My tomatoes grow cheek by jowl. I just put a nylon stocking over some flowers before they open and mark them after the tomatoes start to form. Since tomatoes are self pollinating I don't have to do anything to them to get the fruits to start growing.
Loamlump, Not yet but the beds are all prepared & I am ready. Brought some of my plants from my sister's home over the weekend that she had been holding for me for 2 years. I brought them from Illinois. I worked hard all day yesterday & am prepared to continue all week. She sent strawberries & I have to hurry to prepare that bed. I had no choice. She was getting rid of her berry bed so it was take them & hope or see them die. Next visit will be grapes & roses. I sometimes with there were two of me but then I would keep both of me busy too. My mail comes about noon. I will let you know when they are safely in their new beds. I remember; cake but easy on the coffee.
Every year I give my tomatoes a minmum space of 4 feet, sometimes greater. Even so, they still end up growing together. I do not pinch mine. I've found they do better if you just let them go. I do cage them and every day arrange them in thier cage. Even if you space them apart, the bees are going to do some crosspollenating for you, unles you cover them somehow.
Rockfish, deep in the Sand Hills of North Carolina "Fail Carpathia"
Posts: 421 | Location: Zone 7b South Central, NC | Registered: January 16, 2003
Probably depends on whether they are determinate or indeterminate. Because of turmoil at home, mine (5 of the 6 indeterminate heirlooms) have to live in whiskey barrels this year. I hear determinates, logically, don't need as much space, and can even do fine in 5 gallon containers - so you can theoretically move them far far away from anything else.
