How many tomato seeds do you plant?

[Springf3v3r]

I always do too many.

How many plants are you intending to grow?

Take that number and add 10 or 20% and sow that number.

Or sow loads and give the rest away.

Too many here too, and once they are decent seedlings I can't bear to throw them out...but plant more than I need just in case some fail.....have an allotment and last year had around 30 plants I think of about 6 varieties.

How many tomatoes do 30 plants give you roughly? It’s my first year and I have about 50-60 seeds

I am growing three varieties this year and one plant of each is ideal for our needs. I sow about 4 or 5 seeds of each, pot on the seedlings then I keep the strongest and offer the rest to friends.

Do you know what a fully grown tomato plant looks like? They can grow pretty big, and can easily produce 10 kg per plant. 3 tomato plants completely fill my 6x8 foot greenhouse by summer.

If this is your first year I wouldn't dream of trying to grow 30 tomato plants, start with 2 or 3 this year and work up from there.

Too many, but I trade the spares at the allotment.

My household contains one tomato-mad massive-salad-eating gardener and one person who can’t stand the mouth feel of tomatoes.

I grow about 24 tomato plants and the frozen sauce I make generally runs out late winter.

You don't plant seeds you sow them, then if you're lucky,you get germination..I sow about 10 seeds.. happy with 5 plants different varieties, this year a red cherry and tiger.Rest given away.
.

Think I’m going to sow 3 each of Red Alert, Sungold and Black Criminee and hope I get 1 of each. Then 6 Tumbling Tom in the hope I get 3.

Tomatoes have a very high germination rate. If I sow 6 seeds I'll get 5 or 6 plants. I am growing less this year as only two of us at home now, so will probably have 6-8 at the allotment and 4 at home.

Or they can get blight and produce none.

Nobody can say, for example in 2024 I grew about 150 plants in the south west of france in a polytunnel and in the ground and I had less than one tomato per plant. But I still have tomatoes in the freezer from the year before I had so many.

Last year I had just had over 100lbs from the allotment but it was a great year and we finished the last fresh ones after Christmas.

When I grew them in the garden 6
plants in grow bags kept us going with some to roast and freeze. (Have a bigger freezer now I have allotment)

I love south Indian tomato curry but only cook it with my own ripe toms as it's so bland with bought ones.

I'm similar to @TonTonMacoute . Ive got two varieties and I want a couple of plants of each so I've sown 6 seeds of each. I will pot up and give any surplus plants to my DSis & DBro.

They are at greater risk of blight if you have too many plants, especially under glass - or plastic in your case.

The poster who asked the question has never grown tomatoes before, trying to manage 30 plants your first year is taking on an awful lot when you don't know anything (presumably) about managing the plants as they grow.

Better to succeed with 2 or 3 plants than fail with 30.

I live in the SE corner,near the sea, never had blight here. Grandkids other grandparents live 25 miles away, only grow blight resistant variety and in the greenhouse. They'll have to be grown in pots this year, because I've overwintered onions and garlic in 3 beds, the other beds are going to be spuds, first, second early,main crop. They are easier in the ground,no feeding or watering required, lucky because we had a 6 month hose pipe ban. Just removal of side shoots.

I sowed 3 of each variety just today. Any extra plants I get, I'll give away to friends, family, neighbours etc. I've also offered them on nextdoor.com or olio a few times.

I generally grow too many though and still have frozen tomato puree and chutneys I'm getting through from last year.

I can't decide if I'm going to do any this year. I only ever get a couple of tomatoes, which sometimes don't even ripen. They need a lot of water and don't really give anything back!

When I lived in the south East with a very sunny greenhouse, my tomato plants were huge and full of tomatoes. Now I live further north, and greenhouse gets much less sun, the plants are much smaller. I grow about 12-15 now (but I hate to throw the weaker ones away!)
So the answer may depend on your location and amount of sun.

@Chuffingcupboardwow that’s an amazing harvest!

@Shedmistressthat must have been so disheartening, all that work for them to fail!

@TonTonMacoutethe majority of whatever I plant are going to be outside as I’ve only so much space under plastic, and they’re indeterminate heirlooms which can be finicky I think. So I was thinking they might suffer from blight, issues, and wondering how much realistically to oversow to get a decent crop

@january1244 I love the idea of heritage varieties too, and last year even bought the seeds from a local nursery. The results were so disappointing, it's back to the tried and tested, big name, idiot proof varieties this year.

The tomatoes did okay but the best variety was destroyed by slugs before they could ripen, I got one cucumber and only two or three courgettes.

Depends how old the seeds are I tend to run each packet for several years and sow a few of several varieties. This year were mainly new seeds ( a collection of more colourful varieties) and I sowed about four of each wanting one or two of each, mostly 2 or 3 have germinated, one type only one, so I have plenty. The ones I don't pot on for the greenhouse I'll keep as spares for a while just in case, and if I'm energetic I may put a few in the garden.

For years I’ve sown a half seed tray each of four different varieties, keeping three plants of each and giving away the rest or donating to local plant sale fundraisers.

Every year without fail my family fight over the Sungold and leave the rest. So this year I’ve given up and just sown Sungold, aiming to keep about ten plants. That will leave space for a couple of cucumbers too.

I’ve had blight in the past and it’s awful. Months of care and nurturing and then losing the lot is devastating. I’m very careful about removing side shoots and lower leaves, and maximising air flow now.

I’ve also lost the lot to scorch when the weather has turned too hot too early, so I’m very on the case with shade fabric too.

@TonTonMacouteah no! Doesn’t bode well, as I’ve bought all heirloom heritage organic seeds of everything for my whole veg garden. And I’m a beginner too 🙈

I've sown 6 seeds of a bush tomato....all have germinated..hoping to grow in pots on patio

I'm a beginner

Don't despair, last summer was extremely challenging with the extended dryness and heat, or maybe I'm just a crap gardener 🤷‍♀️

It's not too late to buy a packet of a more standard variety to have as a back up. Keep us posted!

@TonTonMacoutei highly doubt you’re crap!

Hmm I went to look at my covered spinach and it’s been eaten by slugs. As have some of my peas 😫Have now used straw, coffee ground and egg shells to repel them from the rest, but it’s not looking too promising 😂