Lower and Lean tomatoes in a SFG

deonb 3/17/2021, 1:44 pm

One of my garden-beds is a 7x2 grid which I plan to fill completely with indeterminate tomatoes.

I could either top those at 8ft or do a lower-and-lean since I can rotate the plants around the bed.

The plants will be between 12" and 18" already when I transplant them.

How tall can indeterminates get during an extended season (8 months) growing in 12" of Mel's mix? Would it be worth doing a lower-and-lean trellis or are they going to be stunted anyway due to the soil depth?

OhioGardener 3/17/2021, 5:58 pm

They won't be stunted by the soil depth if it is 12", but they will appreciate feed during the growing season - I cut Comfrey leaves once a month and heavily mulch the tomatoes with them for supplemental food.

My indeterminate tomatoes top out at 8' high in cages during the growing season. I have 20" cages which are 8' high, and the tomatoes completely fill the cages. When they reach the top, I prune them off so they remain maxed out at that height.

deonb 3/18/2021, 5:29 pm

OhioGardener wrote:They won't be stunted by the soil depth if it is 12", but they will appreciate feed during the growing season - I cut Comfrey leaves once a month and heavily mulch the tomatoes with them for supplemental food.

My indeterminate tomatoes top out at 8' high in cages during the growing season. I have 20" cages which are 8' high, and the tomatoes completely fill the cages. When they reach the top, I prune them off so they remain maxed out at that height.

Topping the plant is pretty much the polar opposite of Lower and Lean Smile

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OhioGardener 3/18/2021, 7:04 pm

deonb wrote:Topping the plant is pretty much the polar opposite of Lower and Lean .

Sorry, I may have misread your question, "How tall can indeterminates get during an extended season (8 months) growing in 12" of Mel's mix?". You apparently weren't asking about "tall" as much as "long" on a low & lean trellis.

To answer that question specifically, an indeterminate tomato will grow indefinitely & unlimited until frost kills it, and it will easily do it in 12" of MM. So, one indeterminate tomato plant could easily fill a low & lean trellis all the way around a 7x2 bed.

deonb 3/19/2021, 1:59 am

Ok great, thanks! I’m going to give that a try this year and see how it goes.

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Lower and Lean tomatoes in a SFG

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