How to grow and tie tall tomatoes
Tomato lovers often argue about how to tie tall tomatoes. It turns out that this seemingly simple matter has many subtleties. Let's look at the secrets of care and figure out how to tie tall tomatoes in the open field and in greenhouses.
The content of the article
Benefits of Tall Tomatoes
Do you know how stunted tomatoes differ from tall ones? It's not just the height of the bushes. Tall tomatoes (also called indeterminate) do not stop growing after the formation of the ovary... The rest of the tomatoes, they are called determinant, stop growing after the formation of fruit clusters.
The main advantages of tall varieties of tomatoes are the duration of their fruiting and yield.... Throughout the season, up to 40-50 fruitful brushes can be tied on the bush.
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Growing features
If you decide to plant tall tomatoes, pay attention to the important stages of their cultivation and recommendations for care:
| Stage / Type of work |
Recommendations |
| Disembarkation | Tall tomatoes are planted at a distance of about 50 cm from each other. The soil is mulched. This prevents the plants from drying out. |
| Bush formation | How to properly form tall tomatoes in a greenhouse and open field? The most important rule is to form a bush into one stem. Then the plant will not waste energy on several shoots. When to pinch tall tomatoes? Pinching is done when you need to stop the growth of a tomato. |
| Stepping | Experienced tomato growers recommend necessarily pinching tall tomatoes. This saves the vigor of the plant and improves the quality of the fruit. The stepchildren (processes in the leaf axils) are removed until they reach a height of 5 centimeters. They are plucked out by hand. After pinching, tomatoes are not recommended to be watered immediately. Better to wait at least one day. This is necessary so that the wounds from the removal of the stepsons are healed, and the plant will quickly regain its strength.
If the stepson has grown too big, he is cut out with scissors. A cut stepson can be planted in the ground. It is likely to take root and also bear fruit. |
| Pruning leaves | If the plants are branching and touching each other, it is recommended to prune the adjacent leaf blades. This will help:
|
| Garter | This stage is important for the normal ripening of the fruit. You can tie tomatoes to pegs, to a wire frame, mesh fence, greenhouse supports, and also use horizontal trellises. The details will be discussed below. |
Why tie up tomatoes
There are several reasons not to neglect the garter:
- When fruits begin to set on the plant, it may not withstand a sharp increase in the load on the trunk and break.
- Between the tied tomatoes, air circulates better and sunlight penetrates.
- Tomatoes that are not lying on the ground are less sick.
- On the surface of the ground, tomatoes are often eaten by slugs.
Important! Tied bushes are easier to water and process.
In what ways to tie
Both in the greenhouse and in the open field the following methods are used to tie tall tomatoes:
| How to tie up | Features: |
| To the pegs | Usually wooden pegs are used. Less commonly - metal or plastic. They are set in the ground near bushes, and then the plants are tied to pegs. Some tomato growers prefer to put several supports for reliability. It is recommended to make a peg with a length that exceeds the maximum growth of the tomato bush. |
| Wire frame | It looks like a cage inside which a tomato grows. The structure is made of metal wire. It can also be plastic or wooden - made of rails connected to each other. |
| Mesh fence | It looks like an impromptu fence made of metal or plastic mesh, which is installed in the aisles. Plants are tied to this hedge. |
| Horizontal trellis | Twine or ropes are pulled horizontally between the stakes dug into the ground. Plants are skipped in between. |
| Vertical garter to the upper support | According to experienced tomato growers, this is the best way to tie tall tomatoes. It consists in the fact that the plants are tied vertically to supports located under the ceiling of the greenhouse or above the rows in the open field. This method has its own tricks. Garter bands are wrapped around the plant stem from bottom to top. If necessary (for example, if the tops of the tomatoes rested against the ceiling of the greenhouse), the tied plants can be lowered. |
Note. When tying, it is best to run the tape clockwise around the tomato stem. This is due to the fact that the movement of the sun occurs in this direction, and the tomatoes unfold after it.
How to tie
No matter the way the garter is made, tall tomatoes can be tied up:
- twine;
- ropes;
- thick sewing yarn;
- braid;
- long strips of soft cloth (rags);
- nylon tights.
Using tights is a life hack from experienced tomato growers... They mark this garter material as the safest for plant trunks.
Let's sum up
In Russia, gardeners most often grow tomatoes in a greenhouse. Caring for tall tomatoes both in the greenhouse and in the open field have common points. Among them are the timely pinching of plants, the formation of a bush into one stem and tying. Care for tall tomatoes correctly, and they will delight you with a good harvest all season.