How to tie up tomatoes in a greenhouse and open ground?

No matter what amazing plants gardeners grow on their plots, they almost always make the traditional choice in favor of tomatoes. It’s so nice to grow this crop from the very seed, see how the fruits ripen and taste that very first red one right from the garden. There are low-growing, medium-growing and tall-growing tomatoes. Most often, in areas of our country, it is large-fruited, tall varieties that are grown that require special care. The result is worth it, but to get it, you will have to study the features of gartering tall tomatoes.

Why do you need to tie up tomatoes?

Experienced gardeners who have been growing tomatoes for many years know that gartering is an important event on which the quantity and quality of the harvest directly depends. The garter is especially important for medium-growing and tall varieties - their bushes grow several kilograms of fruit, under the weight of which the bushes break and die.

Why do you need to tie up tomatoes?

unloading of the stem and branches - part of the weight of the fruit is transferred to the supports;
protection of fruits from slugs;
protection against diseases that are transmitted to plants through close contact with the ground;
preventing fruit spoilage due to fungal attack;
More sun penetrates to the fruits, they ripen faster;
convenient to collect ripening fruits.

When is it time to tie it up and why?

Gartering tomatoes is one of the mandatory agricultural practices that are carried out when growing this crop both in open beds and in greenhouses. Moreover, this needs to be done with almost all tomato varieties, preferably even with low-growing ones. For tall tomatoes, which grow up to 2 m and above, a garter is simply a must.

Tie the plants to supports when the tomatoes take root and grow a little, and not immediately after planting.

Carrying out this procedure allows you to solve the following problems:

minimize the likelihood of stems breaking under load;
provide them with normal air circulation, which will reduce the likelihood of fungal diseases;
simplify the treatment of plants with fungicidal preparations;
exclude contact of bushes with wet soil for the same purpose;
simplify important plant care work: watering, weeding, loosening, mulching;
increase the illumination of plants and developing tomatoes and thereby accelerate their ripening;
make it easier to harvest tomatoes from the bushes when they ripen.

Thus, tying tomatoes is carried out in order to preserve the health of the bushes as much as possible and make caring for them easier.

Rules for gartering tomatoes

There are several ways to garter tomatoes, differing in the materials and devices used. The event, regardless of method, is held according to the same rules.

Rules for gartering tomato bushes:

The timing of the event must be respected. You need to choose the moment in time to prevent overloading the bushes.
Supports or frames are installed in moist soil. This helps prevent soil from cracking, which can damage fine roots.
The garter is carried out in stages: first the central stem is tied, and as soon as the fruits begin to form, the fruiting branches are tied up.
A separate rule for tall varieties is that they must be tied up 4-6 days after transplanting the seedlings into the ground.
Low-growing varieties are tied up after the first ovaries appear.
The garter is made loose; it should not tighten the stem.
The loop with which the bush is attached to the support is made in the form of the number 8.
Tall bushes are first fastened under the lower brush, and as they grow, several more fastenings are made.
Low-growing bushes are fastened in the middle part of the stem.
Materials for gartering are used once, and at the end of the season they are collected and disposed of.
Before gartering, the bushes are pruned. Stepchildren are side shoots growing in the axils of the leaves. They reduce the intensity of fruiting, so they must be removed (pinching).
When tying up bushes, you need to leave free space between them and the supports in anticipation of further growth.
The number of garters depends on the variety and can range from 2 to 4 times.

Tying methods

It is worth noting that gardening is developing every year. Breeders are constantly developing new varieties of vegetable crops. In practice, gardeners have tried different methods of tying. Feeding and pinching shrubs are important stages in growing tomato crops.

On the pegs

This is one of the most popular methods that will allow you to maintain the vertical position of the stems of tall tomatoes. To do this, you need to drive a peg into the ground next to the bush, and then carefully tie the plant stem to it. If necessary, the bush should be tied up in several places. The height of the pegs can be approximately 20 cm above the stem of the seedling.

You can tie the stems using any pieces of fabric. It is optimal to choose a synthetic material, since natural fabric will begin to rot, which will harm the plant. An indispensable material for tying is twine.

Important! Do not use stiff rope or wire for tying, as this can damage the stems and affect the development and growth of the bushes. Before the procedure, the tissue should be boiled to avoid infection with diseases and parasites.

In specialized stores you can purchase “clamps” that can be used to secure tomatoes. The tying should be done high. The tourniquet should not be tightened too tightly, otherwise the plants may die. As the tomato crop grows, the garter can be gradually moved upward.

