Any gardener who has been growing tomatoes understands that no matter how strong the stem of their favorite crop is, the plant will still have to be tied up. Moreover, regardless of where tomatoes are grown - what greenhousethat is in open ground.
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Why tie tomatoes
Indeterminate varieties of tomatoes, which can reach two meters in height, have recently become very widespread. On the contrary, the proportion of undersized, and determinant varietiesgrown in one stem is significantly reduced.
tied up tomatoes
And the reason here is very simple - with the same area occupied by the plant, tall varieties give great yields. In this way, the maximum efficiency of using each square centimeter of planting area is achieved.
However, the massive vegetative part of such plants requires rational placement in a vertical plane, since under its own weight the entire tomato "tops" will be on the ground very quickly.
And it's not just that once on the ground, it will take up too much space. It will be much worse that placing the vegetative part of the plant at the level of the surface will reduce the yield of the tomato, as it will lead to disruption of its nutrition.
That is why the question of how to tie up tomatoes has been, is and will be relevant for all gardeners at all times.
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How to tie tomatoes
This relatively uncomplicated procedure leads to the following positive consequences for the plant, and, as a result, the crop:
- The garter guarantees the safety and integrity of the stem of the plant. It will not break or bend as the green mass grows. Consequently, the plant will not have to spend its resources on strengthening it - everything will go to the harvest.
- The leaves of a tomato bush correctly tied up in a vertical plane are arranged in such a way that sunlight will affect them with maximum efficiency. In addition, the free space between the leaves will provide the plant with an influx of fresh air. Due to this, providing the plant with carbohydrates will be sufficient for the formation of a normal crop.
- Precipitation and weather changes will not be able to cause significant damage to a tied up tomato bush located in the open field. Support will not break not too strong branches of the plant
- The garter greatly simplifies the watering procedure, since the tomato must be watered exclusively under the root. He does not like moisture on the leaves. If the branches are tied up, the risk of such situations is reduced to almost zero.
- Tied tomatoes are much more convenient to spray, in addition, most of the processing liquid will remain on the leaves, and will not go into the ground. Consequently, the plant will be much less affected by fungal and viral diseases, as well as pests.
- Convenience of work applies not only to spraying, but also to all other plant care procedures. Mulching, weeding, pinching and so on - all this is much more convenient to do with a neatly tied bush, when tomato foliage does not interfere with the process
- In the process of fruit formation, they will not only be easily accessible at the time of harvest at the tied bush, but also more removed from the surface, which will automatically protect them from pests such as rodents or slugs
- In addition, the fruits "raised" by the garter above the surface will not have physical contact with it. Thus, the constant moisture of the topsoil will not provoke rotting of the vegetable.
An easy way to tie with plastic bottle
Even if half of the listed advantages are realized - this alone is enough to start tying the bush.
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Garter methods
Consider how a plant can be tied up, depending on the characteristics of its cultivation.
A metal mesh can serve as a good guide for tomato bushes.
Depending on the features of the beds, there are four ways to tie tomatoes:
- with stakes
- on the trellis
- using cells
- using caps
Each of the methods will be presented below in more detail.
General provisions
Usually, the beginning of the manufacture of the garter structure is made 15-20 days after the seedlings are planted in open ground. In order to securely fix the main vegetative components of the bush, during the season you will need to make from 2 to 7 garters of the stem and (or - depending on the variety of tomato) the largest branches.
The exact number of garters, as well as their placement on the support, will depend on the variety chosen and the individual development of a particular plant.
Tied up tomatoes in the garden
The development of individual agriculture in recent years has gone very rapidly. The breeding and artificial selection of new varieties of plants, plus the use of modern materials, has led to the emergence of a large number of new agricultural techniques in vegetable growing.
Thanks to their development in vegetable growing, several methods of gartering tomatoes have appeared when growing them, both in greenhouse, as well as in open ground. Naturally, this development continues to this day., therefore, everyone can make a contribution to any of the currently existing methods of gartering tomatoes.
First of all, it should be said that when gartering, it is necessary to use only materials that are environmentally friendly, which means they do not harm the plant.
How to tie tomatoes
For reliable fastening, any fabric cut into strips is suitable. You can use hemp twine, thick clothesline, etc. In no case should you use fishing line or wire for tying.
Sometimes natural fabrics do not perform well when tying plants in the open field, because they do not have sufficient strength. In this case, you need to use synthetic material.
