PLEASE HELP WITH LONG VINES

sandrina2 · July 16, 2011

My tomatoes have just reached the top of their 5' stakes. This is when I usually start to pinch out the tops. However, this year the trusses have been very late in forming, so if I start pinching now, I'll only get a few tomatoes. Any ideas of how I can support the long vines so I can get more trusses? I have about 12 or so plants in tubs. (first frost here early in October)

Sandrina2 in Connecticut

delltraveller · July 16, 2011

Let them droop over and tie them to the stakes on the way down as you did on the way up?

amideutch · July 16, 2011

Get yourself some Tie Wraps and use them to attach another stake on your existing stakes. I do it all the time even when my plants outgrow the cages I Tie Wrap a pole directly to the cage and secure the plant to the new pole. Ami

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...u=SPM684351401

sandrina2 · July 17, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by delltraveller

Let them droop over and tie them to the stakes on the way down as you did on the way up?

I'll try that and see how it works! Thanks
sandrina2

sandrina2 · July 17, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideutch

Get yourself some Tie Wraps and use them to attach another stake on your existing stakes. I do it all the time even when my plants outgrow the cages I Tie Wrap a pole directly to the cage and secure the plant to the new pole. Ami

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...u=SPM684351401

I clicked on the Sears site for the tie wraps, and when I saw the picture of them, I realized I already have some in the garage! I'll see if I can manage to tie another stake to the one in the planter. Then I'll have to use a step stool to reach the vines as they grow! LOL

sandrina2

travis · July 17, 2011

Strip the lower leaves and side shoots off the main stem up to the point where the blossoms are setting, and very carefully lower the vines down so the producing area of the vines are re-tied to the stakes at a lower level. You may have to do this little by litte, day by day, to avoild cracking the main stem.

If you do this carefully, you will not break the main stem. It may take two people to accomplish this task. Just do it carefully one vine at a time and see if you can do it. This is how it's done in greenhouses, except it's done on a frequent basis and the stripped bare main stems are looped at the base of the plant line a coiled rope.

sandrina2 · July 17, 2011

"the stripped bare main stems are looped at the base of the plant like a coiled rope. "
V . . E . . R . .Y interesting; I'd like to see a photo of that - the coiled stem at the base. Do they do that rather than start new plants?
sandrina2

travis · July 17, 2011

They are growing indeterminate greenhouse varieties. The support system is comprised of an overhead cable running the entire length of the hoophouse like a clothesline with individual drop cords for each vine. The vines are clipped to the drop lines.

As the vine grows, it produces fruit. As the fruit matures, the foliage below the lowest ripening cluster is stripped off and the vines is unclipped and lowered progressively. The spent foliage is disposed as there is no need for it, and the indeterminate growing tip is producing more and more all the time.

This is done because the height of the low tunnels dictates the maximum height a vine can grow and be efficiently tended since they are growing vines spaced closely side by side.

I just thought it might be a way you could manage your potted indeterminates with only 5 or 6 foot tall stakes. Maybe not.

sandrina2 · July 17, 2011

Well, I've got the ideal plant to try the coiling on. It's a Santa Sweet; it's lanky with a skinny stem and one truss near the top. I'm going to start work on it tomorrow.

b54red · July 18, 2011

One thing you can do which will extend your vines is to attach a bar across the top of the stakes connecting them together in a mini-trellis. I used to do this when I was staking tomatoes and it worked so well I just carried it to the next step and went with a trellis from the get go.

July 16, 2011	#1
sandrina2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 11	PLEASE HELP WITH LONG VINES My tomatoes have just reached the top of their 5' stakes. This is when I usually start to pinch out the tops. However, this year the trusses have been very late in forming, so if I start pinching now, I'll only get a few tomatoes. Any ideas of how I can support the long vines so I can get more trusses? I have about 12 or so plants in tubs. (first frost here early in October) Sandrina2 in Connecticut

July 16, 2011	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Get yourself some Tie Wraps and use them to attach another stake on your existing stakes. I do it all the time even when my plants outgrow the cages I Tie Wrap a pole directly to the cage and secure the plant to the new pole. Ami http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...u=SPM684351401 __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

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July 16, 2011	#2
delltraveller Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Iowa Posts: 481	Let them droop over and tie them to the stakes on the way down as you did on the way up?

July 17, 2011	#6
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Strip the lower leaves and side shoots off the main stem up to the point where the blossoms are setting, and very carefully lower the vines down so the producing area of the vines are re-tied to the stakes at a lower level. You may have to do this little by litte, day by day, to avoild cracking the main stem. If you do this carefully, you will not break the main stem. It may take two people to accomplish this task. Just do it carefully one vine at a time and see if you can do it. This is how it's done in greenhouses, except it's done on a frequent basis and the stripped bare main stems are looped at the base of the plant line a coiled rope.

July 18, 2011	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	One thing you can do which will extend your vines is to attach a bar across the top of the stakes connecting them together in a mini-trellis. I used to do this when I was staking tomatoes and it worked so well I just carried it to the next step and went with a trellis from the get go.