21 May 2020 Tomao Support (overhead)

[Durgan]

21 May 2020 Tomato Support
Posted on May 21, 2020 by Durgan
http://durgan.org/2020/May 2020/21 May 2020 Tomato Support/HTML/ 21 May 2020 Tomato Support
Eighteen tomato plants were tied by strings for overhead support.The support was put up a few days ago. The tomatoes were purchased and kept in my greenhouse awaiting the end of frosts. The tomato plants (18) are lemon boy 3,cherokee carbon 3,Beefsteak 3,San Merando 3,Glamor 3, Ultra 2, Candyland red 1. This was the selection being sold.Strings will be added as the season progresses as needed to support the fruit bearing branches.The area will be heavily mulched with wood chips partially composted.

 

[headfullofbees]

Durgan, am I right in thinking that you give your plants 3ft each way?
The reason I'm asking is that if this is the case, you'd put 4 into a 3x12 bed, yes?
I have a 3x12 bed in my greenhouse and it has 18 plants there.
2 zig-zag rows of 9; not considered closely packed by UK standards.
I also have 8 cos lettuces growing there; as the days have lengthened, the tomatoes have grown to shade the lettuces, & they're looking good for picking soon.

 

[Durgan]

Durgan, am I right in thinking that you give your plants 3ft each way?
The reason I'm asking is that if this is the case, you'd put 4 into a 3x12 bed, yes?
I have a 3x12 bed in my greenhouse and it has 18 plants there.
2 zig-zag rows of 9; not considered closely packed by UK standards.
I also have 8 cos lettuces growing there; as the days have lengthened, the tomatoes have grown to shade the lettuces, & they're looking good for picking soon.

There is room so I usually go for two feet between tomato plants or possibly a bit more. By overhead staking the plants could actually touch with little if any diminution in growth. With no sucker removal the plants get very large. I just came in from weeding the tomato area and added another string to branch bearing fruit. With a hot Summer production should be around 400 plus pounds. We had a nice welcome rain storm last night so the world is unfolding like it should. No destroying insects have yet appeared.

Additional.
The officials have started using beet juice and sugar cane juice from a couple sugar refineries in Toronto area.. The juice sprayed on the roads melts ice at about minus 15C. Unfortunately, it is deadly poison for earthworms. There use to be thousands of earthworms after a rain on the sidewalks now not even one.The robins Summer in my area and they are few and very thin, since they need earthworm for raising their young. I have contacted the officials and of course they play dumb. That dammed beet juice and sugar cane juice is worse than DDT.