Tying tomato plants.

[goosander]

Just wondering what others use to train up there toms.
Have always used canes but have been told to use string as it is much easier to just twist the plant round it.
Bob

[Guest]

I use string as I just find it easier on the whole. It can be tightened as plants grow. It can be cut at composted at the end. Best of all string doesn't flop over and try to stab and attack you mid season when you have about a 15cm wide path to shuffle down

Edit: Is this for green house toms?

[Penellype]

This is something that I always find difficult, particularly if the tomatoes are in pots as these are never deep enough to anchor a cane properly. I always think the difficulty of doing something is reflected in the number of solutions that are available - if it is easy there is one solution that simply works, so nobody bothers trying much else.

If you google supporting tomato plants there are a huge number of different ways suggested, from canes to posts, wire supports, cages, strings... all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Last year in the greenhouse, growing tomatoes in gro-beds, I used a mixture of canes, soft string and some things called roller hooks which came free with something else. The roller hooks come with nylon twine which is quite thin.

The canes did what canes do - once the plants got heavy they started to lean and I ended up trying to secure them by tying the tops to the greenhouse frame and to horizontal wires that I had put up to hook the roller hooks onto.

The string was slightly better, but to keep the plants from flopping about it had to be fairly tight and I ended up knocking a few flowers and fruit off the plants while trying to wind them round it. I ended up tying the plants to the strings with loops of string, as I would for canes, but I found these tended to slip so they weren't all that secure.

The roller hooks are designed to be tight but to let out more string as needed, which made it easier to wind the string round the plants and then tighten it again. However, the string tended to cut into the stems and once autumn arrived the places where the string was wound round the stems got infected with grey mould and the plants died.

I haven't decided exactly what I am going to do this year yet, but I favour canes to the height of the vertical sides of the greenhouse, tied to the wires, followed by soft strings up to the ridge.

Outdoors I use strings between strong stakes or posts, with canes in appropriate places and I tie the plants to the posts, strings or canes as required. On the house windowsills I use canes, which always fall over and I end up tying them to the window handles for support.

Other ideas more than welcome!

[Bigmallly]

String for me, if grown in the ground the string can be tied round a stone to keep taught. If grown in a pot, a small hole drilled in the back of the pot to allow you to tie the string to also works well.

[DannyK]

Always use string. I make loop to fit under quadgrow pot and tie top to a long crop head bolt in one of the roof supports. I use two nuts; one to hold bolt and other to stop string coming off. Strings also run inside roof.

I wind the stems around the string as they grow. Best done frequently as if left they can snap.

Always end up with triffids and string everywhere.

[Thelma Sanders]

I find if I use string from the top down, and twist the plants around - which is what I think you are suggesting? - then if the plants are heavy with fruit, they can slide/slump down the strings.

I use a horizontal wire at eaves level to tie canes to, then attach strings tightly to the canes (so they can't slip down) and then tie these around the tomato stem under each branch/truss. It works for me

[Bigmallly]

If wrapped round the string regularly the leaves & fruit trusses should stop them slipping down. If the do become heavy, just tie the branch to the greenhouse roof & carry on winding. I think regular winding & de-armpitting are important.

[bario1]

I use baling string, which is really thick strong nylon, and soft enough not to cut into the plant. I tie it to the top rails in my tunnel and then loop it round the stem of the plant just under the first or second set of leaves. Keep twisting the stem of the plant around the string and it naturally tensions itself under the weight, but keeps the weight evenly distributed. I used normal garden twine once, but it rots and snaps eventually and i lost a few mature plants that way.
After the plants have been disposed of at the end of the season, I just roll up the string in situ and tie it up out of the way for next year.

[Scarlet]

I use a horizontal wire at eaves level to tie canes to, then attach strings tightly to the canes (so they can't slip down) and then tie these around the tomato stem under each branch/truss. It works for me

That's what I do for my first row in the GH, the scond row I just use string and wind the plant around it as it grows -but I prefer the canes. When the canes are tied at the top they are rock solid and the plants stay put.

[veggiechicken]

Would you like to see my hoooooooooge nuts?



Tied to the end of the string and buried in the pot with the tomato planted on top of it. Wind the string round the plant as it grows................or put another way, wind the plant round the string as it grows Yes, that's better, the last one!

[piskieinboots]

Who doesn't love a hoooooge nut

I grow my greenhouse toms using the ring culture system and strong 'canes' that are actually plastic-coated metal - I use twine to tie to these. They (the 'canes') always stay put and there is no flopping to be seen anywhere.

[vixylix]

I would never be timely enough to keep winding them round strings - canes work fine for me. Tomatoes are a law unto themselves - I feel they would be unruly no matter what you do to them

[ESBkevin]

String, In the greenhouse a wire runs the length to support the strings. Outside I have some steel poles from a gazebo type thing and I make an apex with a cross bar like a swing frame.
Tie a loose loop around the stem under a node or leaf about 92 up, and cut the string 12" long over the support. Thread the string over the support and by untwisting the vertical string you can feed the end through itself a couple of times. No Knots, you can loosen or tighten each string as the plant grows although they do get a bit heavy when about 5ft tall and in full fruit. Remove sideshoots and twist the vine about every 10-14 days ensuring the string doesn't pass directly under a truss (when they weigh down they can get broken off or have the feed flow hampered).

[Lardman]

After many years of trying most things I settled on vertical drops of bailer twine and tomato trellis clips. They're small rings with a hinge grip a the back. The hinge grabs the string and the tomato stem sits in the ring. Far less less hassle than canes or twisting string and save that nasty moment when you discover the weight of the tomatoes has snaps your jute string.

[Scoot]

I put a hole in the top of my 10ltr buckets and tie a piece of string through that hole. I then tie the other end to the top of the growhouse frame and as has been said, just twist the plants up the string the bigger they get. For 3 of the 5 plants down the centre of the growhouse though, I use a bamboo cane and just tie the plants to that. The reason for this is so when i want to be in the growhouse to tend to the plants for whatever reason, I can just lift them out and then gain access to all the plants.