Top 6 best ways to tie tomatoes in a greenhouse: step-by-step instructions and advice from experienced gardeners

The use of tomatoes for growing tall varieties is considered the most expedient from an economic point of view. Tall bushes of plants allow you to get a rich harvest from a small area. Such varieties need a mandatory tie to the supports in order to keep the fruits and plants intact.

There are many ways to tie up tomato bushes. The most simple and effective of them should be familiarized with before cultivating this crop.

Why are tomatoes tied up

Tying tomato bushes is carried out in order to prevent the stem from breaking due to heavy fruits that form on the plant. If you do not tie it up, then after the formation and growth of the fruit, the stem will bend and if it does not break, it will begin to creep along the ground. In such a situation, plants are easily damaged by slugs and other ground pests, as well as fungal diseases.

Benefits of a Proper Garter

There are the following advantages that a gardener gets from tying bushes:

• easier to care for plants;
• at watering there is no risk of water getting on the surface of the leaves, which prevents bushes from rotting;
• it is much more convenient to form and carry out pinching on tied bushes;
• erect bushes receive more light, which helps the fruit ripen faster;
• free air access reduces the risk of fungal diseases, in particular late blight.

When to tie tomatoes

The first garter for tall varieties is made 3-5 days after transplanting. In the future, this event is held regularly as the bushes grow. Although some gardeners recommend carrying out the first tying only after the seedlings take root well and form 2-3 new leaves at a constant growth site.

What to do before the garter

Before proceeding with the garter of the bushes, the tomatoes are pinched. This event increases the yield of the crop. If you do not remove the side shoots that form in the leaf axils, then you can not wait for fruiting, since the plant will begin to form only stems with flowers.

Reference. Stealing spend 1 time in 10-12 days, preventing the growth of stepchildren by more than 5 cm.

Decide in advance on the method of tying the bushes, prepare all the materials necessary for this. If fabric, rubber bands, or other garters are used for the second season, they must be washed and disinfected first.

Garter accessories and materials

For reliable fixation of plants, supports and garters are used. Long wooden stakes or metal rods are used as supports. For tying material, a soft cloth or an elastic but durable cloth will do.

There is a special garter attachment that looks like a garden pruner and stapler combination, which is equipped with duct tape and a cutter. Using such a device, it is much easier to fix the branches of a tomato bush to a support. In this case, the plant is not injured.

A simple and inexpensive option - plastic clips that fasten with one click... The devices are reliable and able to withstand any weight. They can be used for many years in a row. You can pick up clips of a suitable size for stalks and branches with fruits to fix the plants.

Reference. A thin thread, fishing line or other rigid materials should not be used to fix the stems of the plant, as they can injure the stem or even break it.

Effective ways to tie up tomatoes

When choosing a method for tying bushes, be guided by the characteristics of a particular variety, the weight of the fruit, the height of the bush. It is necessary to decide on the scheme and type of fastening of plants to the support even before planting the seedlings.

The easiest way to tie tomatoes is with a stake

Simple stakes are used as support, which are installed near the plants. The height of the support corresponds approximately to the height of an adult plant.

This method is suitable for varieties of tomatoes with medium-sized fruits and for medium-sized bushes. Tall or heavy plants can fall with the support they are attached to.

Wire hook method

One of the most ancient methods. The author of this technology is I. Maslov. To create structures, you will need a strong thread or fishing line, on which small loops are made with an interval of 15-20 cm. Such a fishing line is attached to the ceiling of the greenhouse near each bush.

Using wire hooks or open paper clips and rubber bands, attach the tomato stems to the looped line. They pick it up with an elastic band under the branching of the bush and hook it to the nearest loop.

The convenience of this method is that as the plant grows, it is enough to simply add new hooks and secure the stem. This design is able to hold even the heaviest bunches. Due to the elasticity of the elastic, they will lean slightly towards the ground, but they will not fall or break.

Horizontal garter method

Fastening in a horizontal way (on a trellis) is used for tall plant varieties. Strong metal posts are installed along the edges of the greenhouse, after which the rope is pulled, observing an interval of 30 cm. The structure should look like a solid mesh.

For fastening to the trellis, plastic clips are used or all plants are threaded through a rope net. You can replace the rope structure with ready-made trellises made of wood or plastic material (slats).

Reference. When constructing a trellis, it is important to take care of its reliability so that it does not fall under the weight of the fruit.

Using the grid

A metal or plastic mesh is used as a support, which is attached between the posts of the greenhouse frame. A coarse mesh is considered the most convenient to use. On it, you can arrange the stems and branches of plant bushes in accordance with the direction of their growth.

In the process of plant development, the place of tying can be changed and fixed at a different, more convenient level.