On the trellis

If we are talking about the impressive size of a tomato plantation, then tying with pegs should not be used; the design will be inconvenient. It is optimal to use tying plants onto trellises. This will require a thin long beam or strong pegs. The stakes should be driven into different sides of the bed, and a wire should be stretched and secured between them. Plants must be attached directly to the wire. This method can be used in several variations:

The wire is stretched between the beams at a height of approximately 2 meters. It is recommended to use long strings for this procedure. As the tomatoes grow, the stems will wrap around the twine.
You should stretch rows of wire that are secured to stakes. Each individual bush should be tied to such a guy wire. In addition, you can pass the lashes between the horizontal strips as they grow. The result will be a kind of braided tomato network.

When choosing one of the options, it is worth remembering that you cannot tighten the ropes on the stems tightly. In addition, this method can be used to tie up individual fruits that will grow too heavy.

Watch the video! How to build a trellis for tall tomatoes. We tie up the tomatoes

Important! The structure on a long bed can be modified and made more durable. To do this, you will need to drive additional pegs between the two main ones. With this design, even strong winds will not be a hindrance.

Cages for vegetables

How to conveniently tie up shrubs using special cages? Summer residents often build special cages for bushes. Such structures will last for several seasons. A separate cage is made for each bush. Use rigid wire, from which identical circles should be formed. Next, the circles are fastened together; it is important to maintain the distance using a vertical stand. The result will be cylindrical cells.

Such structures should be installed on the bed on top of the tomato bushes. As the plants grow, staking should be done. If you don't have wire of the required thickness, you can make a cage out of wood. In addition, the structure can be wide so that it can cover several bushes. This method is more reliable than conventional stakes.

Caps

In order to tie up tomatoes planted in open ground, you can use special caps. Such caps are suitable for securing shoots of other crops. In order to make such a structure, you will need vine branches or wire. It is necessary to build a pyramid with transverse and main knitting in the shape of the cell. The caps are installed on the bed during the period of planting seedlings. The distance between plants should be approximately 1 meter. If the area of the site allows, the distance may be greater.

Today there are approximately 10 thousand different varieties of tomatoes. The largest tomatoes can grow and weigh up to 1.5 kg, and the smallest tomato has a diameter of 2 cm. Therefore, there is no exact answer to the question of what is way to tie up the bushes. The method of tying should be chosen based on the variety of tomatoes.

Materials and accessories

When tying up tomatoes, it is important not only to follow the process technology, but also to choose the right materials with which to support the bushes in the air.

Tips for choosing garter material:

It is prohibited to use wire, thin twine or fishing line as garter material. All this digs into the stems of the bushes, damaging and deforming them. You need materials 4-5 cm wide.
It is forbidden to use last year's garter. It can retain pathogens of various diseases, which there is no need to transmit to new plants.
Natural fabrics cannot be used. They tend to rot and harbor insects, fungi, and bacteria.
The best option is a synthetic material with a low stiffness coefficient: nylon cord;
leg-split;
wide and thick rope;
old nylon stockings.

To support the bush, you can use clips (clothespins). With their help, they support the entire stem and branches individually. Clothespins come in wood and plastic. They can be used to attach the stem to a rope that hangs from above - from the ceiling of the greenhouse. Plus, the clothespins can be easily rearranged by changing the level of fastening.

Before use, the garter material must be disinfected - washed and boiled.

Along with garter materials, you will need support devices to which the bushes are tied to plastic and metal structures. It can be:

stakes;
grids;
frames.

Little tricks for gartering tomatoes in the garden

Not everyone can handle the labor involved in tying up tomato bushes. Therefore, summer residents use extraordinary materials and methods to optimize the process.

Nylon cable ties or cable ties. Budget-friendly and profitable. One package (100 pieces) can be purchased for 25 rubles. It is recommended to use clamps multiple times, wash them first and disinfect them before reuse.
Hand-made reusable garters from old bicycle or car inner tubes. This design looks like a thick strip with a slot on one side and a triangular head on the other. After wrapping the stem around the strip, all that remains is to insert the head into the slot.
Dried thick stems of Jerusalem artichoke. An unusual but proven material, albeit disposable.
Combining garter methods on one ridge. It is used when there is a shortage of a certain material or when growing varieties of different heights.

Let's sum it up

Do I need to tie up tomatoes in open ground? It all depends on the variety and height of the bush. Tying tomatoes is one of the important stages of caring for tall plants to obtain a good harvest.

Many methods have been invented for attaching stems to supports in open ground, and each tomato grower chooses the most convenient one for himself. Most often, when tying up bushes, they make do with improvised means - stakes, wooden slats and sticks, strips of old fabric or unnecessary nylon tights. Tomatoes in the garden are tied up without stakes, using a mesh or wire frame. When attaching bushes to supports, it is important not to use materials that can damage the plants (thin threads, fishing line or wire). The considered methods of tying are suitable not only for growing tomatoes in open ground, but also for a greenhouse.

