How to tie tomatoes

Video: This Technique of Tying Up Tomatoes Will Change Your Life

Content

Steps
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

Tomatoes are a favorite summer vegetable, offering sweet, pungent fruits in the middle of the season and during the fall months. As new plants emerge that are planted in the ground in the spring and begin to grow, it is important to support them by keeping them from falling to the ground. Tomato plants that are kept from cultivation on the ground, being able to produce large fruits, are less likely to become infected and rot caused by contact with the ground. Tomatoes also get more sunlight when they are upright and are easier to pick. Although methods of keeping a tomato upright, such as with a trellis or wire cage, require less work, using pegs is less expensive and gives better results. Learning to tie tomatoes will keep your plants thriving throughout the season until fresh, ripe tomatoes are harvested when the time is right.

Steps

1 Use pegs, ropes, and one hammer to tie up the tomato plants.
2 Plan to stick the stakes in the ground, either when you plant your tomatoes or shortly thereafter, before they grow very tall.
- If you wait too long, you can damage the roots or stems when you insert the stakes into the ground.
3 Make a hole about 3-6 inches (7.62-15.24 cm) from each tomato plant.
4 Insert your pegs into the ground with a hammer.
- Drive them deep enough so that they don't wobble or fall over. Test them by moving them back and forth, and drive them deeper into the ground if they are loose.
5 Start tying the tomato plants to the stakes as soon as flowering appears.
6 Tie the main stems to the spears first. Tie the ropes around the plants and tie loosely, secure them with a knot.
7 Tie the branches as they grow, as well as new growths on the main stems, using long ropes so that there is enough room to wrap them around the branches and pegs.
8 Check your tomato plants every day to make sure you've tied up a new shoot before they get uneven and touch the ground.

Tips

Choose stakes that are at least 7 to 8 feet (2.4 to 2.8 meters) long for best results. This will allow plenty of room to be securely in the ground as well as space to tie off the new growth of the tomato plants.
Check the stems of your plants several times a week and watch them grow. This will give you a chance to tie up new scions before they start drooping or touching the ground.
Placing tomato stems on the north side will keep them out of the sun.
You can use a variety of materials for the garter. Cord, not too thick rope or strips of fabric: everything works well.
As you learn how to tie tomatoes, remember to hammer the pegs into the ground before the plants get too large. This gives you the opportunity to work without damaging the plants. Tying the plant to the pegs while they are still small provides support for the main stems.

Warnings

If you are using wooden pegs to tie your tomatoes, do not use cracked trees.
Do not tie the stems and branches of the tomatoes too tightly to the pegs.
Leave room for the plant to keep growing.
Do not place the stakes in close contact with the plants. This will not give you enough room to tie up your plants and can cause damage to the stems and roots of the plants.
Don't wait for the tomatoes to fall before tying them up. This causes the stems to become crooked.