Tomato bondage

Okay, I admit I've tied up our tomatoes. Don't call the authorities quite yet, please.
I spent a happy hour in the garden this morning tying tomatoes to trellises. Old tee shirts cut into 1" strips (we go through a lot of tee shirts here) are soft, stretchy, and ideal as ties.
Timi the cat helped, which is why it took me an hour. Timi explored the tomato patch, got into the bag holding the ties (I managed to retrieve the two she appropriated), and then did figure eights around my ankles. Good help is not hard to find--get a cat!

 

What a super idea, Jane. I have to tie mine in as well. One can buy special soft twine for the job here, but T-shirts would be better.
Thanks a mil for this great tip. You are such a smartie-pants.

 

Probably I should have mentioned the tee shirt strips are 1" in width, not length.
Sjoerd, I used the soft twine for years, then decided that all those holey tees had an afterlife!

 

Marlingardener....I use old panty hose. I remember that the static created during thunderstorm/lightening helps the plants. They always seemed to look amazing after. I'm now also using flexible garden tie and garden twine..ran out of panty hose/knee highs...lol.


Too cute a story with your cat!! Yeah I can see the cat in the bag, playing with the ties...lol.

 

Hummer, I really can't remember the last time I wore pantyhose! I probably have a couple of pair lurking in the depths of a drawer.
A lightning storm creates nitrogen in the atmosphere. If we ever get a storm, I'll run out and check my tomatoes to see how they look. Until then, I'll just haul water . . . .

 

I did just this yesterday, although with soft twine, never thought of upcycling old tee shirts. It is quite amazing how quickly the plants send out side shoots and have a growth spurt and start to flop.

 

You've just reminded me that I still have a few tomato plants to stake!
I'll have to see if there are any old t-shirts around, great idea

 

Great story MG! I could just picture your kitty cat "helping".

I am amazed your tomatoes are big enough to tie up already. Ours just went in the ground yesterday.

 

I also use retired pantyhose. Very soft, yet strong and several ties can be made from one leg.

 

Ok. I just listened to a you tube video about staking tomatoes. It describes the one stem method for indeterminant tomatoes and the French weave.

He did not recommend using those tomato cages because they reduce air flow & increase likelihood of blight.

Guess what I have always done? Cages.
What method does everyone else use?

 

Cayuga, I tried cages and our tomatoes ate them! Actually, the cages were not strong enough to support the plant, and picking the tomatoes was difficult with the cages. I now use a few cages to support bell pepper plants that want to lean over. The other cages were given to a community garden. For some reason they were very happy to get them .
We now have T posts with hog wire strung between them, attached to the posts with cable ties. This is pretty permanent, so I have to be vigilant about soil borne disease. So far, no problem.

 

well done timi and Jane too.

Cayuga I do both. I use cages for cherry tomatoes... (really tall cages) and for determinates but I prune out the bottom three branches and leaves when I cage them. I use tomato twine and clips in the high tunnel for indeterminates. I do try to keep the foliage thinned to help with circulation.

 

Growing tomatoes seems to be an ongoing experience of trial and error.

 

Thanks Carolyn. I guess I'll have to research what kinds of tomato plants I have. I may have to move the seedlings atiund a bit to get them grouped appropriately