How Many Tomato Plants for Canning?

Home canning is an enjoyable way to preserve the taste of summer tomatoes all year round. One question often asked by gardeners who want to start canning is how many tomato plants are needed for canning. The answer depends on several factors, such as the size of your garden, the type of tomato plant, and your personal canning needs.

Garden size and layout

The size of your garden and the layout of your tomato plants play a big role in determining how many tomato plants you need for canning. As a general rule of thumb, one healthy tomato plant produces around 25 to 30 pounds of tomatoes each season. This means that if you want to can around 50 to 60 pounds of tomatoes, you will need two healthy tomato plants in your garden.

However, if you have a small garden space or don't want to plant too many tomato plants, you can still do some canning with just one or two plants. You can adjust your canning goals to fit your garden size by canning fewer jars or making different tomato-based products, such as salsa or tomato sauce.

Type of tomato plant

The type of tomato plant you choose also affects the number of plants you need for canning. Determinate tomato plants produce their entire crop of tomatoes at once, usually over a period of two to three weeks. These plants are ideal for canning because you can harvest all the tomatoes and process them together. Indeterminate tomato plants, on the other hand, produce tomatoes throughout the growing season, making it more difficult to harvest all the tomatoes at once. As a result, you may need more indeterminate tomato plants to reach your canning goals.

Another factor to consider is the size of the plant. Dwarf tomato plants, such as cherry tomatoes, produce smaller tomatoes but in larger numbers. A few dwarf plants can produce as much as several large tomato plants, making them a great choice if you have limited space.

Canning needs

Your personal canning needs also play a role in determining how many tomato plants you need. Do you want to can several jars of tomato sauce, or do you want to can enough tomatoes to last you a whole year? The more canning you plan to do, the more tomato plants you will need.

In addition, the number of jars you can fill with each batch of tomatoes depends on the type of canning method you use. For example, a water bath canner can process up to seven quart-sized jars at once, while a pressure canner can process up to nine quart-sized jars. Knowing the capacity of your canning equipment can help you determine how many tomato plants to grow.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, determining how many tomato plants you need for canning depends on several factors. A general rule of thumb is to plant one or two healthy tomato plants per person to provide enough tomatoes for canning. However, you can adjust your canning goals and methods to fit the size of your garden and personal needs. Whichever option you choose, growing your own tomatoes and preserving them through canning is a rewarding experience that provides delicious food for your family all year long.