How to set tomato stakes
If you like the taste of veggies from your own garden, tomatoes are a popular summer crop to grow. Getting soft, ripe tomatoes straight from the yard and tasting their sweet taste right away is the best feeling in the world.
Give your tomato plants a lot of help. This is one of the best ways to get more fruit from them and grow juicy tomatoes. If you leave your tomato plants alone, the main roots and side shoots may bend and break because of the weight of the fruit.
With the help of Amy Enfield, senior gardener at Scotts Miracle-Gro, we look at three good ways to fence in your tomato plants.
What's the point of trellising tomatoes?
Putting up a trellis for tomatoes is a good idea for more than just supporting a plant that is bearing big fruit. Enfield says, "Trellising tomatoes is a great way to make the most of your garden space, get more air to your plants, keep your fruit off the ground, and lower the risk of diseases." "It makes it easier for gardeners to see and pick ripe fruit and lets them plant tomatoes in the same space."
Not only does trellising keep your plants healthy, but it also lets you make a vertical garden if you have a small lawn or are growing tomato plants on a rooftop.
Do all tomato plants need to be staked?
Check to see what kind of tomatoes you are growing before you start planting them. The way they grow will tell you if they need extra support or not. Bush tomatoes, also known as determinate tomatoes, probably won't need to be staked. String tomato varieties, on the other hand, will grow much longer and need extra support.
How do I pick the best trellis?
Enfield says that picking the best tomato trellis is not a one-size-fits-all process. "For your tomato plants, it's important to find a trellis that is stable, strong, and supportive." You will have a more productive and fun gardening experience if you adapt the trellising method to your yard setup, tomato type, and personal tastes.
Here are three ways she suggests you fence your tomato plants.
1. Prisons
Tomato cages come in many shapes and sizes, such as cones and circles, and support the plant all the way around. The main stem should be in the middle of the cage, and the other stems should lean against the metal frame to support them.
When picking tomato cages, Enfield says, "Make sure they are tall enough and strong enough for indeterminate varieties, which grow until frost." As the plant grows, she also tells you to tuck the stems into the box.
To keep the plant's roots and shoots from getting hurt, put the cage in place before putting the tomatoes.
2. String fence
Putting up string trellis to support your tomato plants is an easy and cheap way to do it. Enfield suggests pinning lines to the ground and connecting them to a support above. Then, he says, put a tomato plant at the base of each string and slowly wind the main stem of the tomato around the string.
But don't forget to check on your plants often and wrap the stems around the strings as they grow.
3. Trellis with panels
Make a panel trellis out of fence for a strong support. Enfield suggests using heavy gauge fence that is set up in a grid pattern, like cow fencing. Metal fence posts can be used to keep the fence in place in your yard or plot. Add soft ties to the fence to hold your tomato plants in place. In this case, she says to use yard twine or fabric strips as ties and place them every 6 to 12 inches, being careful not to tie them too tightly.
How to take care of your tomato plants
Enfield says that you will still need to take care of your tomatoes even after they are supported. Here are four things she says you should do to keep your tomatoes healthy.
Cut back suckers
Suckers are the shoots that grow in the spaces between the leaves. They are also called side shoots. This is especially important for indeterminate types because it helps the plant focus its energy on making fruit.
Shrubs on top
When your indeterminate tomatoes reach the top of the trellis, you might want to give the plant a little help by covering it. This will direct the plant's energy toward making fruit instead of growing. If you don't, your plant will keep growing until it gets too big for the support and falls over.
Top clipping means cutting back the plant's center stems. For indeterminate tomatoes, this can be done at any time during the season. If you cover fixed types, they will not grow as much and the food yield will be lower.
Here's three easy steps to help you shape your tomato plants better.
1. Check the ties
2. Check the ties often to make sure they aren't getting in the way of the plant's growth, and loosen them if they are.
3. Watering
Fill up the soil around the tomato plants with water. This will keep the leaves dry and help stop mold problems. If you want to water your plants more efficiently, you might want to think about drip watering or a soaker hose.
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