Tomato Plant Support Methods

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by frankcar1965

Ok I'm not understanding lean and lower, can someone explain it? In the past with the strings I just trained them along the top string, with the wire it should be easier at least as long as they last.

This is my first year so I am not experienced.
But there is a difference between "simple stringing" and "stringing & lowering".
In the latter method, first you got to prune to a single stem to be workable.
So when the top of stem reaches the horizontal support ( about that height ), you loosen the string and let the stem come down and rest on the ground, depending how much you lower it. Then you tighten up the string back up on the horizontal support.
The horizontal support is usually about 6ft tall so an average person can work on it without aneed for a step ladder. But we know that a indeterminate plant, pruned to a single stem, can/may grow 20ft tall in the season (maybe more, depending on the length of season and the variety ). So as the plant grows vine-like, you pick the ripe fruits from the lower part, trim all the leaves up to and above the remaining unripe fruits.
That is how they do it in commercial greenhouses. But their top supporting line can be high as they use a mobile ladder to to do the job.