Tying up your tomato plant plant is a critical step in the growing process but there are so many options out there when it comes to twine such as gardening tape , twist tie , jute string , etc . it can be overwhelming . Not to cite that the method acting you habituate can change depending on how your tomato are staked .
So today I ’ll be demonstrate you precisely how to tie up your tomato plants and which twine I ’ve find oneself to work best after testing them all .
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Tomatoes are one of my most favorite crop and for the most part they are a pretty prosperous to mature as long as you pick varieties well suited for your climate .
But unlike some crops like cucumbers and pole beans that bond themselves to a trellis , tomatoes need aid . So it ’s up to you to stake the plants and tie them up .
However , there are A LOT of alternative and varying opinion out there . So in this billet I ’m going to partake in the most hands off and effective method for tying up tomato plant plant life that has work for us in our garden .
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Why Supporting Tomato Plants Is Necessary
If you ’re growingindeterminate tomato varietiesthey can easily grow 6 foot tall and beyond . My Sungold and Juliet tomato plant life passed the 6′ mark in just two calendar month after transpose in the garden .
But even if your plants do n’t get that tall , branches get heavy with fruit and it ’s nearly impossible to keep your plants erect unless you tie them up .
There are dwarf tomato varieties and determinate types that do n’t get as prominent , but I have still establish that some backing is helpful no matter what form of tomatoes you ’re growing .
So so as to keep your plants upright , keep branches off the flat coat , and to protect fruit , tying up your industrial plant is an crucial task .
Types of Tomato Twine
There are various type of twine to select from and for the most part , anything is better than nothing . The main goal is to keep your plants grow upright .
But some type of twine are prejudicial to tomato stems or fall aside by the death of the season . While others are secure to use and some are even reusable , my favorite kind !
And after test many options here are my thought on each .
Stretch Garden Tape
Stretch Garden Tapeis really democratic and it ’s often what I use if I run out of the indulgent winding tie that I prefer . But it gets brickly in the red-hot sun and it ’s not easy to recycle .
By the end of the time of year you usually have to issue off all of the tape .
Twist Ties
There are lots of various kinds of twist ties out there , but the ones I ’ve tried aregarden specific twist ties . When you buy the with child ringlet you could cut your own distance which is handy , but if you get the ties precut they are almost always too brusque .
I wish the method acting of twist ties well than induce to wed string or string , but I prefer the soft turn of events tie which is next up on the list .
Soft Twist Tie
Thissoft twist tiehas become a Modern favorite option for wed up tomato plants , cucumbers , and any other vining plant life in the garden . Using twist association is a lot easier than having to habituate two hands to link twine , tape , etc while also holding the branch in place .
But what make the soft turn affiliation really peachy is that is has a safety coat that protect the plant and it ’s easy to untwist and reuse .
Jute Twine
Jute twineis skillful to have on paw because you’re able to get a huge scroll for really garish , plus it can be used for lots of different thing in your garden and home . It ’s also raw and decomposes and so you may throw it in thecompost pile .
Braided Bungee Cord
braid bungee cordis a prissy material to tie with because it ’s stretchable . It crop great for remote branches that are still growing but necessitate support . The only downside is that it may get overstretched .
Tomato Tying Process
Before we get into the “ how to ” of tie up your plant , the first thing you have to regard is how your tomatoes are staked which will set up how easy it is to tie them up .
A few popular staking method admit ,
Of course , those are only a few of the option out there but of all the staking method , I choose cattle panels . They are sturdy and they ’ll last forever .
Cattle panel also provide quite a little of blank space to tie up branches which allow you to let your plants grow large with minimal pruning , and the more chump you allow grow mean the more yield you ’ll have . find out more in this TV here , To Prune or Not to Prune Tomato Plants .
But now let ’s get to the process of tying , or if you favour video , watch the YouTube TV below .
Step 1
When the tomato plant are about 18 - 24 inches tall , find the chief base and tie it to the wire , cattle panel , or stake . If your industrial plant have multiple lead stems , tie all of them .
connect the branches loose enough that there is still wriggle room but tight enough that it keeps the plant good .
Step 2
After the plants grow another 12 - 18 inches it ’s usually clock time to bind more arm . If you see any branches that start to hang towards the ground tie those up . Then continue tying up the chief root or multiple top root , so that you conserve upright Lycopersicon esculentum plants .
I usually take the air through my plants once a workweek or every other week to tie up leg and this keeps it pretty manageable . But if you have lots of plant grow you may require to attach up offshoot from a few plant every day so that it takes less time , but you stay on top of it .
you’re able to see in the picture below , I used to have t - posts with wire to support my tomato industrial plant but it made tying up plants more difficult because the wire was often clock time above or below the branches . But now with a cattle gore arch I can tie up branches at any degree .
Step 3
persist in with the same physical process throughout the entire growing season . If your industrial plant reach a height that is out of reach you’re able to consider topping your plant life . But I ’d only advocate top late in the season about 1 month prior to your first rime .
However , if you have indeterminate varieties that grow out of orbit earlier on in the time of year , you’re able to top them at any point because indeterminate tomato plant life will proceed to grow . Just be certain to utilise cleangardening shearsand avoid pruning when plants are stressed .
I go for this post help you instruct the operation of tie up your tomato plant so that you could get tall and good for you plants loaded with delicious love apple !