Deadlines

Gartering begins when 8-10 true leaves appear and the stem in its lower part reaches a diameter of 1 cm. The timing of tying depends on the early maturity of the varieties.

The timing of the first garter depending on the early maturity group:

early - 35-40 days after planting in the ground;
medium - for 50-60 days;
late - on the 70-80th day.

The number of subsequent garters will depend on the size of the bush and how quickly and vigorously it will grow. If the bush is low-growing and compact, one garter may be enough, and some varieties do without it at all.

How to tie tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse: methods

Gartering tomatoes in a polycarbonate or glass greenhouse does not require the manufacture of complex devices. In a permanent structure there is no need to install nets, drive in sticks or make any ingenious structures. There is a ceiling and walls strong enough to withstand the weight of the covering material and the elements.

Linear support

A rigid jumper - a pipe, channel, corner - is horizontally attached to the ceiling or walls in the upper part of the greenhouse. It is easier to tie tall tomato bushes to it, formed into 1 or 2 stems. This is convenient in long narrow greenhouses, when tomatoes grow only on both sides of the aisle, and in very large ones, where bushes are planted in many lines. Advertising photos usually show just this method of fastening.

Linear supports should also be located in rows, with one above each. When changing the type of bush formation from 1 to 2-3 trunks or vice versa, you can increase or decrease the distance between planting holes in one line. This will change the feeding area and the free space between the tomatoes.

There are many ways to properly tie tomatoes in a greenhouse to the top support. For clarity, it’s worth considering one step by step:

Cut the ropes to the required length.
The upper edge is tied to the support so that it can be easily tightened or loosened.
The lower end is secured with a free loop slightly above the base of the tomato. The band should not pass under or over the flower cluster or squeeze the trunk.
As necessary, remove the shoots and lower leaves, and curl the top of the tomato.
If the rope sag or becomes too tight, the upper end is untied and the position is corrected.
When tomatoes are grown into several stems, an individual sling is lowered for each.

It is customary to twist tomatoes clockwise. There is an opinion that this can be done in the opposite direction. Why many gardeners are concerned about this question is unclear. In fact, a tomato is not a vine. It can be curled around the sling, changing the direction as desired.

Other methods of attaching tomatoes to a horizontal support differ little from those considered:

You can first tie the lower part of the stem, and then lift the rope up.
It is convenient to attach the sling to the ground with special pins. But you also need to buy them somewhere or make them yourself.
When planting seedlings, the lower end of the twine can be placed in the hole. When the time comes to tie up the tomatoes, the roots will already be entwined. The upper edge is left to lie on the ground or immediately raised to a support and secured so that it does not interfere with maintenance.
If you plant a lot of bushes, there is no time to think about garter. Ropes can be easily inserted into the substrate using a rod or thick wire flattened and forked at the end another day.

Horizontal trellis

If desired, you can make another, lower, crossbar in a greenhouse or greenhouse. This will already be a trellis. Then the question of attaching the rope to the tomato will disappear by itself. The ends are tied vertically to the upper and lower jumpers, and the stem is wrapped around it.

Vertical trellis

You can make a vertical trellis, but it will not be as strong. It is inconvenient to grow high-yielding indeterminate tomatoes there - they constantly pull back the horizontal ropes. But such a support is well suited for determinate varieties that grow in 2 or 3 trunks.

The structure of a vertical trellis differs little from a horizontal one. Only the supports are attached not to the top and bottom, but to the sides of the bed.

Thick wire or strong rope is pulled over them in several rows at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other, and slings are already attached to them. The result will be some kind of net that can support not only shoots, but also leaves and fruit clusters.

Detached vertical supports

Of course, no one forbids, even when building a greenhouse, equipping it with vertical supports to which the tomatoes will be tied. But it’s better to abandon this idea. Why will become clear at the end of the season.

Rigidly fixed pipes, fittings or sticks treated against rotting will not be able to tear or come undone like twine. But when the time comes to dig up the substrate and process the greenhouse, you will understand that it would have been better to do without stakes. After all, they are scattered throughout the greenhouse and make care much more difficult.

Frames and meshes

There is simply no room for wire frames surrounding a bush in a greenhouse or greenhouse. The use of mesh is also not recommended. Even if it has large cells and, according to the manufacturer, is very durable, it still makes care, processing and watering difficult, it breaks, sag, and complicates access to the back side of the bushes.

Instead of twisting the tomatoes, you can tie them up using clips or clothespins. This is convenient, but requires additional costs.

