Tomatoes in the greenhouse.

[Luci]

We've just put up our greenhouse, which is roughly 6ft x 7ft.
Realistically, how many tomato plants do you reckon i would be able to plant in there, before it got swamped?

[ralf]

Im no expert,but i`ll tell you what we did in a similar space,2 growbags on lhs as you enter,1 growbag in front at the end of the glasshouse shelving and bench on the rhs with a growbag for 1oos and 1000s to hang off,the rest of the shelving is for potted seedlings,and space on the ground below the potting shelf for,tubs of carrotts,beetroot and lettuce.
Ill try to post a piccie later.

[crichmond]

I would have said you should be able to fit about 12 plants comfortably as I fit 14 in comportable in and 8 x 6 greenhouse.
4 on each side including the end wall = 12

[ralf]

like this.

[hydrogardener3]

My greenhouse is soilless and I can fit quite a few plants using Autopots. Presently I have four tomatoes, six or so peppers, one large eggplant, 2 strawberries, 8 lettuce and any number of flowers growing in the greenhouse. Additionally, there are a number of tomatoes in trays on the floor that will be planted outside in the garden in mid-May.
Along the north side I will add six cucumber plants in Autopots when the seedlings develop. All of this fits comfortably in a six by eight unit.



There are more images on my blog if you are interested:

Hydroponic Workshop

[-pat m]

[QUOTE=hydrogardener3;432353]My greenhouse is soilless and I can fit quite a few plants using Autopots.

Hp-gardener your greenhouse looks tidier than my house!

I will be putting in six tomato plants three chillies and one cue cumber the rest will be going into the poly tunnel!

6x8 greenhouse in a 90x30 polytunnel

Pat

[annacruachan]

Oh dear! I already have 25 tomato plants and 3 peppers plus a fishbox of melons in my 6 x 8 GH. Am I going to have problems with these? I also have another 12 tomatoes, 3 aubergines and a chilli in the conservatory. Can't put much more in here or OH will start complaining about being unable to see out of the windows!

[hydrogardener3]

You might have a problem with air circulation if the plants are too close together. That COULD lead to all sorts of problems with fungus, mildew and other nasty problems. Been there, done that....

[Storming Norman]

I've been there on the mildew and rot with overcrowding my greenhouse as well.

Last year I pushed it too far, stuck far too much in, and paid the price.

The price being stem rot on the toms, which then had to be cut back or taken out to prevent the spread [it did not really work too well though as I was too late spotting it].

Usually I get toms until December on good quality plants. Last year I had more plants but had fewer toms, and they were all out by late October.

My greenhouse is 6x6. This year I have 9 toms plants, 2 cucumbers, 2 aubergines, 2 peppers, 2 chilies, 1 yard long beans.

The toms swamp the place when they get going so by July the peppers/chillies and some aubergines will have to move out to the patio in their buckets.

I could barely move in the greenhouse last year [maybe 15 toms plants 2 cues, 3 aubergines, some peppers] and was very disappointed with myself for being greedy. I spoke to an expert at a tomato festival and he was frank about what to do this year - no more than 2 toms to a growbag sized space.

Of course if you have really good airflow through the greenhouse you might pack them in a little more - but there is a limit and the toms grow very big in a greenhouse. You may spend a lot of time pruning as well.

Can you move any outside? - my friend in Crieff managed to get toms from her plants on her patio.

Ann

[Scottishnewbie]

I get the message about not having too many toms in the greenhouse. But I'm wondering if it would be a mistake to plant them two deep in the GH border (my Gh is 10x8 and my 'path' is only about 18 inches wide).

[crichmond]

I have decided to have 3 rows of 6 this year to make a total of 18. This will give me a two narrow paths in the greenhouse one either side if the middle row.

I am going to use the pollytunnel for the melons and the other greenhouse for the cucumbers.

[Mrs Dobby]

On the plots in a 10x8 greenhouse, planted into the borders we've gone for 11 toms, 1 cuke, 4 aubergine, 8 chillies and 4 peppers, and it gets very full with just that many toms!

In the other greenhouse borders on the plot (8x6) we've 9 toms, 2 aubergines, 6 peppers, with a plastic walk in greenhouse filled with 5 grow bags containing 4 peppers each (20 in total).

In the back yard we've a 8'x6' greenhouse, no borders, so it will have 7 growbags, 6 containing 3 toms each (18 toms), the other having peppers, then other peppers n chillies will go into pots on the floor in front of the growbags!

In addition to this we've 12 outdoor tom plants (blight resistant) that will be going onto the plot outside, plus other toms that will go into pots in the back yard! Last eyar we harvested 300lb+ of toms, hoping to do even better this year!

[Flummery]

I get the message about not having too many toms in the greenhouse. But I'm wondering if it would be a mistake to plant them two deep in the GH border (my Gh is 10x8 and my 'path' is only about 18 inches wide).

That's what I do. I stagger the rows.

[Scottishnewbie]

Thanks folks, that's really helpful. I think if I can work both camera and laptop, I might even try posting a couple of photos!