Tomato Plant Support

When its time to plant those tomato plants, it does not take long after you plant to notice growth. And most every type of plant will require some type of support of the stem and the branches and the larger the plant is the more support it will need. If no support is given to the plants, they will susceptible to being blown over by the wind, or once the fruit begins to grow, the weight of it will break the branches.

There are various ways to support your tomato plants. Probably the most popular method among gardeners is by using a stake. These are normally small, square pieces made of wood usually, and typically around two to four feet long. This method can be used efficiently if implemented correctly. It involves driving the stake in the ground, and then securing the stem of the plant to the stake by using twine, strips of cloth, etc. avoid using anything too stiff or sharp, such as wire, because this may cut into the branches and cause them to break.

Another proven method is what’s known as the trellis method. You can do this by inserting post in the ground on each end of your row of tomatoes, and then run twine back and forth at different heights from one post to another, and train the branches through the twine as it grows. Instead of string, you can use concrete reinforcing wire, which looks a lot like fencing. Just cut a piece the length that your post are and secure it to them. The twine or reinforcing wire can be purchased at any home improvement store.

Another popular solution to supporting tomato plants is with tomato cages. You can purchase them at any garden center, or make your own. The store bought cages generally have a funnel shape, are three to four feet long and they are pushed into the ground around the plant.

My personal choice is to make your own cages out of the concrete reinforcing wire that I mentioned earlier. Just cut the wire to length, (use the formula for circumference to get the diameter cage you want), and tie together using wire, (I found bailing wire works very well).

Once your cages are built, place them around your plants and use some type of stake to hold them in place, securing the cage to the stake with twine or wire. A good stake for this is a piece of rebar about three feet long.

Some tips about the concrete reinforcing wire. It comes in a fairly large roll, so it could be difficult to handle. Be sure to wear gloves when handling the wire because of sharp points and normally it is coated with a layer of rust. You can clean and paint your cages if you wish.

The thing I like about cages, whether store bought or homemade is that once you have them, they last for years, which will save you time and money. Also, they require less maintenance of the plants because you do not have to tie up the branches, they can be easily trained through the large holes in the reinforcing wire, or the smaller store bought cages.

Whichever method you choose will work well, it’s just which way you decide to go.

Happy gardening!

5 Tips For Starting A Garden

1. Decide on the vegetables you want to plant. Why do this first you say? The main reason is this may help determine the size of garden you need to prepare. For example, if you decide you want to plant corn or watermelons then this will require more room than just planting bell peppers and onions. This may have an impact on the location of the garden also. Speaking of location, on to tip number 2.

2. Picking a location for your garden. Choose a spot for your garden that is relatively flat, (that will help with water runoff issues). You don’t want your garden to wash away during a rainstorm or when you irrigate it. You will also need to find a spot that gets the most sunlight throughout the day. Most garden plants need adequate sunlight to grow and produce properly. Consider the size of the garden also. Remember, the larger the garden, the more work involved, so if your new to gardening, you may want to start small.

3. Prepare the land. First, if grass or weeds are present, you must get rid of them. The most common way is to till the ground. Another option is to cover the area of the garden with black plastic sheeting for a few days to few weeks to kill the grass and weeds in the affected area.
In order to have a garden that produces a good quantity and quality of vegetables, the soil needs to have adequate fertilizer and nutrients. You need to have a soil test performed to find out if the soil needs potash, lime, nitrogen, (fertilizer), etc, in order to bring the soils ph to an optimum level. Contact your local cooperative extension service on how to get a soil test. Or, you can purchase soil test kits at your local garden center. Once you do the test, then you can add the needed ingredients plus compost, mulch and humus and till all ingredients into your soil.

4. Make a planting layout. This will help you determine if everything you want to plant will actually fit in your garden. Be sure to leave room for plants to grow without overcrowding them and also room for walkways so you can access all the plants for harvesting. For example, leave about 36 inches between rows of peas when you plant the seed, (remember, they will be a lot closer together once the peas are ready to pick). And you will need more room for vine crops such as watermelon, cucumbers, etc. also, plan for your taller plants, tomatoes for example, to be planted on the north end of the garden. That way other smaller plants will not lose sunlight because of taller plants blocking the sun.

5. Purchase your plants and seeds. So now you know what you want to plant, so its time to go shopping. Some plants should be sown into the garden directly from seed such as peas, squash, cucumbers, corn, etc. other plants should be purchased at your local garden center.

Once you have done each of these steps, you should be off and running to a fabulous garden!