They're Bbustin' Loose

Kenyadenola · July 16, 2006

Since I decided to some plants away from the main garden I had to be inventive in terms of supporting them. I didn't just want to stake because I didn't want to have be diligent about pruning, so I decided to support them by making a box cage for six of them out of the long green garden poles you can get in the nursery section at HD. so far it has worked great, but I had two that were at awkward angles and couldn't be included in the box. One was a determinate so I decided to put the old square folding cage around it. I figured it wouldn't get to big and I just didn't want to let it sprawl. Well now all 3 feet of it has gone crazy and is bustin' loose, but it is loaded with tomatoes.

That one is not as crazy as it's neighbor, the Black Pear. I decided to put one of the tall cylindrical cages(the hated kind) around it. I knew it was an indeterminate, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Sometimes you get a indeterminate that doesn't get very tall, what's the worse that could happen right?

Well, it is now about 2 feet over it's 5 foot cage and getting ready to start it's journey back to the ground and it's loaded with tomatoes!!

Any one have any ideas on how I can support this plant. It has not been pruned at all, an is a monster. Now that the story has been told, here is my idea for support, please tell me what you think. I want to pound a stake in the ground and attach CRM about 3 feet or so off the ground and wrapp it around the plant. In theory that doesn't sound bad, but then I started thinking about the roots and what damage might occur by pounding the stake in the ground. I also thought that once I wrap the plant I could cut the original cage off an let the plant enjoy it's new tall roomy home.

What do you guy's think, will I do more harm than good by pounding in the stake? If I won't, would it be okay to cut it's original cage away once the new one is around it?

If I shouldn't pound the stake into the ground, what should I do to help this plant. I'm in California so my growing season is long from over and this plant has about 15 toms so far that have not ripened and a bunch of little growing ones, with more flowers loading up.

Any advise is very welcome except for the comments about how I shouldn't have put the cage around it in the first place. Now I know whay I had those cages stashed in a corner where I never have to look at them.

I'm a little worried about the determinate, but if I figure out how to solve the big plants problem, I'll be able to solve the little ones problem.

Thanks for taking the time to read my very winded post!!

Kenya

dcarch · July 16, 2006

Welcome to the forum.
Have you done a "search" here ?

Trellis, stakes, staking, cage, etc?

You will find many posts.

dcarch

Kenyadenola · July 16, 2006

Have YOU done a search on staking,and the such? There are so many posts it is almost impossible to find an answer. I am new to this forum but have been on GW for a while and know all about the various ways to support a plant. I was just asking for an opinion on wether any one thought I would damage my plants. I usually would never stake a plant this late in the game, so this is all new to me. I'm not asking how to stake it, I was asking about the stake itself.

Thank you for you suggestion though. I appreciate it.

Kenya

dcarch · July 16, 2006

I have stakes that are 10 foot tall.

I don't think driving stakes can do noticeable damage to roots. I think tomatoes have extensive root system, and also tomatoes grow new roots like crazy.

Trees tend to graft their roots to each other underground. I don't know if tomatoes do the same.

dcarch

QAGuy · July 16, 2006

Since tomato roots extend up to 2 1/2 feet out from the
main stem and go very deep, I don't believe one small
stake (relatively speaking) would irreparably damage your plants.

And I wouldn't cut away the old cage. Who knows what
might happen when the existing support is removed.
You might get a general collapse and end up worse than
when you started.

**Lee** · July 16, 2006

I concur with QAguy. 1 or 2 stakes shouldn't harm the plant
too much if at all. Plus it sounds as if they'll be far out from
the base of the plant.....

It probably also wouldn't hurt to do nothing..... the branches
will just overflow back to the ground, but shouldn't be a
problem as long as the tomatoes don't rest on the
bare ground.

Lee

Earl · July 16, 2006

I wouldn't worry about supporting those branches. Just let them flop over and make fruit. I think that those which escape the cage do quiet well, even as good or better than those inside.

pooklette · July 17, 2006

Last year DH and I had to do a little bit of mid-season emergency 'restaking' in our garden and it worked out all right. Our original stakes buckled and cracked from a combination of bad weather and heavy plants loaded down with tomatoes. We pounded in new stakes (one per plant) maybe 12" from the base of the plant and then just crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. The plants didn't seem to mind the disturbance. They went on growing and producing tomatoes like nothing had changed.

Megan

Kenyadenola · July 17, 2006

Thanks for replies everyone!! I just wanted to make sure, you work so hard to help your plants along, that I hate to do something catastrophic for something that at best is such a minor issue.

I think I may go with the idea of just letting it grow. That way I will know what happens and can file it away for another year.

Kenyadenola · July 20, 2006

I swear these plants can understand english. Tuesday I was standing next to the plant that needed to be staked, telling my husband that I needed his help putting the stake in and that after that we would tie the cage down so it wouldn't fall. I told him that it wasn't a hurry and that we could do it tomorrow (Wednesday).

