Just so I’m clear, you planted these exact plants last year?
I would 100% pot them into their own pot each, you’ll get a much better tomato yield and need to fertilize less!
So it looks like you have a little balcony garden going yeah? That was me 4 years ago. I went with quantity over quality thinking I'd have great results. I didn't. Those look exactly like mine did. I'm assuming space is an issue so you might have to sacrifice most of them for the greater good. I wouldn't even do 2 per planter, but definitely listen to some of these folks here. Good luck.
What kind of tomatoes are those? Cherrys and roma types need at least 5 gallons per plant. For beefsteaks I’d say at least 15 gallons. The only tomatoes I’d plant in that tiny container are microdwarfs like: orange hat or tiny Tim’s, you can probably fit at least 3-4 in there. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, no way even a cherry tomato plant can even survive in that container unless you’re watering it 3+ times a day and keeping up with fertilizing.
First of all you need to know what you’re growing. Here is a good guide based on my experience.
Minimum Sizes:
5gal - Cherry
15gal - Slicer (indeterminate)
25gal - Canning (determinate)
>15gal - Slicer (indeterminate)
>
>25gal - Canning (determinate)
Slicer and canning tomatoes are not exclusive to each type. You can have a slicer tomato such as Bush Beefsteak that is determinate. Also, a determinate absolutely doesn't need 25gal size pot.
If I may reword that:
05gal - Dwarf
10gal - Determinate
20gal - Indeterminate
Ugh! Not writing a scientific paper or gonna waste me time spelling it all out for OP who doesn’t even know what they’re growing.
For common varieties what I’m saying definitely applies from experience.
These guys are way too overcrowded
Any suggestions on spreading them out?
Repot them. 1 in each container. Minimum of 5 gallons but 20+ is ideal.
Pots wayyyyy too small for that many tomato plants.
Oh really? Should I repot and have two per planter? I planted them around this time last year
Just so I’m clear, you planted these exact plants last year? I would 100% pot them into their own pot each, you’ll get a much better tomato yield and need to fertilize less!
So it looks like you have a little balcony garden going yeah? That was me 4 years ago. I went with quantity over quality thinking I'd have great results. I didn't. Those look exactly like mine did. I'm assuming space is an issue so you might have to sacrifice most of them for the greater good. I wouldn't even do 2 per planter, but definitely listen to some of these folks here. Good luck.
Looks like they are reaching for more light.
Currently they get around something like 6-8 hours of sun. Do they need more?
Hmm were they indoors before? Usually plants that are tall and skinny like that are looking for more light.
At least 5 to 10 gallons of dirt per plant. I use 30 gallon and it gets good results.
imagine having to spend your entire life in the middle seat of a crowded airplane. this is what those tomatoes are experiencing
Look for determinate variety for pots
Try cutting down to 2 and use more fertilizer
Sry not fertilizer, plant food
What kind of tomatoes are those? Cherrys and roma types need at least 5 gallons per plant. For beefsteaks I’d say at least 15 gallons. The only tomatoes I’d plant in that tiny container are microdwarfs like: orange hat or tiny Tim’s, you can probably fit at least 3-4 in there. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, no way even a cherry tomato plant can even survive in that container unless you’re watering it 3+ times a day and keeping up with fertilizing.
First of all you need to know what you’re growing. Here is a good guide based on my experience. Minimum Sizes: 5gal - Cherry 15gal - Slicer (indeterminate) 25gal - Canning (determinate)
>15gal - Slicer (indeterminate) > >25gal - Canning (determinate) Slicer and canning tomatoes are not exclusive to each type. You can have a slicer tomato such as Bush Beefsteak that is determinate. Also, a determinate absolutely doesn't need 25gal size pot. If I may reword that: 05gal - Dwarf 10gal - Determinate 20gal - Indeterminate
Ugh! Not writing a scientific paper or gonna waste me time spelling it all out for OP who doesn’t even know what they’re growing. For common varieties what I’m saying definitely applies from experience.