Give tomatoes 45 cm each, more for bush types
Short answer
Plant cordon (upright, single-stem) tomatoes 45 cm apart in rows 60 cm apart. Bush tomatoes sprawl, so give them 60 to 90 cm each way. In a raised bed, 45 cm each way is enough for cordons, and a standard grow bag takes two or three plants.
Tomato sowing calendar
From the VegLog crop library. Change the frost dates to match your garden.
Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.
- Sow indoors
- late February to late March
- Plant out
- early May to early June
- Harvest
- mid-July to late October
Plant cordon tomatoes 45 cm apart in rows 60 cm apart. Cordons are the tall types grown up a cane with the side shoots pinched out, and most tomatoes sold as plants are this kind. Bush tomatoes aren’t pinched out and sprawl as they grow, so give them 60 to 90 cm in each direction.
To see how many fit in your bed, try the plant spacing calculator.
Spacing by type
| Type | Between plants | Between rows | Per 30 cm square |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cordon (indeterminate) | 45 cm | 60 cm | 1 |
| Bush (determinate) | 60 to 90 cm | 60 to 90 cm | 1 per 4 squares |
| Tumbling and dwarf types for pots | One per pot or hanging basket |
The packet or plant label usually says which type you have. Cordon, vine and indeterminate all mean the same thing. Bush and determinate mean the same thing too.
Why 45 cm, and not closer
Tomatoes look small when they go out in May, and it’s easy to squeeze in an extra plant. By August a cordon is 1.5 to 2 m tall and wide with leaves. Plants set closer than about 40 cm shade each other’s trusses and hold damp air between them. Damp leaves are what blight and grey mould need, so crowded plants catch them sooner.
Wider spacing also makes the weekly jobs easier: tying in, pinching out side shoots and picking.
In raised beds
You don’t walk on a raised bed, so you don’t need a path-wide gap between rows. Set cordons 45 cm apart each way. A 2.4 m by 1.2 m bed takes two rows of five, ten plants in all. If you’d rather leave room for basil or marigolds between them, plant one row down the middle at 45 cm, and fill the sides. Our guide to what to plant with tomatoes suggests what to put there.
In a greenhouse
Greenhouse borders are usually planted in a single row along each side, 45 cm apart, with the canes or strings tied to the roof bars. Allow at least 45 cm between the plants and the glass on the sunny side, or the leaves scorch on hot days. See growing tomatoes in a greenhouse for more.
Grow bags and pots
A standard grow bag holds two or three cordons. Two plants give bigger crops and need less frequent watering in a heatwave. Bush tomatoes need a bag to themselves.
In pots, use one plant per pot at least 30 cm across. Space the pots so the plants don’t touch once they’re fully grown, roughly 45 cm between stems.
Planting depth
Tomatoes are one of the few plants you can bury deeper than they grew in the pot. Roots form along the buried stem, which gives a sturdier plant. Plant leggy seedlings with the lowest leaves just above the soil.
The tomato crop page has the sowing and planting dates for your area.
Questions people also ask
How many tomato plants per grow bag?
Two or three cordons in a standard grow bag, or one or two if you want bigger crops with less watering. Bush types need a bag each, or a large pot.
What happens if tomatoes are planted too close?
The leaves stay damp for longer because air can't move between the plants, which makes blight and mould more likely. The fruit also gets less sun, so it ripens later.
How big a pot does a tomato need?
At least 30 cm across and about 20 litres of compost for a cordon. Bigger pots dry out less often, which also cuts down on blossom end rot.
Dates set to your own frost dates
VegLog works out sowing and planting times for your town, then reminds you when each job is due.
