Stringing & Layering ...Questions & Answers

[Gardeneer]

Stringing & Layering ...Questions & Answers. I am going to support one, and possibly two rows ( about 12 plant each) by stringing and layering method. The tallest one in those rows are about 10" above the ground.Those are from my second batch , sowed on Feb 12th.

Now Question #One :
When do you drop the line and start the process ?
More questions to follow. Feel free to post your questiosn, addressing the experts here, like Bill, Mark, and others.

PS: The end posts are in place

[AlittleSalt]

Gardeneer, to help with your question -

How far apart are plants planted? Example: (Mine are 3' apart and the rows are 5' apart.)

Are you trimming them to one stem or some other way. Example: (Mine are only going to be trimmed as necessary including all branches near the ground.)

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Gardeneer, to help with your question -

How far apart are plants planted? Example: (Mine are 3' apart and the rows are 5' apart.)

Are you trimming them to one stem or some other way. Example: (Mine are only going to be trimmed as necessary including all branches near the ground.)

Robert,
The plants in one row are about 2ft apart and in the next row 30" apart .
The rows are about 30" apart.

Yeah, in order to lower and layer, got to trim to a single stem.
I might do the second row by JUST STRINGING , no lowering and layering. In this case I might keep more than one stem.

[b54red]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Robert,
The plants in one row are about 2ft apart and in the next row 30" apart .
The rows are about 30" apart.

Yeah, in order to lower and layer, got to trim to a single stem.
I might do the second row by JUST STRINGING , no lowering and layering. In this case I might keep more than one stem.

I like to start lowering just as the majority of the plants get near the top horizontal top bar or cable whatever you are using. It is easier to lower if you don't let them get above the support but not impossible although it does increase the risk of breaking the plant if too much is unsupported by a clip.

A good idea before lowering is to remove as much foliage as possible from the lowest part of the plant before lowering. Since my support is not quite 7 ft off the ground when I lower the first time I usually have some unripened fruit that will have to lay on the mulch when I lower. One way to reduce this problem is to start out with all the strings at a steep diagonal so the plant has much further to grow before it gets to the support at top.

You will be much better off to just keep everything to a single stem and then later when the plants are more mature you can let them go if you want and quit pruning. I do this frequently when I feel the plants have reached the point of diminishing returns for all that work. It will make a fairly big mess but if you let it start out like that you will have a huge mess to deal with and will end up dropping strings by the dozen to support all the stems.

Bill

[Gardeneer]

Thanks much, Bill.
I wanted basically to know when you start STRINGING. But I suppose it would depend on the plant height , winds, etc,

One More Question:
How do due secure the end of string (near ground ) when you just start doing it ? Do you tie it to a weight ? (brick, etc) ?

[Old chef]

Hello
To secure the string to the ground, I use 6in garden staples. I put them in at the same time I plant, so not to disturb roots

Old chef

[elight]

I'm also curious how folks support the string a the bottom. I am stringing (and potentially lowering) for the first time right now and found it difficult in the early going to get the strings to hang the way I wanted without any bottom support. I am in raised beds, so maybe just a cross-piece of string wound around nails on the sides, that the vertical string can tie to?

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[FarmerShawn]

I run a horizontal string on the ground, and use a clip at the base of the plant that captures the plant, the horizontal string, and clips to the vertical string.


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[garyjr]

Originally Posted by elight

I'm also curious how folks support the string a the bottom. I am stringing (and potentially lowering) for the first time right now and found it difficult in the early going to get the strings to hang the way I wanted without any bottom support. I am in raised beds, so maybe just a cross-piece of string wound around nails on the sides, that the vertical string can tie to?

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Last season I used the string method but did not have tomato clips so I drove an approx. 16" stake in the ground near the base of the plant, bore a 1" hole in it and tied the string to that. This year I ordered tomato clips so I just attach the lowest clip to the first multi-branch ★★★★★★★★. I don't see any reason to tie it down, but I could see in a high wind area that might be an issue.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by FarmerShawn

I run a horizontal string on the ground, and use a clip at the base of the plant that captures the plant, the horizontal string, and clips to the vertical string.


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Sounds like a simple solution.
I might also use some steel pipes that I have, as weight, on the ground to hold the string tight. Keep in mind that this is only needed in the early stage. Once the plant is several foot long, its weight should pull the string down. In addition to the clip you might want to give the string a few twist around the stem, now and then.
I will try this myself.

[b54red]

I just lay a piece of ten foot conduit on top of the mulch and use a single zip tie securing it to the verticals. This anchors the string quite well and the string can be cut loose from it later and the bar removed if you need it for something else.

Bill