Supporting Outdoor tomatos

[Loudbarker1]

This is the first year I've tried tomatos outdoors, but in grow bags. They'll go out this weekend or next. 3 of the 4 varieties are cordons

How do people support their tomatos in this scenario? I'm thinking of rigging up some kind of support as you might use for a row of runner beans (but not so high - may be about 3 feet) and dropping strings down fron the horizontal bar. Thoughts or alternatives very welcome.
LB

[buzzingtalk]

i put each of my outdoor toms in a pot (pot gardener here due to no ground to grow in) and put in a nice strong bamboo cane to begin with. then i found they needed more support, so put in another cane on the other side of the plant and leant and tied it to that. I found this was adequate, but quite time consuming, I am sure there are much better ways to do it, but I have to keep mine quite mobile in their pots so I can move them about to maximise the little sun they get.

[chris]

You can buy tomato grow houses, liek those blowaway cheapo greenhouses. I staked my lot last year, one I left flop around on the ground, but picked the toms green for chutney.

[Alison]

I don't tend to grow cordons outside much as my outside variety of choice is Red Alert which is a bush type. However, if I do put any in (usually excess from the polytunnel) then I just shove a 6' cane in next to the plant and train it up there. Works fine for me and very simple.

[dave_norm_smith]

Hi

I grow mine near to a fence so I set up a sturdy horizontal support and then drop down a cane from the horizontal into the bag/pot behind the tomato. I tie this off to the horizontal for extra strength. Remember you are going to have the weight of the fruit as well as wind to put up with so the sturdier the better

Dave

[gillian62]

I did read the suggestion of using a clothes rail on castors to act as a frame for them to grow up. It look similar to the growbag frames you can buy.

I had one that I was about to chuck so it was recycled instead. I am going to put this next to south facing wall, and probably use canes or strong twine for tomatoes to grow up.

[VirginVegGrower]

Using canes and tomato tents for those that are not greenhouse. Tie in with sift tie.

[Sylvan]

We picked up several packets of wigwam cane grips in the sales a few years ago so we tend to use those.

[taff]

canes or those twirly whirly metal rods. Some varieties grow just as high outside as they do indoors, if they're cordon, so they need a good height.

[Zenithtb]

I saw this thing on TV which I do; Bamboo (2) crossed at the top at each end, and one across to hold it together (tent style). String tied to base of tomato and to the top cane, coiled around the plant as it grows. Also means it can bend in the wind (which is nice!)... So five bamboos and some string for X tomato plants! :-)