Lesson learned with tomato clips

[Jaysan]

Saw these on you tube and decided to give them a try. The you tube guy was just clipping them around the stem and a wire.
Thought that looks easy.
Got them. No directions. You know guys, no problem. Clip them around the string I was using and the stem and good to go.
That is until I had a main stem crack and collapse today from the weight of the tomatoes. Ack!

Got out the rope and started tying up maters. ugh. Did them all so it wouldn't happen again.

Came inside and googled it to see if anyone else had that problem.

Found a you tube vid of a lady doing cucumbers.
She said they were made so the hinge clipped onto the string, fixing it in place so the clip would not slide on the string.
Checked mine.
So THAT'S how they work.
D-U-H

[johnnytwofingers]

Whoa that sucks.

Do you have a link to where you bought them? It takes me forever to tie with strings so any gadget that makes it easier is a must have for me.

[kath]

Johnny's Selected Seeds sells tomato clips in bulk.

[RayR]

Tomato clips are awesome for Florida weave or any kind of string trellising as long as you are using thin string since the hinge of the clip is designed for it, preferably nylon because of it's strength and it won't decay.
Holds the main stem of the plant rock solid and you can train your unruly branches upward, plus you can remove them easily and reposition them as needed.

[Sherry_AK]

I've used clips for many years and love, love, love them. This year for the first time I also ordered some plastic S hooks for supporting tomato trusses. I'd seen them before and thought, well that's silly, but on a lark I ordered a pack. They work pretty well too and I wish I'd ordered more.

Sherry

[kurt]

I use them alot.If you clip just one part of the hinged grabbing mechanism you can clip in a 45 degree angle to accomadate.This works good on the horizontal application of line.They also come in colors.I have brown ones but are hard to spot during take down.Best to clip at Y ★★★★★★★★s so you do not get wind slip abrasions.

[Jaysan]

I think I did get mine at Johnny's.

[Farmette]

What are the applications for tomato clips? Can one use them if they are growing tomatoes (2 or # main branches) that are trellised on CRW fencing or are they mainly for those plants pruned to a single stem with a string drawn vertically along it and attaching to a pole.

[Jaysan]

I am using them with two strings on plants pruned to two stems, in containers and a raised bed. I have rebar/conduit frames going over the plants.

If a plant is not pruned at all they may be more trouble than using a cage because it would take quite a few clips for one plant.

[kath]

Originally Posted by Farmette

What are the applications for tomato clips? Can one use them if they are growing tomatoes (2 or # main branches) that are trellised on CRW fencing or are they mainly for those plants pruned to a single stem with a string drawn vertically along it and attaching to a pole.

I use them for lots of things: holding asparagus fronds upright, helping curcurbits climb trelllises, attaching tomatoes to cattle panel, attaching tomato vines to the outside of cages when the escape and grow too long for me to fit them back inside, etc. I even used them to connect two horizontal lengths of wire, twine, etc. that are used to keep peas, potato plants, etc. from billowing, falling over, getting too far into an aisle,...