Indeterminate caged tomato plants per IBC

How many plants are the ideal number for a 275 gal tote?

I think your number must be wrong.
In any case, an Indeterminate needs lots of food to grow so I wouldn't plant less than 1 for every 2 square feet of soil space.  Some would take a chance with less space, but they'd have to feed the soil well during its season.

This is a 275 gal IBC tote.


Did you cut one up to make boxes?  

Keep your plants pruned, and indeterminate tomatoes will do fine planted 1 per square foot.

I stand corrected.  Thanks boffer.  I never saw such a thing before.

I use one of these to catch rain water for my garden. I use a sump pump attached to a garden hose for watering. Garden just loves rain water over tap water.

quiltbea wrote: I wouldn't plant less than 1 for every 2 square feet of soil space.  Some would take a chance with less space, but they'd have to feed the soil well during its season.

+1

With those dimensions, you are talking an SFG of 4 ft by 3 ft and plenty deep. 
You could easily put 6 tomato plants in that thing.

Make sure it drains so you do not make a swamp.

I grew in a cold frame of those dimensions 6 determinate tomatoes and picked lots of fruit but 4 would of meant less crowding.

Pitch, the fact is with square foot gardening you truly only need 6"-8" of growing medium known as Mel's mix. The volume of that container is simply excessive for your needs. I would plant an indeterminate tomato plant every other foot. The plants will need a sturdy trellis.

NAR56 wrote:I use one of these to catch rain water for my garden. I use a sump pump attached to a garden hose for watering. Garden just loves rain water over tap water.

Accurate statement...very noticeable after a nice rain

Sounds as if I should cut the totes and cages in half which would give me a total depth per container of approximately 18 inches and double the number of growing containers with approximately 7 sq ft or 18 cu ft for each .  
I am only interested in the maximum amount of fruit yield per plant and I'm still somewhat reluctant to plant more than one per container.
It doesn't make sense to me to plant two or more plants per container if the total output and yield of fruit does not increase proportionally or might actually even have a negative consequence?
If someone has expert experience with expected yields based on number of plants I sure would appreciate your input.one
Otherwise, I'll have to waste a precious growing season and do my own experiments...
Thanks again for sharing your expertise and knowledge...

More plants mean more fruit, unless the plants are crowded. There are many other variables beyond the size of the root system involved in regard to achieving maximum viable fruit output.

https://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/069BCD8F-9469-4843-9CF9-C4A7921BCED3/58635/1902tomatoesHIGHRES1.pdf

For expert advice please contact your local county Cooperative Extension Service Agricultural Agent.

Total yield per planting and total yield per plant are different things when applied to the same amount of growing area. The balance is to find how many plants you can grow as well as you can in your circumstances to maximize yield. The answer is different for every garden and gardener and year because there is a huge amount of variables, even when using MM. There are general guidelines but they are just that, general.

Some of those variables are determinants vs in-determinants. Which varieties? And then with IDs how much pruning you do. What are the diseases most problematic in your area and what preventive practices help?

Root space needed by all of them is right in the 12"-18" diameter range. Top growth varies hugely in accordance with variety and horticultural practices.

For experts do as Camprn suggests and call an extension office.

One of the totes as pictured above, would hold over 1 square yard of MM. That's a lot of money for 1 or 2 tomato plants.

Are you asking about the amount of vine space or the amount of root space needed for a good yield.  Based on the dimension of the container, I would plant 8 tomatoes (4 per side) and 4 basil plants down the middle in the container.  BUT it is WAY too deep.  Believe me you don't need that much MM.  If you are feeling very generous and just will not believe a tomato will grow in 6" of MM then at the most I would go 8"  

 Here is a picture of 2 indeter tomatoes plus 2 basil plants in two 5 gal buckets.  This picture was taken on 10/2/2012 and I was gone for 2 1/2 months during mid summer so the plants were not pruned starting at about the curve of the cattle panel.  They went nuts and tried to take over  the box next to the panel as well as over the top of the panel.  You can see from the number of ripening fruit that the yield was great.



On the other hand here is a picture taken 8/24/2013 of my tomato tunnel mix of cherry, regular and beefsteak sized fruit.  Two cattle panels with 4 indeter tomatoes in buckets on the back panel and 7 on the front panel. Cantaloupe were on the other side of the back panel.  These were pruned properly to 2 main stems.  I gave away, ate, froze, roasted and canned tomatoes until Oct.  Again, each bucket had 1 tomato and 1 basil plant in it.  Mid season I top dressed with more compost.



And the buckets are only about 3/4 full of MM.  

So you can cut your container in half, putting about 7" (8" if you have the money)of MM and plant about 1 plant around the outside edges of the container ever foot or so and if there is space in the middle a few basil plants.  Tomatoes seem to like growing with basil. That's all you need.   Rig up some trellis and GROW.   Or use the container for water and plant in beds or buckets.  Oh the possibilities.  I can even see taking the container out and using the sides as a trellis.

Pictures taken from the south side of the plants.
Kay

walshevak wrote:
 I can even see taking the container out and using the sides as a trellis.

Kay

Kay, Good use of the caging! The bin can be cut so the top and bottom can be used as shallow beds (with holes punch in their bottoms 0. Then the left over middle section can be used like a large tractor tire for a third bed. Maybe heavy bricks holding the sides from spreading out. Only a SFG sees so many uses in ordinary or unusal items.  

A concrete mixer makes for easy MM mixing. Keep the hose handy as it gets a bit dusty.

And I got rid of my concrete mixer.....  

Concrete mixers are used by several forum members. Wish I had one when I was doing my boxes!

GG