How are you all supporting your outdoor toms?

[fran]

Would like to know as I've just spent hours making a cane support something like a bean support - but with strings (hop twine) trailed up over the top and down the other side tied to horizontal canes along the bottom. Was good at first but think canes too pliable for it to work properly. Strings have gone floppy. Have ended up putting canes in as well.....and just upright canes for some. Sorry no pic yet, too tired! My toms are rampant Roma, Costeluto Fiorentino, Cour di Buie, San Marzano, Bejbino and two Gardeners Delight. Haven't done this before except in pots in garden and plants have loads of fruit on. Plot v. sunny but exposed to SW winds. Have about 25 plants. Advice or pix v. welcome!

Thank you.

[rustylady]

I just use one stout cane per plant, it usually works OK till the blight arrives

[Herbie]

I just use canes the same as Rustylady with a bit of twine. Did the same with the tomatillo's but ended up using an old mop handle winched to the greenhouse they get massive and kept getting blown over in the wind.

[Two_Sheds]

Not doing outdoor toms any more. Waste of time = blight always gets them

[singleseeder]

When I grew toms outside I used a tripod of 5' canes for 3 plants.

There are a few advantages to this; the tripod is very stable, by watering into a buried plant pot in the middle the water is used efficiently by the plants, you have more 'elbow room' as you move around because the canes lean away from you IYSWIM.

It always worked well for me.

[zazen999]

From experience, if I don't have a cane for it, it doesn't go outside.

Apart from my little collection of 'elbows' which are in a little piece of spare space, which have nothing supporting them - but they are getting chopped off after one truss [they are extras. not mains].

[Florence Fennel]

Hi Fran, one tomato, one cane.
Flo

[Bagpuss]

Evening !

Well I had to take the opportunity to show of Mr Bagpuss' DIY skills (see attached).

Constructed with four peices of 2 x 4 screwed together (measured slightly bigger than a growbag). Holes drilled into each corner of the planks, canes inserted into each of the four holes, each "end" section tied together with a cetral cane along the top.

I'm able (if needed) to add a second cane in the mid section if more support is needed.

...well done Mr Bagpuss !!

[Alison]

1 cane when planted, short ones for bush toms and longer ones for cordons. If necessary (and it usually is) I add additional short canes to the bushes to hold the fruit off the ground. Can't be bothered with anything fancy and it seems to work OK. As already said, tomatillos need more support but I still make do with a number of canes as appropriate.

[Storming Norman]

Canes [and a wall to support the canes] seem to work fine in my garden - a somewhat cheaper version of the Bagpuss premium model. Putting them in the open is a bit risky re wind etc.

I like the idea of 'elbow' toms - are they side shoots that have been planted? The imagination of folks here never fails to amaze me.

See pics.

Ann

[Two_Sheds]

I got some of these spiral supports for my greenhouse tomatoes ... they are working really well, better than canes because the stem goes inside the spiral

They were a quid for 3 in Wilkinsons end of last summer

[rana]

I build a fence securing stout uprights (4" diameter pine tree trunks) into the ground set about 4' apart connected by a weave of horizontal hazel poles. The structure is about 5' high and provides excellent support for fruit bound tomato plants. Much better than risking snapped canes and broken plants later in the season.

[Solitaire]

I couldn't find any canes in the shops so constructed something using broken electric posts and twine

Have now see metal spiral things, so will get these for next year

[hamsterqueen]

canes usually, one per plant, but a few years back I bought some frames from Lidl about 4 ft tall, 3 uprights joined in a traingle by struts, they fold flat after use and support the plants well.

I don;t have a greenhouse and always grow my tomatoes outside in the ground, we have clay soil and they rarely wilt. We are quite far South though. Very near the sea so windy. The supports have stood up to it well

[phil the shed]

i stand at the back of the garden shouting give me a T...O...M...A...T...O...E...S what have we got TOMATOES!!!!!! go toms go.

















had to do it
it's not very often you can have a joke before heywayne gets in :-)