Author Topic: Better structure for tomatoes next year?  (Read 1590 times)

gwynleg

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Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« on: September 15, 2020, 22:10:14 »
Hi. I’m newish to tomato growing. I’ve grown Crimson Crush and Crimson Blush this year and aimed to have neat cordons using a single tall bamboo cane. I’ve read on here that they are extremely prolific plants and that’s certainly true! With the size of the plants and the heavy winds we’ve had my plants are all over the place. They’re still cropping heavily but some fruit is on the ground and being eaten by different critters.
Planning for next year- how do others provide support for tall heavy tomato plants outdoors?

Tee Gee

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2020, 00:11:47 »
Based on your experience this year you could consider something like a runner bean frame

In fact you could grow your beans up one side and your tomatoes up the other.

In my case; I put my sweet pas up one side and my beans on the other as I felt the sweet peas attracted the pollinators  to my beans.

Paulh

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2020, 09:35:16 »
I grow mine in pots or grow bags outdoors up canes secured to the wall / fence.

Apparently those varieties are hugely blight resistant which may interest some on here.

peanuts

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #3 on: September 16, 2020, 17:09:22 »
Because we have sudden very strong wind here during storms, we have always had to construct a sturdy  structure.  My husband (an engineer!) has it down to a fine art, and it works.  I'll post several photos of it so you can see what he does.  I use  the squirly stakes, which are good.  But as our soil is light clay, with no stones, the stakes can easily tilt when there is a heavy weight on them.  For the support structure at the top, we use locally cut immensely strong bamboo poles.  They work well.

peanuts

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #4 on: September 16, 2020, 17:11:18 »
More photos.  Sorry, the quality isn't brilliant  because i've tried to reduce the size of them and therefore the quality

peanuts

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #5 on: September 16, 2020, 17:12:10 »
Last two photos

gwynleg

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Re: Better structure for tomatoes next year?
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2020, 08:52:12 »
Wow, thank you all for the ideas. I’m going to share this with my OH to see if I can interest him in helping me with another structure!  The Crimson Crush and Blush are blight resistant. All my other tomatoes are long since dug up due to blight but they are still fine indoors and outdoors- and they taste good!

 

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