Which is better: Weave or Overhead

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Have a small garden with a single row of 14 tomatoes down one side. Accessible from the front only as the fencing is on the other side. For years, I've used tomato cages from Gardener's that I stack on top of each other. This year I want to try something different.

Option 1: would be a Florida weave using metal t-posts. I would run twine down the back side and then fill in the front as the plants grow.

Option 2: saw this hear and it is dropping twine from above and weaving the plant around the twine or the twine around the plant.

I grow mainly indeterminates. I don't typically prune. My plants usually grow up, over and down my cages so I would expect the same if I use the Weave method.

Any preference, pros/cons of either method? any helpful hints on someone coming from cages?

Thank you!

[ChrisK]

I love the weave method, but I'm not sure how easy it would be if you only have front access. I use those $1.97 landscape timbers buried 2 ft into the ground giving me 6 feet vertical. End posts are angled out to help with the weight. I use the inexpensive sisal twine so the whole mess can be put in the yard waste bin.

yes, I get much overgrowth of that 6 feet. I sometimes get cherry toms that grow up, then cascade down and eventually make it to the top again, so 18' of growth. By the end of the season it's a jungle.

Give it a try on a couple of plants, see how you like it.

[snippits]

Weave will work on indeterminate tomatoes because I have done it. But I did have a couple problems. First was that I had tons of Big Beef tomatoes that had set, and the plant tried to collapse inward even though the outer part was supported very good. Second was if you get a strong thunder storm with heavy winds that is in a line straight with the row it can and will cause the plants to topple like dominoes. I had two Cherokee Purples at the end of the row that had been toppled together, and it was one ugly mess.

For those two reasons above, I just stick to cages for indeterminate, and weave the determinates.

[heirloomtomaguy]

I too use the weave. If you pre string all of the fence side you will be fine. I like using only 7 ft T posts. Its more expensive but i scored mine on a price match at home depot for 3.29 a piece. I tried sisal but it sags to much. I use 10 pound braided nylon string line. It does not sag and can be pulled super tight if you want it. Oh and most people set posts every two plants but mine are every third with no lack of support.

[b54red]

It is almost a requirement if you use drop lines and weave them around the plant to do some pruning so I think the Florida Weave would be easier for you to use. I am using the drop lines and it is really easy with the single stem plants but much more difficult as you add more stems. The maximum number of stems that I am allowing on any plant is 3 and I now wish I had kept them to two stems.

Square bale twine is cheap and very strong without any sag. It is available at most farm or tractor supply dealers. It is thick enough to not cut into the plants too bad and you will get enough in one roll to last a very long time.

Bill

[Redbaron]

Here is the thing. Weave was designed as a labor and material saving method by commercial growers in Florida... Hard to beat it in that context. But other methods could be better for a small garden such as what you describe. Overhead was designed by greenhouse growers with limited space and needing the highest productivity possible for that space. Hard to beat overhead in that context. What would be better for you? Depends on you more than anything else.

If you want to have the easiest, I would go with the Florida weave and put the twine all at once all the way up the poles. (every foot or so +/-) Then as the plants grow, just weave them in. Side shoots since you don't sucker will be lower, but again, once they become long enough, weave them in too. For me that's the easiest. Not necessarily the best, but easy and good enough.

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Thank you!

I will try the Florida Weave this summer and report back at the end of the season if I remember.

[newatthiskat]

I am doing cages, overhead, sprawl, and weave this year. All because of where I have to plant my plants and sprawl is because I have no more money and had way too many plants that I hate to just throw away. The cage is ideal for busy life and no pruning. weave is a little more intensive as you have to go in and string them up as they grow and they do not grow at the same speed. What I have been finding with overhead is that pruning is getting way ahead of me. I am trying to keep to one vine and before I know it I was sick and the plants got away from me and I have forking and all kinds of weird bends. Still doing my best to keep those unruly plants tied up overhead.

[Douglas14]

I do the weave, with a non-stretching twine. Three plants between T-posts.

[ChrisK]

Top is a short row of weave I put in yesterday. Bottom is longer row. I've tried three plants between posts and with the twine I choose it does not work well.

Foreground plants are some of my new dwarfs so will only get stakes.

[snippits]

If I am doing indeterminate tomatoes, I only do two plants between each t-post. I also drive a t-post at an angle away from the row about two foot deep to anchor the weave. Then I use galvanized wire to tie the end t-posts to the anchor t-posts.

End of last season the anchored t-post on one end of the row was just about straight even though I drove it in at an angle. Without those t-post anchored at an angle on each end of the weaved row, I would have had a big mess.

[snippits]

@ChrisK

Very nice looking weaved row you got there!

[CrazyAboutOrchids]

Nice looking garden there ChrisK - thank you for the pictures. I shared them with hubby.

We are doing the weave. I had bought t-posts from HD but they are going back and hubby will be putting in conduit as he feels more comfortable being able to attach them to the sides of the raised beds, plus conduit is much cheaper. I had bought tons of rope as well, going back because I ordered a huge spool of twine based on a post here. Can garden for years on the 20 some odd dollars it cost me for the spool versus the 100 I spent on the rope. Yeah!

If I remember, I will post pics when all is up. Thanks, yet again, for the great help available in this forum!

[Tormato]

Whatever method you decide, it's probably best to increase the amount of your effort on the back side. It sounds like if a problem comes up, you won't be able to get to it.

Gary