There seems to be two popular methods for staking tomatoes, the single stake method, and the cage method. But which should I use?
Last summer you might remember my poor effort at staking tomatoes. I also experimented with no stake. I was curious on how the plant would behave, and had high hopes that I would discover it to be unnecessary. What I learnt, is that the plant first attempts to grow up then seems to collapse under its own weight, especially when ladened with fruit. This caused some of the limbs to snap, and took up allot of room. The biggest issue was that it made harvesting difficult as the fruit was often hiding deep in the bed under the foliage of everything else that was growing in there. This however did highlight one very big benefit... the fruit were protected from the hot summer sun.
Above is an example of tomatoes that were left exposed to direct summer sun. As you can see they developed a very nasty sunburn, and then once weakened the bugs attack. So this summer I wanted the simplest staking method that made harvesting easy, but also facilitated shade for the fruit.
The single stake method with it’s apparent simplicity initially caught my attention. The method involves using a very tall single stake and training the plant to grow vertically. When watching a YouTube video on this it however became very evident why this was not going to be best option, when the gardener said “You do this so the fruit can get as much sun as possible”. Looking at the grey sky in the background I realised that this method was probably devised in a cooler climate, definitely not South Australia. The single stake method may however work if you are growing a number of plants together, so that they shade each other.
Next I looked at the cage method. It involves creating a simple cage around the plant that assists it to grow vertically, but with some width. The fruit is then protected by some surrounding foliage, but should still be easy to harvest. Sounded perfect, so that’s just what I did.
I made my cages using 4 x 1.5 meter wooden stakes, spaced about 40cm apart, with 4 pieces of twine wrapped around. A tip for wrapping the twine around is to do the top one first and work down. This will minimise the tightening of each string from loosening the previous ones. It’s a leverage thing. As the plant grows I suspect its limbs will need to be encourage back inside the cage, which doesn't sound too hard nor time consuming, particularly as I am hoping no additional tying will be required.
I did use a single stake on this bush variety however. It shouldn't get too large, and with a stem and limbs like that of an olympic weightlifter, I am sure it can hold its own.
What method have you used?
I make a wall for my tomatoes with two big stakes at either end and then attach horizontal long bamboo sticks to these stakes. I plant the tomatoes in a row along the wall and tie them up as they grow. Not sure if that would be enough protection from the sun that you require though. But it works great for me.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have seem some examples of this, except using string between the two posts. With a number of plants close together it may have enough shade. In my garden I try and avoid planting any two plants next to each other. Each bed has just 1 or 2 tomato plants, all planted at different times.
DeleteI choose only indeterminate varieties these days, so they grow tall and last long. I use the fence I need to protect my beds from bandicoots and padimelons and brush turkeys as trellising, and I plant climbers of various kinds (beans, cucmbers, trombochino, tomatoes) very densely from the east round to the west sides. They shade each other and the bed just enough. Oh, and I've learned (or hope I've learned) to write down where each one is planted so I don't plant a tomato in the same spot for a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteBy indeterminate, you mean unknown? Is that because you close your eyes when selecting ;) Seriously though, what do you mean Linda, and how does that effect quality of plant? I have a wire fence running around the garden as well, I never though of using it for the tomato. I assume you have to tie it, or does growing a companion like beans do that for you?
DeleteI use a piece of builders mesh supported by a star picket. As the tomato grows up I use long strips from an old shirt to loop it to the mesh. The mesh makes it easy to throw over fruit fly netting. Unfortunately I haven't found s solution for keeping the rats off. At best I pick the fruit as they start to show any colour and ripen them in a string bag.
ReplyDeleteNow that's a good idea "ripen them in a string bag". I don't have a fruit fly or rodent problem, but picking before the sunburn happens is so simple and brilliant. Does they taste the same, is the question?
DeleteI plant my tomatoes in a row so I do what you do but I also make sure the garden twine crosses on the diagonal as well as the sides to assist with the support.
ReplyDeleteAs your plants are in a row, do you have one long cage, or a cage for each plant?
DeleteI tried a cage type method last year, but didn't find it that much better than the single stake way (which I'm back to this year) but then I loosely tie the toms to the single stake with loose ties, so it kinda is like a cage method in that the tomatoes are loosely supported, not rigidly tied. I also don't pinch out laterals so they grow bushy which helps to protect the fruit from sunburn. Will be good to hear how yours grow though!
ReplyDeleteWith the branches that hang, I assume you let some hang, do any snap? I might give the single stake a go as well. Its simplicity is very appealing. Then again how often do you have to tie?
DeleteWe're only growing one tomato plant, and it's a cherry tom that self-seeded last year and has grown into a tree. It produced 500 tomatoes last year, and we were all set to tear it down, but it started producing again this year, and so far we've had another 100 toms or so. Nothing else seems to survive the fruit flies here. Our tree is tied to a large trellis, but in the past we've just staked to a single stick, which hasn't really worked all that well.
ReplyDeleteOh, the fruit fly, so glad we have strict quarantine over that here is SA. Tomato as a perennial, I am very interested to follow how that goes. I wonder if it will produce the same quantity of fruit this year?
DeleteGreat post Jason. Thanks for this - tomatoes are top on my list of things to grow (well, second actually, after basil) You saved me from some mistakes I would have made.
ReplyDeleteBTW, as part of self-sufficiency, I have been brewing my own beer. Have you tried that? It's good fun and economical. I also brew my own Water Kefir, which is a great way to get massive doses of pro-biotics. If you are ever interested, I can give some of the "tipicos" as mine are growing like crazy.
I am always pleased to hear someone has benifited from one of my post. Good luck with the toms. No I do brew beer. I drink very infrequently that it wouldn't be worth it. When I do drink it is usually out at restaurant. I just wikipedia'd Water Kefir, very interesting. There you go I learnt something today.
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