Arrangement of trellis - for tall varieties of tomatoes

Another type of trellis is vertical, in which the plants are tied to the roof of the greenhouse. To do this, use a rope, one end of which is fixed to the ceiling of the greenhouse, and the other to the stem of a tall tomato bush. With this method, even the heaviest bunches of a plant can be tied up without fear that the support will break or fall.

Reference. To prevent injury to the branches and stems of bushes, the support rope should be wide, soft and strong.

The use of bush holders when growing tomatoes

The use of bush holders, or in other words, wire frame, is suitable for varieties that form compact bushes with a large number of fruits. For the construction, a mesh with large cells is used, which is wrapped around the plants in the shape of a cylinder and dug into the ground.

With the help of a bush holder, you can fix both the main stem and heavy branches with large fruits. At any time, the device can be dug up and transferred to another area. The only drawback of this tying method is the difficulty of harvesting.

Special recommendations for tying tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse

What is the best way to tie up tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse?

Despite the fact that the trellis fastening method is considered the most laborious and difficult, it is recommended to use it in polycarbonate greenhouses. Polycarbonate is characterized by good light transmission and accumulates heat quickly.

The plants are provided with the maximum amount of light and heatstroke is prevented due to the possibility of an even and spacious arrangement of branches on the trellis.

Are outdoor garters different?

If undersized varieties are grown in the open field, then in many cases there is no need to tie up plants.... However, if the bushes form a large number of fruits, heavy in weight, then you still have to fix the stems and branches of the plant.

To do this, choose any of the above-described tying methods in a greenhouse. But not all of them are easy to use in open field conditions. The trellis method, both horizontal and vertical, will be very problematic to apply on a garden bed.

Gardeners use the simplest method with stakes or build bush holders. Tying tomatoes in the open field, choose a reliable structure, as strong winds can knock down the support and the plant. When constructing a cylinder from a mesh with large cells around each tomato bush, it is recommended to dig it a little deeper than in a greenhouse. This will give the structure reliability and stability.

Despite the fact that it is costly and time-consuming to construct a wire frame for each plant, and it will be more difficult to collect fruits from the bushes, it should be preferred if there are frequent, strong and gusty winds in the region of crop cultivation.

Secrets of experienced gardeners for garter tomatoes

When starting to tie up tomatoes, study the recommendations of experienced gardeners:

• do not tie the stems to the supports using the figure-eight knot, as this increases the risk of damaging the plants;
• not only the main stem is tied up, but also individual branches with bunches of tomatoes - this will save them from falling to the ground;
• use stakes tying only when growing medium-sized crop varieties;
• tall tomatoes better to attach to the trellis;
• to prevent the occurrence late blight and other fungal diseases, the fruit should not be allowed to come into contact with each other or with the soil.

3 mistakes when tying tomatoes in a greenhouse

Three main mistakes that gardeners make when tying plants:

1. Choosing a method of fixing plants to supports, regardless of varietal characteristics... For example, tall crops are attached to free-standing stakes, which subsequently leads to the loss of stability of the supports, breakage of branches or falling fruits to the soil.
2. Irregular tying during the growing season... The tomato bush grows and develops constantly, which means it increases in size. It is not enough to tie it up at the initial stage of development after planting seedlings in the ground. You need to hold the event regularly, focusing on the height of the bush. If tying is carried out once, then over time the plantings will begin to thicken and the plants will not be able to receive enough light and air.This will lead to inhibited fruit development and the appearance of fungal diseases.
3. Incorrectly fitted garters. Natural fabrics, thin, stiff threads or wire should not be used, since the former are prone to rotting, and the latter damage the stems and branches of the plant. If the garter attachments have been used for several years, then before proceeding with fixing the plants to the supports, all the garter material must be disinfected.

Reference. If fabric is used as a garter, then wash it with laundry soap or boil it before reuse. You can also use a solution of potassium permanganate or other disinfectants that will eliminate the possible residual infection remaining in the tissues.

Reviews of gardeners

We find out what experienced gardeners say about tying.

Galina, 38 years old, Ufa: “I love tomatoes very much, I have been growing them for a long time and take photos for my website. As for the garter, it is better to prepare everything for this event literally immediately after disembarking the seedlings. I always use a trellis from which I attach a string to each bush. "

Snezhana, 45 years old, Perm: “If a tall variety of tomatoes is planted, then you need to tie it up immediately. When planting, it does not matter whether it will be an individual support or a rope that is tied to the greenhouse roof. The main thing is that the plants are fixed. I can't do without stakes in the garden. "

Conclusion

Measures for tying tomatoes to supports not only provide the convenience of caring for the crop, but also create the most comfortable conditions for its growth and development. It is necessary to decide on the method of tying the bushes at the stage of planting seedlings in a greenhouse or open ground.

It is important to use a clean fixture and to ensure that the supports used to anchor the bushes are secure.