Supporting Determinate (Bush) Tomatoes

[MarkPelican]

This year I am growing a number of new (to me) bush tomatoes.

I usually grow Garden Pearl and Tumbling Tom which I leave to fall down as they want. However, some of the varieties seem to be growing quite strongly upright and I am worried that if/when they fall over it will break the main stem.

Is it wise to support them so that they don't fall?

[Penellype]

I always support my bush tomatoes (even the very dwarf balconi ones) as I find that the fruit is heavy enough to trail on the ground if I don't. The branches usually don't break, but the fruit gets eaten by slugs. I usually end up with a fairly random arrangement of shortish canes with a branch tied to it, but I did once try growing them up through one of those mesh shelves from a blowaway greenhouse, which was ok, although it made harvesting the lower fruit a bit tricky.

[Scoot]

I always support my biush tomaotes too. I didn;t support my maskotka last year and they were trailing on the ground and as said above, the slugs knacked them.

[seasprout]

I stick a couple of sticks either side of my bush types, stops them rocking around in the wind, and keeps the fruit up from the floor.

[TrixC]

In my experience bush tomatoes are quite variable. Some, particularly the Italian varieties, seem to get on perfectly well without support and others flop everywhere. Some also seem to be intermediate between bush and cordon - I like the variety Black Sea Man but I can't for the life of me figure out its growth habit.

[Bren In Pots]

I grew Principe Borghese it went wild in the GH and I ended up with 4 canes to support the plant.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I only grow the original Tumbler so my experience comes from that plant only and I have never had to support them. They are in hanging baskets 6ft off the ground so for he fruit to hit the ground would be a dream. I sometimes get a cracked stem but it seems to make little or no difference. I do however always pinch out the main growing bud when it nears the top of the chains which prevents the plant getting to tall and encourages 'bushing ' lower down.

[Jay-ell]

In the past I tried a Heath Robinson style support using copious amount of string and some canes.

This year I have some stock wire fence (6" holes) bent round to make a couple of cages, plus some a bit like this (only cheaper)

Wilko Tomato Support Cage at wilko.com

[MarkPelican]

OK. Thanks for all the responses. They shouldn't drag on the ground as I'm growing them in pots on benches so there will be lots of room before they reach the ground. However, some support seems to be sensible.