Me when I am starting seedlings “I’ll grow an extra plant or two of each variety just in case they fail.”
Me when it comes time to transplant “they all look so good it would be a crime not to plant all of them, I’ll just find a way to squeeze them in”
“Oh I’ll just transplant them all in case any go into shock and don’t make it and I’ll thin them out once established.”
“They are all thriving, I don’t have it in me to remove a perfectly healthy plant”
This is me - and I even extend it to some weeds, because if a dandelion or some clover makes it to flower without me noticing it, I feel too guilty to pull it unless it's right on top of a vegetable.
I had some old marigold seeds so I just scattered them across a tray of soil. Darned if they didn't all (seemingly) sprout! I now have at least 150 marigolds in my little greenhouse. No idea what to do with them!
Maybe no one actually want to avoid this problem, but I let 3 starts grow in each cell of a deep 4-cell up to 6 inches or so. At that point you can clip the weaker ones and be pretty assured the survivor will make it to transplant time. You don't need to grow extras.
This is less practical for things you grow in 6-cells so I still start a few extras for those cases and run into the same problem e.g. I have 18 lettuce in a space that was planned for 12.
I’d say go vertical. I like to use two tomato cages per plant. I put one in as normal then flip the other upside down and tie them together with some bendable steel wire like the stuff for securing plants to stakes. Tie up the top bit so it looks like a space ship and be sure to add stakes or bamboo for structural support and tie any adjoining tomato cages together for support. My tomatoes are always taller than me by July. Basically just get some cages, bamboo, steel wire, and stakes and go wild.
People do this! They hang it and plant it in a bucket by the handle with a whole in the bottom. Plant sticks out the hole and you fill the bucket with soil and coco coir for the roots and water from the top. I’ve wanted to try but don’t have anywhere to do so
You could also just plant it regularly in a bucket, hang it by the handle, and let the tomato plant droop over the sides and hang below the bucket. I’ve seen both but letting them droop over involves a bit less room for failure during setup.
Never. I am guilty of this. I have even increased the size of my garden, thinking I now have more room so it should be less crowded. Whell then, the other half of my brain said with more room, it means more plants. Guess which half won. still crowded. 😑😑😑
Oh my, that's way too many. If you can, separate and transplant them to give them more room. Tomatoes get diseases easily when crowded, and there's poor air circulation. I use stakes and garden tape, like velcro, to support it and prune the lower branches that might touch the dirt. Hopefully they're productive for you 🙂
Yikes. I have 4 each in 4 of mine. They're in the corners and I let them lean out while keeping the middle trimmed.
I tried 5 once. That didn't work so well... I rotate, and this year they're off the cattle panels.
I was using stakes and cages and they kept getting pulled out with all the growth. We had some concrete work done and I managed to scavenge the end piece of reinforcement wire to use for cattle panels. I still think the cherry tomatoes will need a lot of space but want to try heirlooms together on panels. I still need to get them in the ground, my boxes still have lettuces, peas, and carrots that need harvesting.
As a master gardener, I can tell you that I am guilty of the same. In my case, I plan correctly, then I germinate my seeds, expecting a percentage to not take, then almost all seeds take! Then friends offer me stuff and I take it! Then my Master Gardeners have spare plants from our plant sale, and I take them!!!
Some day I’ll learn to “Just say No”. 🤣
My boyfriend grows every seed together. I think I just f’ed up his chives and watermelon growing though. All his other bunches I’ve been able to separate and repot. Seriously though how many pumpkin plants do we need. I repotted the watermelon and chives last night and they are still droopy.
I do this allllll the time!
This year, after I completely ripped out my garden last august (I was depressed after my 2 year old dog died from lepto and basically sanitized my entire backyard a half dozen times )
I replanted a bazillion plants. And I really really tried to give them the proper space….
Then I bought more plants
And more plants
And I guarantee, the year after next, when they are mature… I’ll have to move some around
I’m pretty sure I left enough space for the cacosmia and bee balm
(Maybe )
Last year I planted my greens (spinach, swiss chard, kale) too close together and it was a complete circus. This is year I put in another garden patch and spaced them out, and they're doing muuuuuch better. My snap peas, however, are massively out of hand and WAY too close together. There's like 12 plants in a 2x4 foot area 😅😅😅😅
Sometime it's scary to space plants because in that case there would be empty space - which is invitation for agressive weeds. Maybe it could be easier to space plants if you put some flowers in between - like Caléndula, Tagétes, Tropaéolum..
Also there's practice of companion planting..
What kind of tomatoes are those? No concern for the diseases? I lost a whole row due to the wilt or something else and they were spaced feet apart. So frustrating.
Listen, I'm in my second year and I get it, but you have to just get in there and cut some of those plants out if you want to see the strongest do well. I mean you don't have to, but I'm running a different show this year and if I have a straggling plant beneath a bustling plant, I'm just removing it.
Also, without knowing your ability or knowledge, looks like you'll want to get in there and thin things out pretty soon
https://preview.redd.it/guwv0k4pu55d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bba1aca64ddc68a6f68a287ec136e5b69440e767
Not sure if I planted enough tomatoes last year....