Tying with stakes
The simplest and most common method, which is mainly used in open ground, is the use of high wooden stakes. In principle, the material for stakes can be anything; It is also acceptable to use stakes made of metal.
The main thing in this method is their timely and correct use. The height of each peg used should match the height of the tomato bush.
Proper tying a bush to a peg
Each of the stakes must be fixed in such a way that it is stable. To do this, they must be buried in the ground to a depth of at least 30 cm. Stakes are installed at a distance of 10-12 cm from the tomato bush so as not to damage large parts of the root system.
The garter is carried out freely: first, the twine is firmly tied to the peg, and then the stem is wrapped and the garter is fixed with a knot.
As the main stem grows, the garter is done several times:
- The distance between the garters is chosen arbitrarily;
- recommended distance - no more than 10-15 cm.
Tying plants to trellis
If there are a sufficiently large number of bushes in the garden and they are arranged in rows (for example, in beds), another, more rational method of tying is used. To implement it, you will need a thin beam or strong stakes, and their number is significantly less than the number of bushes.
Tying tomatoes on a trellis
Large stakes are set at the beginning and end of the tomato beds, and between them they stretch a wire or a strong rope. At the same time, the stems and branches of the tomato are tied to this wire.
In this case, the following garter methods are used:
- The wire is stretched at a height of about 1.8-2 m. At the same time, the twine for tying should be long enough to reach from the wire to the stems. Scourges of tomatoes will wrap around the twine as they grow.
- The wire is pulled in several rows, fixing them on the extreme stakes. The distance between the rows of wire is chosen about 15 cm. In this case, each bush is tied up several times as it grows
Garter of tomatoes in the greenhouse
In any case, tying is done in the same way as in the case of individual stakes - the stem is fixed at a certain distance from the anchor point to the wire. This method is good because it also allows you to fix heavy brushes with fruits to the wire.
If the length of the bed is too long, the structure is additionally reinforced with intermediate stakes.
If two beds are located relatively close to each other, you can use one trellis for two beds (of course, making it more durable). Thus, not only material savings will be achieved, but also a significant simplification of the entire structure. Outwardly, it will resemble a kind of "hut" of tomatoes.
Binding with cages
If you have time and materials, you can make whole designs for the garter (both individual for each bush, and group), which will serve more than one season. These designs will resemble cages for tomatoes.
Cage tying
They are made from reinforcing wire. First, several circles of the same diameter are made. Then they are fixed at a distance of 30-40 cm from each other on vertical racks made of the same reinforcing wire. Thus, a cylindrical cell is formed. It is installed at the same time as ordinary stakes, and then the stem of the plant is tied to it as it grows.
If you don’t want to mess with reinforcing wire, you can make this frame out of wood. Instead of circles, you can use a square design. It will resemble a stool, but without a seat. The size of such a cage can include only one bush, or you can make it larger so that it can cover up to 4 bushes.
For each "leg" of the impromptu "stool" there will be one bush. This design will be much stronger and more reliable than using 4 individual pegs.
Garter with caps
In general, it resembles the previous method, but with a slight difference.For each bush, a kind of pyramidal structure is built, reminiscent of an Indian wigwam. You can make such a pyramid from any improvised means.
Garter with a cap
Most often, ordinary wire or vine is used as a material for such a tomato "wigwam". It is acceptable to use long stakes. In addition to fastening at the very top, the structure is fixed in 2-3 places with the help of transverse strapping with a thinner wire.
It is recommended to place such "pyramids" at some distance from each other so that there is no excessive crowding of plants.
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Tomato garter is a mandatory procedure that is necessary when growing them both in a greenhouse and in the open. Moreover, in order to improve the yield and fruiting time, this operation must be done with all bushes, including undersized ones.
After all, receiving additional support, they spend less energy on maintaining the stem in its vertical position, and, consequently, more resources will be spent on the formation of fruits. It is necessary to carry out a garter both in greenhouses, and in an open ground.
There are several ways to garter, the choice of each of which depends on the varietal characteristics of the plant, the arrangement of the beds on which tomatoes are grown, and also on that. how a particular tomato is grown.
VIDEO: How to tie up tomatoes
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How to tie tomatoes
[Instruction] How to tie up tomatoes: description, methods of tying for open ground and greenhouses | (Photo & Video)
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