Tomato Spacing

[Geoff]

So what spacing do you use for Tomatoes in beds?
Usually mine have been in the greenhouse where the beds are 5 ft deep so I have put 3 in front to back with lines 2 ft apart, more to give good access than anything else. When I grow them outside they are a break crop for Strawberries in the fruit cage so it is a narrow bed with a concrete path each side so then they have been just over a foot apart. Not growing outside this year, might help the Summer.
This year I have the tunnel with beds 4 feet wide and 9 feet long with paths between. The plan is two rows 2 feet apart but I can't decide the spacing within the rows. 24 ins gives 10 plants per bed, 20 ins gives 12 plants per bed, would have to be about 17 ins to get up to 14. They will be about half and half cherry and standard size varieties.
The literature is a bit variable - I have too many books!
"The Greenhouse Expert" Dr DG Hessayon - Plant 1½ - 2 ft apart in the border.
"Tomato Growing Today" IG Walls - Suggests 2 ft square or 2½ ft rows with 14-18 inch plant spacing
"Gardening under Plastic" B Salt - 3 ft between rows, 16 ins between plants.
"The Polytunnel Book" J Russell - 3 ft between rows, 18 ins between plants. (same in KG 2011)
"Grow Food in your Polytunnel" M Gatter/A McKee - anything between 30 and 70 cm, go by the seed packets, avoid cramming them in.
"KG" T Buckland - March 2012 - Top Tip - 30 ins apart.

[Johnboy]

Hi Geoff,
I have always planted two staggered rows in the greehouse 2ft twixt rows and 2ft apart down the row. My greenhouse has 4ft beds.
If I grow outside I use the same measurements and those grown in the tunnels are in own make growbags but with again the same spacings.
I grow gherkins in the greenhouse intermingling with the tomatoes.
JB.

[Primrose]

I break all the rules because I need to cram as much as possible into a limited growiing space and my tomato poles are placed about 12" - 14" apart in an outdoor soil border, which most experts would say is far too close. The border is well manured and composted so plants don!t struggle for nutrition and if some of the leaves from plants start to overlap each other I occasionally might trim the odd one back.a little. Obviously if blight is around the closeness makes them more vulnerable but I've come to the conclusion that blight would get them anyway . I seem to get good yields so perhaps as long as the plants are well nourished and watered distance doesn't, matter too much.

[Diane]

I do exactly the same as Primrose.