Tomato container size

[Aves]

Hello G friends!

First year growing veggies. Starting some in my in garage for the winter. I have 3 tomato plants growing fairly fast, about 16 inches tall and in containers. Well, one 22in x 13 in x11 in. I am almost sure they will not all fit well in it. Would just ONE plant be okay? Or two?

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Welcome to the forum.
Not sure in inches, but I would guess that is good for one. I use something about the size of a bucket, 10 -15 liters. A good source is builder's skips, they get plaster type products in those large white containers and chuck them when empty. A good size and easy to clean.
You have the right idea, if in doubt bigger is usually better. It means that temperature and moisture stay more constant as well as the plants not being in competition.

 

[Nikolay]

Just an easy math: 22 in x 13 in x 11 in == 51.55 liters

 

[Chuck]

Hello G friends!

First year growing veggies. Starting some in my in garage for the winter. I have 3 tomato plants growing fairly fast, about 16 inches tall and in containers. Well, one 22in x 13 in x11 in. I am almost sure they will not all fit well in it. Would just ONE plant be okay? Or two?

That is about 14 gallons. A 5 gallon container is the minimum for decent production. Tomatoes should be spaced at minimum about 2 feet apart. If you planted 2 plants you would have a plant at the edge wall of the container and this is not good. You could plant 2 in that container about 16 inches apart but when the plants got big you would be taking a big gamble with reduced air circulation and fungal problems, especially indoors, so, one tomato plant per container is my opinion.

 

[Aves]

Thank you so much. I will definitly plant one tomato plant in each container!

 

[Chuck]

Thank you so much. I will definitly plant one tomato plant in each container!

If you are going to grow in the garage the temperatures should never get below 55F for a sustained period of time or they will stop growing. And also of upmost importance is that they MUST have a LOT of light, the bigger the plant gets the more light it needs and tomato plants get big.

 

[Nikolay]

Concerning the distance between plants there is no good rule of thumb. My indeterminate cherry vines happily grow just about 15 inches apart in the same planter, I prune the old big branches quite often, so they don't actually overlap, don't compete for sun. Some determinate small varieties need even less space.

 

[Aves]

If you are going to grow in the garage the temperatures should never get below 55F for a sustained period of time or they will stop growing. And also of upmost importance is that they MUST have a LOT of light, the bigger the plant gets the more light it needs and tomato plants get big.

55F, I am Canadian LOL I believe that is pretty darn cold. About 12C so it should be okay. Garage has a decent size fireplace Sun might be a issue. Do you think grow lights will work?

 

[Chuck]

55F, I am Canadian LOL I believe that is pretty darn cold. About 12C so it should be okay. Garage has a decent size fireplace Sun might be a issue. Do you think grow lights will work?

Yes, if you have enough of the correct lights it will work great. On this forum you will see many posts of growing plants under artificial lighting and about 90% of them show leggy sparse foliage plants and this is caused by insufficient lighting and having the lights too far away from the plants. It isn't easy to replace the sun.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Just an easy math: 22 in x 13 in x 11 in == 51.55 liters

And 231 cubic inches in a gallon.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Just an easy math: 22 in x 13 in x 11 in == 51.55 liters

And 231 cubic inches in a gallon.

I never was great at math. I passed an O level exam in it, but only because my father had taught my math teacher's daughter biology and she became a doctor. He was determined I would pass, and good at it.
I have 4.5 litres to a gallon in my head, and I know English litres and American are the same volume but spelled differently, whereas English, Imperial gallons and American gallons are different volumes, but spelled the same.
Give them a decent size bucket each and lots of light

 

[YumYum]

Some of the formula is missing by the way.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Some of the formula is missing by the way.

1 gram of water equals 1 mL of water. The rest is what the mass or volume of something is relative to water as an adjustment. For example 51.55 liters of soil weighs x grams. It is helpful but still math.

 

[headfullofbees]

Grow 2, 14 inches apart.
Grow them single stem or they'll be overcrowded & too late to harvest.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

1 gram of water equals 1 mL of water.

Not when it is a suitable temperature for a tomato plant, but almost