There are no trifles in caring for a cultivated plant. And such a seemingly simple operation as tying tomatoes to a support requires certain knowledge about different methods and materials, as well as skills for its implementation.
The benefits of growing tomatoes with a garter to the support
Any experienced gardener will say that to get a full crop of tomatoes, the plant should be tied to a support, especially for medium-tall and tall varieties.
Such a simple technique achieves several goals at once:
- the weight of the fruit partially moves to the support, which unloads the stem of the bush;
- the tomatoes themselves do not touch the ground, so the risk of putrefactive diseases becomes minimal;
- the open surface of the garden is convenient for watering tomatoes under the root, for mulching and weeding, there is little chance of slugs, snails and other pests on it;
- the bed turns out more open to the sun and air, this accelerates the ripening of tomatoes;
- It is convenient to take ripened fruits.
Tomato Garter Methods
The design features of the garter supports depend on the height of the grown tomatoes and on their quantity. If the conversation is only about a few bushes in the garden, then the best option would be a garter to the pegs.
Outdoor pegs
As a support, you can use:
- wooden slats, stakes;
- fiberglass reinforcement;
- strong sticks;
- metal bars and fittings.
Photo Gallery: Garter Tomatoes on Pegs
- Before using fiberglass reinforcement, it is recommended to sand it with fine sandpaper.
- The ends of wooden laths driven into the ground are treated with an antiseptic, bitumen, used oil, or simply carbonized.
- Tomato garter on thick sticks is the cheapest option
Of all the materials offered, metal rods are the most expensive, but durable.
Video: using metal tubes as a support
Pegs of any material (the length of which should be not less than the estimated height of the plant) are driven near the bush to a depth of 20-30 cm. Tie the bush usually begin 2-3 weeks after planting it in open ground. For garter, it is better to use synthetic material. Unlike cotton, the one is more durable, and there is less chance of bringing any infection through it to the bush.
The knot on the stem should not be tightened tightly, it should be free to leave room for plant growth. A knot called a “free loop” is very convenient in operation.
Photo gallery: how to make a “loose loop” for a garter
- The short end of the rope is located above the long
- The short end of the rope is skipped under a large loop
- A small loop is made from a rope
- The small loop moves along the long end of the rope and is tightened in the right place
Before tying, you need to remove the stepsons of the tomatoes.
Video: how to make a free loop for tomatoes
Well, whoever does not want to bother with knots and strings can use special reusable clips.
Clips are convenient, but expensive in comparison with a string
Tapestries - the most suitable way for warm regions
It is easier for owners of greenhouses and greenhouses: their design itself can be easily adapted for gartering tomatoes. For open ground, there are several options for organizing trellises, but at least two supports located at the ends of the tomato bed remain unchanged. Their design can be different, as well as the material itself. The main condition is a hard incorporation into the ground. If the bed is long, intermediate supports are organized, usually in increments of about two meters.
Tapestries are more convenient to use on beds in regions with a warm climate, where it is not required to cover tomatoes for the night.
Vertical trellis
The main idea of this method is to tie the tomatoes to the ropes, which hang over each bush, and are attached at the top to rigid or flexible horizontal elements located between the supports. This can be, for example, a wooden block or a rope stretched between the supports.
For a vertical trellis with a rigid support for ropes, a horizontal beam is used, and for a trellis with a flexible support of ropes, they are attached to a taut cord
Tying does not necessarily imply nodal attachment of the stem to the support. For vertical trellises, often just twisting the rope around the main stem of the tomato is often used.
Video: tying tomatoes to a vertical trellis
In the 80s of the last century, an amateur gardener near Moscow I.M. Maslov proposed a new method for growing tomatoes, including the original way of attaching them to the trellis. Its essence is that loops are organized on a vertical flexible support, to which tomatoes are attached through rubber rings and metal loops as they grow.
With this method, it is convenient to cope with a large crop, when clusters of fruits can be attached to the same loops through mesh bags.
A hook with a rubber ring is attached to the vertical support (rope), to which the tomatoes are tied
So that the branches of tomatoes do not break off under the weight of the crop, they need support - for low-growing tomatoes, this can also be a rod support for a bunch. In the case of gartering the fruit to the trellis, it is necessary to provide a sufficient supporting surface of the garter under the branch with the fruits so that it does not cut into the stem - old nylon stockings are often used for this purpose.
Horizontal trellis
Their feature is a horizontally stretched rope between the supports of the trellis. These ropes in height can be several, depending on the size of the bushes, stems of tomatoes are tied to them.
Tomatoes are tied to horizontally passing ropes
Mesh Trellis
A wide variety of modern materials for the construction and arrangement of a summer cottage has brought to life new options for gartering tomatoes, among them quite exotic cells and caps for tomatoes. Here we also mention more practical mesh trellises.
It can be just a metal mesh, or with a polymer coating, or purely polymer with cells of at least 50 × 50 mm. The grid is located between the supports and attached to them, and tomatoes are already tied to it.
Photo: Garter of tomatoes to the grid
- The metal mesh copes with such a crop of tomatoes
- Polymer-coated metal mesh can also be used as an easy fence
- Lightweight synthetic mesh requires stiff horizontal support
The coarse mesh is also convenient because the garter itself can be replaced by passing the crown of the tomato and its stepsons through the mesh cells. Then the trellis and the plant become a single rigid structure that can withstand the abundant harvest of tomatoes.
The considered examples of the construction of supports for the garter of tomatoes are not exhaustive, but these are the most common and quite enough to make a choice for your garden.
It may seem troublesome for someone to organize the tying of tomatoes on trellises, well, there is a simpler option - on stakes. And be sure: the time spent will certainly be reimbursed by a good harvest.
