Supporting Hundreds of Tomato Plants

[Jimche]

Originally Posted by Polar_Lace

This picture: http://sustainable-gardening.subto.u...vertically.gif

This Page, scroll down and read the page: http://sustainable-gardening.subto.us/tip/tomatoes.html

Better View: http://www.growingtomatoes.info/wp-c...00-7-15-04.jpg

Food for Every One Foundation, Jim Kennard, does the Mittleider Method. Please scroll down and read the page:
http://www.growingtomatoes.info/

~* Robin

Robin, I like those T Frames. Going vertical allows about twice as many plants in an area. Some work needed up front, but you only get what you put in. Thanks again for the great references. Jim

[Suze]

For a lot of plants + cost efficient, things that come to mind include Florida Weave, or maybe Cattle Panel or hortonova mesh supported every few feet with stakes.

[TZ-OH6]

A 300ft roll of livestock fencing costs about $100 here, and you can make long trellises (trelli?) (think many many cattle panels end to end). I sink in T posts and then cable tie on wooden 2x2s for added height so the bottom of the fence is about 1.5 ft up and the top is at around 6'. The small plants usually don't need support until they are high enough to tie onto the trellis, but if they do a drop string can be used. The fence does not need to be under tension the way it would if it were a "fence", it just needs to be hung up on the row of posts.

Probably not an option for a large operation, but might be good for a large garden. I have this setup running alongside the house and barn.

[robin303]

http://www.perrysgreenhouse.com/vbfo...read.php?t=544

[carolyn137]

I know folks are suggesting all sorts of ways to grow them, but for many years I grew 500-800 plants each summer just by sprawling them, with no problems at all. No way could I have had the time to do otherwise and it sure is a cheap way to go but you have to have the space.

My rows were about 250 ft long and plants within the rows were 3-4 ft apart and there was 5 ft between rows.

Most years a commercial friend would cultivate between the rows and that helped a lot.

No, I had no significant problems that I wouldn't have seen otherwise in terms of diseases, mainly foliage diseases, and I had grown plants in cages before.

And no, I had no significant loss due to fruits touching the ground and rotting. Until someone actually grows plants by sprawling they don't realize that the majority of fruits nestle in the low foliage.

And no I didn't have any slug problems either.

You're in NJ and should be able to do what I and many others do when growing hundreds of plants. Actually all of the commercial growers here in my part of the country, that I know, only grow their tomatoes by sprawling.

[dcarch]

Check this out:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...449#post127449

dcarch

[kevokie]

Originally Posted by robin303

http://www.perrysgreenhouse.com/vbfo...read.php?t=544

I know this is off topic and I apologize for that, so here goes.

Great! Another gardening forum to indulge in! Woot! My wife says "gee thanks".

[Polar_Lace]

Robin,

You have to be a member there to read that post!

~* Robin

[kevokie]

Yes, I signed up. hahaha

[dice]

Here is a leaning trellis system:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avllesarah/2118108107/

The mesh is supported on horizontal wires that run between
the posts, and pairs of posts are attached at the top with
bailing wire.

[Jimche]

Originally Posted by dcarch

Check this out:

http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...449#post127449

dcarch

I did see that, dcharch, and it looks interesting. Thanks for the good idea. I'm looking for the impossible, I guess. No effort, little cost, great results. As the engineers say, Better, Faster, Cheaper...Pick Two. I want all three, but may not get it

[Jimche]

Originally Posted by dice

Here is a leaning trellises:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avllesarah/2118108107/

The mesh is supported on horizontal wires that run between
the posts, and pairs of posts are attached at the top with
bailing wire.

Thanks, Dice. As I think you noted on the other message thread, you'd need a little person to harvest the tomatoes under the A frame.

[Jimche]

Carolyn,

Thanks for your insights...economic reasons suggest sprawling, but I've been against it for the reasons you debunked in your message. This is our first year growing lots of plants (about 500). Previously we did about 30-50, and so could keep up with tying and re-tying to the stakes as they grew. Probably will have to abandon that this year, as this is still a hobby and there won't be enough time. So sprawling may be our best option.

I did notice in your very nice book, that your plants are allowed to sprawl. Though you note here that there is no sun scald with sprawling, what about when the tomatoes contact plastic mulch (perhaps that is what you were referring to)? Also, is there likely to be any difference in yield between sprawling and staking and cages as employed by most people (not the multi-stage cage towers)?

Regards,

Jim

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I know folks are suggesting all sorts of ways to grow them, but for many years I grew 500-800 plants each summer just by sprawling them, with no problems at all. No way could I have had the time to do otherwise and it sure is a cheap way to go but you have to have the space.

My rows were about 250 ft long and plants within the rows were 3-4 ft apart and there was 5 ft between rows.

Most years a commercial friend would cultivate between the rows and that helped a lot.

No, I had no significant problems that I wouldn't have seen otherwise in terms of diseases, mainly foliage diseases, and I had grown plants in cages before.

And no, I had no significant loss due to fruits touching the ground and rotting. Until someone actually grows plants by sprawling they don't realize that the majority of fruits nestle in the low foliage.

And no I didn't have any slug problems either.

You're in NJ and should be able to do what I and many others do when growing hundreds of plants. Actually all of the commercial growers here in my part of the country, that I know, only grow their tomatoes by sprawling.

[the999bbq]

I'm pretty sure "the strings from above" technique is the final technique for supporting my plants, it is at least the easiest I've used so far (and I went through most of them : spirals, tie and sticks, tie and cages,...). There is no knotting involved here you just sweep the growing plant around the string (inverse spiral). The tomato is 'hanging in the rope' (like a bad boxer) but since the rope is spiraling it doesn't harm the plant. I tend to use a double string per plant starting from bottom of plant, over the top support down again ending the string in a knot on the other half below; this way you can lower the plant somewhat when it outgrows your greenhouse for instance (you just slide the knot up, lengthening the string - the tomato keeps hanging on to the string, hardly knows it is moved).

Really, "throwing" the top growth around the string is the easiest of techniques I've seen ...

[CricketsGarden]

I support hundreds of vines. Each plant is a single vine.
YOu can use the clothes line method to support hundreds of plants. Or put post in ground every 8 feet and run clothes line wire from post to post and tie each plant vine up to the clothes line wire. If the clothes line wire is not sturdy enough, use chain link fence top rails.