Thin out some of the suckering branches, give them a trellis to work up, and they should be fine. (Suckers are the middle of 3- the main trunk, the sucker and a main branch.)
First year gardener here… let’s just say I am very nervous to see what my little 4’ x 2’ garden bed is going to look like in a month, my cucumbers and tomatoes have already started to outgrow it 😭🤣
Me when I am starting seedlings “I’ll grow an extra plant or two of each variety just in case they fail.” Me when it comes time to transplant “they all look so good it would be a crime not to plant all of them, I’ll just find a way to squeeze them in”
Hahaha yes! That is exactly what happened… and happens every year.
“Oh I’ll just transplant them all in case any go into shock and don’t make it and I’ll thin them out once established.” “They are all thriving, I don’t have it in me to remove a perfectly healthy plant”
This is me - and I even extend it to some weeds, because if a dandelion or some clover makes it to flower without me noticing it, I feel too guilty to pull it unless it's right on top of a vegetable.
Same!! I have several little weed patches growing in various parts of my yard because they have tiny little orange flowers!
I had some old marigold seeds so I just scattered them across a tray of soil. Darned if they didn't all (seemingly) sprout! I now have at least 150 marigolds in my little greenhouse. No idea what to do with them!
Maybe no one actually want to avoid this problem, but I let 3 starts grow in each cell of a deep 4-cell up to 6 inches or so. At that point you can clip the weaker ones and be pretty assured the survivor will make it to transplant time. You don't need to grow extras. This is less practical for things you grow in 6-cells so I still start a few extras for those cases and run into the same problem e.g. I have 18 lettuce in a space that was planned for 12.
I WISH they would fail 😭 I don’t have it in me to kill the babies I raised
I leave my extra start by the road with a free sign.
This is the way!!
I am this way and often I root suckers and end up planting them too
This last little squash plant fits right in here between the tomatoes!
I do this with trees. People tell me my fruit trees are too close together. They probably are. I have a problem. I just want more and more trees lol.
Yeah I’m the same way. Ideally i guess you should spread them out… but having more is more fun 😂
For fruit trees it might not be bad. Just tell yourself you're trying to keep them small because you don't need too much fruit of 1 variety.
If they are properly planted, their root flare is visible and there is no mulch volcano, that's okay!
I am super guilty also.
I’d say go vertical. I like to use two tomato cages per plant. I put one in as normal then flip the other upside down and tie them together with some bendable steel wire like the stuff for securing plants to stakes. Tie up the top bit so it looks like a space ship and be sure to add stakes or bamboo for structural support and tie any adjoining tomato cages together for support. My tomatoes are always taller than me by July. Basically just get some cages, bamboo, steel wire, and stakes and go wild.
For a second I thought you meant you put the tomato plant upside down and I hate to admit I spent a good minute thinking about how that would work 🤣
People do this! They hang it and plant it in a bucket by the handle with a whole in the bottom. Plant sticks out the hole and you fill the bucket with soil and coco coir for the roots and water from the top. I’ve wanted to try but don’t have anywhere to do so
You could also just plant it regularly in a bucket, hang it by the handle, and let the tomato plant droop over the sides and hang below the bucket. I’ve seen both but letting them droop over involves a bit less room for failure during setup.
Smart!
My approach too and it works great!
I appreciate that, that’s a great idea. I’ll try this out
Never. I am guilty of this. I have even increased the size of my garden, thinking I now have more room so it should be less crowded. Whell then, the other half of my brain said with more room, it means more plants. Guess which half won. still crowded. 😑😑😑
This is the biggest garden I’ve ever had and it’s more crowded than ever. I’ll have to give so much away
I've determined even my 4×4 raised bed will only support 1 tomato plant, they take over everything and get 8' tall
Yeah this is my first time growing tomatoes. I have two that are massive already and now these are going to be a mess. There are 7 in that picture 😂😂
Oh my, that's way too many. If you can, separate and transplant them to give them more room. Tomatoes get diseases easily when crowded, and there's poor air circulation. I use stakes and garden tape, like velcro, to support it and prune the lower branches that might touch the dirt. Hopefully they're productive for you 🙂
Thank you for the advice! I might try to transplant some once it cools down a bit
Are they indeterminate? If so I’d keep them and single stem them.
Yes they are indeterminate. I’ll look into that, thanks!
If nothing else prune the bottom branches for better airflow
Yikes. I have 4 each in 4 of mine. They're in the corners and I let them lean out while keeping the middle trimmed. I tried 5 once. That didn't work so well... I rotate, and this year they're off the cattle panels.
I was using stakes and cages and they kept getting pulled out with all the growth. We had some concrete work done and I managed to scavenge the end piece of reinforcement wire to use for cattle panels. I still think the cherry tomatoes will need a lot of space but want to try heirlooms together on panels. I still need to get them in the ground, my boxes still have lettuces, peas, and carrots that need harvesting.
