I love growing tomatoes. There is nothing tastier than a homegrown tomato. I usually have 6 plants of different varieties. Romas, Beefsteak, and grape are family favourites. This year I have a raised bed with 9 plants and another 11 in my greenhouse. Some are heritage varieties that I haven't grown before.
In the past, I used tomato cages and my plants and the beds they grow in are a hot mess. Thenplants overgrow the cages or are so compact, I miss suckers that need pinching off. Last year my grape tomatoes fell over and rerooted in numerous places creating even more plants.
Tomatos from two years ago. I had to twine up tomatoes around the black posts to keep it off the lawn.
This was last year's disaster that produced a lot of tomatoes but took over the whole bed.
These are just a small portion of the tomatoes we harvested. We were able to make and can lots of pasta sauce, green tomato curry, salsa verde, and picoe gallo from our harvest to enjoy throughout the year.
This year's tomato plants (front view above and side view below) are outgrowing their tomato cages already in June and falling over on themselves. If left this way, I'd have a repeat of last year.
The plants are so big, you can barely see the cages.
Some fun facts about tomatoes that have contributed to my out-of-control tomato patch:
*Did you know that all those little hairs on the stems have the potential to become roots? This is why it is often recommended to plant your tomatoes deep on their sides. It helps with root growth. If your plant falls over the edge of your cage and eventually hits the ground, it will root itself essentially making yet another plant. My 6 plants last year turned into many more this way. Great for yields, but not so great for space management.
*And...did you know, if you pinch off a sucker and stick it in the dirt, it will grow into a new plant?
If you ignore them, they will grow into full on branches. It's best to pluck them when they are this size. If left alone, they will flower and produce tomatoes but will crowd the other branches which can lead to pests and disease. You pinch them off to allow more air circulation.
I learned this the hard way one year when I decided to try it and ended up with way more plants than I had originally planted.
Sometimes when I am lazy, I pinch a sucker and leave it on the ground and this happens.
*If you want to create two distrinct branches that you can string up, watch this video to learn how: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqRD563OI5I/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ==
I tried it this year, because why not, and!it worked!
But I digress...
Back to my tomato problem and the need to find a workable solution to my tomato cage failure. I learned from my fabulous Facebook gardeners group that there are two types of tomato plants, indeterminate (long vines, very tall) and determinate (bush variety, not as tall though they can reach over 5 feet sometimes). I grow both so cages are only minimally helpful when you get are sure to be tall and/or extra bushy.
Lately, Tik Tok and Instagram are full of videos of people trying different ways of trellising. @dirtypunkgardening and @mindandsoil are two of my favourites on Instagram right now.
I looked at a variety of options and found some neat ideas. Have a look:
This video shows a great option: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrYkP2IO1FB/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ==
@dirtypunkgardening has a trellis structure I had never seen before:
This idea came from someone in my gardening group who container gardens. Tomatoes run up the post that can be raised or lowered into containers allowing her to move tomatoes around.
This is a rustic option.
This method uses what they call a Florida weave. This video also shows you how to do it: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtO7FBWul62/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ==
Here is another way to Florida weave.
For my trellis, I decided to do a hybrid version where I have a wooden frame that I could do a Florida weave like the photo above or I can string train it.
I started with 9 ft 2x4s spaced about 18 inches apart (I lined it up with my two rows of tomatoes. I added a couple of cross braces and ensured the 4 posts were level. Because my beds are 12 inches high, I have 8 feet of growing room for my tomatoes with this set up.
Then I added top rails.
With this design, I can add another row or even add 2x2s as posts for each tomato to grow up later.
Next, I needed to remove the cages, untangle the tomato plants and prune them so I can string them up. I actually had to snip the wires of the cage to pull it off as done branches were too thick or had tomatoes woven through the gaps. Sliding them up and off would have caused a loss of branches and,/or green tomatoes. I wanted to keep as many on as possible.
Watching lots of videos and researching tomato pruning, I removed the lower branches that dipped down and had leaves touching the dirt. Then, I located suckers I had missed. I had to pick and choose. Jordan Mara (@mindandsoil) suggests leaving a couple of suckers to branch off and string up. This will increase yields but will not overcrowd other branches. Watch his video here. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CrjSoVjgj61/?igshid=Y2IzZGU1MTFhOQ==
@dirrypunkgardening also has some good tips:
Then I tied a string to the base. If I had done this when I first planted my tomatoes, I would have buried the string under the tomato plant or anchored it. Watch these videos:
Bury method:
Here they are strung up using the under-over method. The string is wound under a branch and over the tomato clusters.
Watch the method here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM2BYdwnY/
The end result looks like this:
Hopefully, this will give me a lot of tomatoes without over-running the whole bed. If you have space to grow tomatoes, in a bed or in a bucket, do it! You won't regret it once you bite into first tomato harvested.
I'd love to hear how you manage, stake, or prune your tomatoes. I love to learn from others' experiences. Drop me a comment!
Happy gardening friends!
-The Joyful Gardener-
You have inspired me to clean up this messy area and nurture a veggie bed out of it. The tomatoes are a small version for a start.. but super fun to see them flourish.