lower leaves is that the plants energies go into producing fruit rather than a lot of foliage. Also the lower leaves tend to get powdery mildew so it is good to remove them to stop disease spreading.
Early/mid-season
Remove flowers until plants are 12 to 18 inches tall, so plants can direct more energy to the roots. Remove all leafy suckers beneath the first fruit cluster so they won't slow the development of the fruit.
Plant in groups: Planting in groups can help to create a microclimate that is beneficial to all the plants in the group. Use crop rotation: Crop rotation can help to reduce the risk of disease and pests in your garden. Mix it up: Don't be afraid to mix different types of plants together.
Support structures such as cages and trellises allow you to maximize your harvest by keeping the plants and fruit off the ground. The photos below will give you some ideas about some of the different ways you can support your plants and achieve true tomato transcendence this season.
Tomatoes planted too closely together may be more likely to develop problems, such as: Disease – A lot of plant diseases flourish on moist leaves.
To grow the strongest tomato plant possible, prune side stems below the first fruit cluster. As a tomato plant matures, its lower leaves begin to yellow. Pinch or prune yellowed leaves to prevent disease, improve the tomato plant's appearance, and help the plant keep its energy focused on fruit production.
The tomato plant, in particular, lends itself easily to cutting propagation because even the cells in its stems can become roots. Starting tomato plants from cuttings comes in handy when you're perusing someone else's garden and they have a particular tomato plant that you admire.
Overwatering generally makes the plant look almost like it's rotting, as in drooping and turning soggy brown. My guess is it is having Nitrogen problems. Any type of vegetable fertilizer you buy at the store should work fine.
Some growers prefer to use a high-phosphorus fertilizer, indicated by a larger middle number. You can also keep things simple with a fertilizer especially formulated for tomatoes – usually with a ratio like 3-4-6 or 4-7-10. Most importantly, don't over-fertilize. Too little fertilizer is always better than too much.
Yellow leaves and brown spots on tomato plants are most commonly caused by early tomato blight. Once found, early blight can be managed by regularly removing affected foliage from your garden.
Composted manure: This provides a slow release of nutrients over the growing season. Add a couple of handfuls to each hole. Compost: It will add basic nutrients and improve soil structure so the soil drains well yet retains some moisture. Add 2-3 handfuls in each hole.
Try to plant tomatoes in a different spot every year, rotating through your garden space every three to four years. Planting them in the same place allows disease pathogens that are specific to tomatoes to build up in the soil. By moving them around in the garden each year, you can break up the disease cycle.
These articles suggested that if I were to place these two varieties close together, the plants would share nutrients under the soil surface, the tomatoes would have enhanced flavor (since flavor comes from the soil), and the aroma from the basil would help confuse insects seeking tomatoes to eat.