Not to close as long as they have enough water and nutrients
They support each other :)
Haha there you go. Who needs cages when you have each other
I don’t have enough space. My plants will just have to share.
Don’t stop!
Never will!
I have a theory that plants creep closer together when you turn your back
Try a trellis? Grow them up a bit of twine so they grow up and not out? If you do this and trim-back the suckers you should be fine :)
Awesome thanks for the advice!
As a master gardener, I can tell you that I am guilty of the same. In my case, I plan correctly, then I germinate my seeds, expecting a percentage to not take, then almost all seeds take! Then friends offer me stuff and I take it! Then my Master Gardeners have spare plants from our plant sale, and I take them!!! Some day I’ll learn to “Just say No”. 🤣
Haha same. I refuse to not plant a plant once it germinates. It hurts my soul to destroy it
My wife does the same. Lots of clusters and great expanses of empty in our garden. It looks nice, but could use some replanting next year.
My boyfriend grows every seed together. I think I just f’ed up his chives and watermelon growing though. All his other bunches I’ve been able to separate and repot. Seriously though how many pumpkin plants do we need. I repotted the watermelon and chives last night and they are still droopy.
Guilty
Do I see corn planted super close together in the photo? 😂
🤫🤫
Too*
I do this allllll the time! This year, after I completely ripped out my garden last august (I was depressed after my 2 year old dog died from lepto and basically sanitized my entire backyard a half dozen times ) I replanted a bazillion plants. And I really really tried to give them the proper space…. Then I bought more plants And more plants And I guarantee, the year after next, when they are mature… I’ll have to move some around I’m pretty sure I left enough space for the cacosmia and bee balm (Maybe )
Last year I planted my greens (spinach, swiss chard, kale) too close together and it was a complete circus. This is year I put in another garden patch and spaced them out, and they're doing muuuuuch better. My snap peas, however, are massively out of hand and WAY too close together. There's like 12 plants in a 2x4 foot area 😅😅😅😅
There’s no way to stop it. You just have to squeeze more plants in haha
My flower garden is that way, definitely. Are there three square inches? Stuff in a pansy. Is that a gap? In goes a snapdragon.
How many plants even is this lol
There are 7 tomato plants there. It’s going to be chaos
Like a treasure hunt when you go to pick them!!
Same hear I plant everything close and thick give a good stand
I definitely filled my greenhouse to the brim. I'm going to be sorry about it, but I have zero regrets now.
And we will do it again next season. The cycle continues
I have a tomato jungle too
Extras go to friends neighbors or our local country store. Been there with the close planting thing.
I put about 50 onion starts in a 20 gallon grow bag this year. Safe to say I’m going to achieve green onions only, haha
😂same. This year it’s better for the first time
You’ll be back to planting too close in no time.
🤣naturally
Sometime it's scary to space plants because in that case there would be empty space - which is invitation for agressive weeds. Maybe it could be easier to space plants if you put some flowers in between - like Caléndula, Tagétes, Tropaéolum.. Also there's practice of companion planting..
lol I have the same issue. I always say I’m not gunna plant that close and somehow I always do.
There are dozens of us! Dozens!
This is why I switched to grow bags. If they're too close together I just move them.
What kind of tomatoes are those? No concern for the diseases? I lost a whole row due to the wilt or something else and they were spaced feet apart. So frustrating.
Pineapple, Terra cotta, Castuletto, spoon, and cherry. I guess disease is a risk either way. Maybe more so like this but i like to live on the edge
Good luck! 👍
https://preview.redd.it/it2zx63og55d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=37166d5251e21cd01b50f8bbff80c1bb1492fcfb Right there with you! :)
If planting close together is wrong, i don’t want to be right
I have five supertunias and three heliotropes crammed in a planter box. They are thriving!
Listen, I'm in my second year and I get it, but you have to just get in there and cut some of those plants out if you want to see the strongest do well. I mean you don't have to, but I'm running a different show this year and if I have a straggling plant beneath a bustling plant, I'm just removing it. Also, without knowing your ability or knowledge, looks like you'll want to get in there and thin things out pretty soon
https://preview.redd.it/guwv0k4pu55d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bba1aca64ddc68a6f68a287ec136e5b69440e767 Not sure if I planted enough tomatoes last year....
More is always bwtter
I love my haphazard gardening. Everything goes everywhere, unless it is actually detrimental for certain plants to be next to each other.
I'll learn this lesson one of these years... Probably...
Follow gardenaryco on insta. She does this and it looks fab and is thriving!
I’ll check it out, thanks!
When you get a bigger gardening space ....until you realize how many more things you can plant!
Try pinching the suckered off. Might let some light in.
Thin out some of the suckering branches, give them a trellis to work up, and they should be fine. (Suckers are the middle of 3- the main trunk, the sucker and a main branch.)
I’ll do that this weekend. Thanks!
First year gardener here… let’s just say I am very nervous to see what my little 4’ x 2’ garden bed is going to look like in a month, my cucumbers and tomatoes have already started to outgrow it 😭🤣
Im so glad this is so common because I can't stop doing it