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Staking Tomatos....
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Posted by davlyn SA Aust (My Page) on Fri, Aug 19, 05 at 0:14
Hello to all...
Can somebody tell me the best way to stake tomatos, I have been puting one stake at the end of each rowe and runing strings along at different hights, somebody said thet one for each plant was the way to go,I am setting up my beds now so it would be good to know how you tomato masters do it...
Thanks and have a good day all...
Dave.. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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| I like your method. I've tried individual stakes, string between stakes like you and cages. Cages are too much hassle. Some have used what's called a Florida weave. Basically, two stakes, plant tommies in a row between stakes, weave string from stake to stake, each side of the bushes as they grow. Never tried it myself but sounds good. I know someone who doesn't provide any kind of support, just lets them do their thing. Mind you she grows hundreds of plants so less is better for her as she does it on her own. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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| Yes Dave, I also have problems with staking. I think if you prune then you can stake/plant them closer but I always start off with good intentions then lose the plot and they go everywhere. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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Thanks for the replies, i think i may stay with the way i have been doing it, can you tell me more about Pruneing i have never seen that is it done just to keep them low or do you get more toms ???
Thanks again Dave... |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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You probably know that there are two forms of tomato plant - the bush and vining types, also called determinate and indeterminate. The determinate or bush types usually produce fruit on terminal buds so pruning them is probably not a good idea. You'd be pruning off future fruit! The indeterminate or vining types on the other hand produce fruit on lateral buds. These you can happily prune. Those who do prune (I don't unless the plant gets unruly), prune to four main stems or leaders.
Hope this helps.
Ray |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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Thanks for that Ray, I am a bit of a newby to this garden thing
and i did not know you can get vining tomatos, will have a look and see if are gardening shop has some so i can give them a go.
Thanks for your time...
Dave.. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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| One stake per plant. Lots of stockings and other ties. Mine get VERY heavy and need oodles of support and even drag a deeply-driven stake to some degree. Use an 8-footer per plant and train neighbouring branches towards other stakes until you have a seething mass of green and protruding stakes dotted with red, yellow and orange balls of joy. Think macramé. Trim off lower branches to help guard against foliage diseases and these will provide rabbit tunnels along which you can crawl to retrieve the fruits of your fruity labour. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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I have the opposite opinion to Ray & Grub, I reckon cages are really easy, you just put a 6 foot high circle of dog wire round the plants & let them grow. The most you have to do is poke the occaisional branch back through a hole.
I've tried the macrame thing & it drove me nuts, way too much work IMHO!
Each to his own I guess! |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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Thanks for replies, I have 4 beds of 12 tomatos so i will give all the ways a try, my toms are only 2" seedlings at the momment so i will set the beds up and give all the ways a try see what sutes me.. Thanks again to all...
Dave |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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- Posted by Mabb Melbourne, Aust (My Page) on
Sun, Sep 18, 05 at 4:26
| For the past two seasons we've used "tomato trellis" which we bought from Bunnings. It's three hinged sections that come together to form a triangle shape. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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| Saw a neat and easy "cage" at the Earth Care garden at Richmond in NSW yesterday. Two stakes about two feet apart, then repeated in a row along the tommy bed. Tommies planted fairly densely between. As they grow, strong twine (nylon rope at the garden) is run along the stakes, first one starting about a foot off the ground. Another is tied about a foot above that and so on, effectively forming a long cage. Looked easy. Will be trying this year. |
RE: Staking Tomatos....
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I use cages and rope between two posts and individual stakes. All work but I have to agree with Sarah to say that cages (once made) are the easiest of all.
This year I am going to try two posts about half a metre apart at both ends of a row of plants. Then I can run ropes around the plants in a rectangle shape, sort of like a big square cage. If that makes sense :-)
Mantis |
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