After running around doing errands yesterday, I cam home and was fixing my kids lunch, when I looked out the window and noticed something was missing. The plant had decided to take a nap, lying down. Luckily not much damage was done, and we picked it up and staked it and tied it down.

Now the question is, would the plant had fallen down if I hadn't stood right next to it and said it wasn't a hurry?

July 16, 2006	#1
Kenyadenola Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 35	They're Bbustin' Loose Since I decided to some plants away from the main garden I had to be inventive in terms of supporting them. I didn't just want to stake because I didn't want to have be diligent about pruning, so I decided to support them by making a box cage for six of them out of the long green garden poles you can get in the nursery section at HD. so far it has worked great, but I had two that were at awkward angles and couldn't be included in the box. One was a determinate so I decided to put the old square folding cage around it. I figured it wouldn't get to big and I just didn't want to let it sprawl. Well now all 3 feet of it has gone crazy and is bustin' loose, but it is loaded with tomatoes. That one is not as crazy as it's neighbor, the Black Pear. I decided to put one of the tall cylindrical cages(the hated kind) around it. I knew it was an indeterminate, but I figured I'd give it a shot. Sometimes you get a indeterminate that doesn't get very tall, what's the worse that could happen right? Well, it is now about 2 feet over it's 5 foot cage and getting ready to start it's journey back to the ground and it's loaded with tomatoes!! Any one have any ideas on how I can support this plant. It has not been pruned at all, an is a monster. Now that the story has been told, here is my idea for support, please tell me what you think. I want to pound a stake in the ground and attach CRM about 3 feet or so off the ground and wrapp it around the plant. In theory that doesn't sound bad, but then I started thinking about the roots and what damage might occur by pounding the stake in the ground. I also thought that once I wrap the plant I could cut the original cage off an let the plant enjoy it's new tall roomy home. What do you guy's think, will I do more harm than good by pounding in the stake? If I won't, would it be okay to cut it's original cage away once the new one is around it? If I shouldn't pound the stake into the ground, what should I do to help this plant. I'm in California so my growing season is long from over and this plant has about 15 toms so far that have not ripened and a bunch of little growing ones, with more flowers loading up. Any advise is very welcome except for the comments about how I shouldn't have put the cage around it in the first place. Now I know whay I had those cages stashed in a corner where I never have to look at them. I'm a little worried about the determinate, but if I figure out how to solve the big plants problem, I'll be able to solve the little ones problem. Thanks for taking the time to read my very winded post!! Kenya

July 16, 2006	#5
QAGuy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Glendora, CA Posts: 167	Since tomato roots extend up to 2 1/2 feet out from the main stem and go very deep, I don't believe one small stake (relatively speaking) would irreparably damage your plants. And I wouldn't cut away the old cage. Who knows what might happen when the existing support is removed. You might get a general collapse and end up worse than when you started. __________________ "We have met the enemy and he is us" - Pogo

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July 16, 2006	#2
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	Welcome to the forum. Have you done a "search" here ? Trellis, stakes, staking, cage, etc? You will find many posts. dcarch

July 16, 2006	#6
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	I concur with QAguy. 1 or 2 stakes shouldn't harm the plant too much if at all. Plus it sounds as if they'll be far out from the base of the plant..... It probably also wouldn't hurt to do nothing..... the branches will just overflow back to the ground, but shouldn't be a problem as long as the tomatoes don't rest on the bare ground. Lee

July 16, 2006	#7
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	I wouldn't worry about supporting those branches. Just let them flop over and make fruit. I think that those which escape the cage do quiet well, even as good or better than those inside.

July 17, 2006	#8
pooklette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Zone 5 Posts: 262	Last year DH and I had to do a little bit of mid-season emergency 'restaking' in our garden and it worked out all right. Our original stakes buckled and cracked from a combination of bad weather and heavy plants loaded down with tomatoes. We pounded in new stakes (one per plant) maybe 12" from the base of the plant and then just crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. The plants didn't seem to mind the disturbance. They went on growing and producing tomatoes like nothing had changed. Megan

July 20, 2006	#10
Kenyadenola Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 35	I swear these plants can understand english. Tuesday I was standing next to the plant that needed to be staked, telling my husband that I needed his help putting the stake in and that after that we would tie the cage down so it wouldn't fall. I told him that it wasn't a hurry and that we could do it tomorrow (Wednesday). After running around doing errands yesterday, I cam home and was fixing my kids lunch, when I looked out the window and noticed something was missing. The plant had decided to take a nap, lying down. Luckily not much damage was done, and we picked it up and staked it and tied it down. Now the question is, would the plant had fallen down if I hadn't stood right next to it and said it wasn't a hurry?