Supporting Hundreds of Tomato Plants

[CricketsGarden]

An outdoor support system using T post and clothes line wire.

[CricketsGarden]

Use same method rather you grow in the ground or in the greenhouse.

[Polar_Lace]

Oh, hi Cricket; good to see you again!!

I'm glad you showed up!!

~* Robin

[CricketsGarden]

ending results of growing in the ground, grown in greenhouse

[CricketsGarden]

Hey Robin. How are ya?

Im just lurking around and decided to throw in my 2 cents worth. Since I have a thousand photos of tomatoes just resting in my computer begging to be used.

[CricketsGarden]

The question was how to support hundreds of tomato plants.

I guess my question is how are you wanting to train each plant? Single Vine, Or let it go freely?

When I let my plants grow freely, Nothing is better than a Reinforcement Wire Cage. It is expensive.

I am letting some of my grounds sit unused for a couple of years--------meanwhile I am growing some tomato plants in 25 gallon pots with the reinforcement wire cages.

Some clothes line method systems are just that.
Some are made with 4x4 post, and a top rail of 2x4s and tomatoes are tied to the 2x4s. Other just use clothes line wire instead of 2x4 lumber.
Tie twine to base of plant just under a leaf , run twine up to the clothes line wire----or 2x4 . As the plant grows you wrap the vine around the twine. WhaLA

[Polar_Lace]

Oh that's so good of you, Cricket I really appreciate your photos. They make me drool, all those tomato plants!! I guess you showed up in the nick of time!!

I like the way you have things set up at your new place. I hope to see more of you around.

You see I've moved to Texas now. Gonna have some tomato fun!

Take Care,

~* Robin

[swimgymmom]

I'm a newbie to this site but thought I would throw my 2 cents in.

Last year I grew between 80-100 tomato plants. That was the most I had ever grown at one time. I staked as many as I could with about anything I could find and borrowed some cages from my father-in-law. The rest (about 10) I let sprawl on the ground. I thought I would loose many of the tomatoes due to them laying on the ground with nothing under them but I really had no problems.

I found that they did just as well as other tomatoes and really had less weeds to deal with since the ground was covered as a sort of mulch with the plant.

I think I might give this a chance with all of my plants this year to see what happens.

Kim

[Sherry_AK]

I like the dangling string method myself. I use it in con★★★★★★★★ with plastic tomato clips, which I think are just about the handiest thing invented. They are inexpensive and can be reused for many years. I'm sure some of mine are at least 8 years old. I also use them on bamboo stakes before the plants are moved to the greenhouse.

(Disregard the notes on the photo of the greenhouse. I had marked it up for another reason and was too lazy to look for the original photo again!)

[Bama mater]

Originally Posted by robin303

This was asked last year and I might need some help here but it was the way they do it in Florida. Florida weave maybe.

Below Florida Weave Steps

] Steps

1. Carefully hammer your stakes into the ground, with two plants between each stake. The stakes should be as straight and vertical as possible, and should be in line with the plants. Make sure the stakes are at least 6” in the ground. The stakes should not wiggle.
2. Hammer two stakes together at the ends of the rows for extra reinforcement.
3. Tie the end of the string to the stake at the end of the row about 8” off the ground.
4. Carefully bring the string in front of the first plant next to the stake, then behind the second plant.
5. Pull the string tight and loop it around the next stake once.
6. Proceed to the next set of plants, repeating steps 4 and 5, keeping the string parallel to the ground.
   • Note that when you have reached the end of the row, loop the string around the end stake twice, and work your way back down the other side of the plants, putting the string on the side of the plant that doesn’t already have a string. The two strings should cross half-way between each pair of stakes. Don’t pull this side too tight, or you’ll break the plants.
7. Return to the starting end, tie off and then cut your twine. You are now ready for your next row(s).

[edit] Tips

• The time to string tomatoes is after they are at least 10”, but while they are still under 20”. If you do it too soon, you are wasting your time and string, and if you wait too late, you will break more plants than you are helping.
• Before you begin, the plants should be in rows, should be about 18” apart, and should be well watered to minimize root damage and so that the stakes will go in easier.
• When the plants are tall enough, you will have to string another row, about 8-10 inches above the previous row, until either the plants stop growing or the plants are taller than the stakes.

[BR]

In the pictures where tomatoes are supported from above with a string how do you attach the string to the plant? Do you tie it off to the base of the plant?

[dice]

In the pictures where tomatoes are supported from above with a string how do you attach the string to the plant? Do you tie it off to the base of the plant?

(On the chance that none of the original posters may see this
right away....)

Yes, you just loop it around the main stem down low, below
a sturdy leaf coming off of the main stem, and tie a knot that
will not slip, like a bowline knot (so that it does not tighten
up and constrict the stem as the plant gets bigger and puts
more weight on the string).

[BR]

Thanks... Dice!

[Sherry_AK]

I use plastic tomato clips ... not loops and knots. But I don't know if the question was for me or not.

[HoboCabbage]

The greenhouse i am working in currently houses 4000 Beefsteak tomato plants. 200 plants per row 20 rows. The plants are wrapped or clipped along strings that are hooked on to a cable at the top of the greenhouse that runs parallel to the rows. This will support and hold the plant vertically as it grows and you train it. You prune off all lateral chutes (suckers) and prune to the desired fruit set (3-5 for beefsteaks). This allows all tomatoes to grow out of the terminal stalk where it arguable produces the largest and sweetest tomatoes. When the plants reach the top of where they are suspended from, you let a little bit of string out so the plant falls down a bit, and then you lean it to the side, eventually it will be leaning almost horizontally and will have to wrap around the end of the row and continue on the other way. If you were to stand one of our plants straight up, it will be about 20 feet tall :O.