Tying tomatoes in open ground

In open ground, large producers and many simple gardeners try to grow tomato varieties that can grow without garter. They are also called super-determinate or growth-limited varieties. The disadvantage of such tomatoes is small yields.

Features of a garter in open ground:

In vegetable gardens, you can use the same gartering methods as in greenhouses.
If there are few bushes, it is advisable to use caps or wire frames. For hundreds of bushes, such methods are not suitable; trellises have to be arranged.
The requirements for trellis structures in open ground are stricter than in greenhouses. In addition to the weight of the bushes, they have to withstand gusty winds, rain and other natural disasters.
Trellis are installed for one year, since tomatoes are not recommended to be grown in one place. Because of this, few gardeners use the trellis garter method. There are, however, mobile versions, but their construction requires certain knowledge, skills and costs.
Plastic nets are not suitable for garters. Tall bushes tear it up, but low bushes do not need it. The annual installation of a chain-link fence turns out to be even more difficult than the arrangement of trellises.
For gardeners growing tomatoes in open ground, the most popular method remains gartering with individual stakes.

Tying in greenhouses

Growing tomatoes in greenhouses has a number of features. Since the amount of free space in the structure is limited, the following types of garter are used:

Bow. A wire is stretched between the rows, to which each bush is fixed using the figure-of-eight method.
Using clothespins. These are ready-made devices that can be purchased at any summer resident store. They allow you to fix the plant to any type of support.

Mistakes when tying tomatoes

Many gardeners, without delving into the peculiarities of tomato agricultural technology, make mistakes when gartering them. As a result, the bushes suffer, yields drop, and the taste of the fruit deteriorates.

Typical mistakes when gartering tomatoes:

The bushes are tied with inappropriate material . Too hard materials cause damage to the stem and shoots. Plants begin to wither and eventually die.
They use last year's garters and do not disinfect them. As a result, young plants can be affected by pathogenic microbes.
They tie the ropes lower than necessary, and do not change the garter as the bushes grow . When growing tall varieties, a one-time garter is not enough; it has to be repeated several times during the growing season.
Install supports that do not correspond to the characteristics of the variety . So, for example, there is no point in tying a tall tomato to a low support, and vice versa.
Wrap the stems and branches with tape/duct tape . This material secures branches only if they are wrapped tightly. But then the stem and shoots are deprived of the opportunity to grow in thickness. As a result, plant nutrition deteriorates and their productivity decreases.

The garter, for all its simplicity, can significantly affect the tomato yield. When choosing a method for gartering tomatoes, take into account the characteristics of the variety, method of cultivation, financial aspect and other circumstances.

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Why do you need a tomato garter?

With rare exceptions, all varieties of tomatoes need the garter procedure. Most often I like tall plants. They can be grown both in a greenhouse and in a garden bed. When growing outside, this procedure is required.

Here are some important reasons why you need to ensure an optimal level of safety for tomatoes:

tall tomatoes may break under the weight of the fruit;
gartering tomatoes achieves an important point: the fruits will always be above the soil level. Diseases and pests of fruit plants will be less dangerous for the plant;
in this form it is much easier to take stepson. Stepchildren take a lot of strength and nutrients from a tomato. The fruits on them rarely have time to ripen. Therefore, it is better not to leave more than 1-2 stepsons.
It will also be easier to care for: apply fertilizer right to the roots and water.

Benefits of a Garter

Not all tomatoes that are taller than one and a half meters need staking. For example, in some regions with arid climates, even indeterminate varieties lie on the ground and thrive.

But what about those who live in the northern regions? Heavy rains and cool nights cause late blight and leaf rot. Therefore, tomatoes should not touch the ground, and moreover, even low-growing varieties need a garter.

I will briefly describe the benefits of tying tomatoes:

easier to harvest;
fertilizing and water do not fall on the leaves;
slugs do not threaten foliage;
stems and branches will not fall under the weight of the fruit;
plants will have enough oxygen and light.

When is the best time to do this? It is best after pinching and the appearance of ovaries. I recently wrote about how to plant tomatoes. But most likely, you will have to tie it up several times as the plant gains strength.

Garter - mandatory or desirable?

Both theorists and agricultural practitioners agree that gartering tomatoes is not just a “recommended” action, it must be present in growing the plant.

How to tie up tomatoes

This relatively simple procedure leads to the following positive consequences for the plant, and, as a result, the harvest:

The garter guarantees the safety and integrity of the plant stem. 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 into harvest
The leaves of a tomato bush properly tied in a vertical plane are located 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. Thanks to this, the supply of carbohydrates to the plant will be sufficient to form a normal harvest.
Precipitation and weather changes will not cause significant damage to a tied tomato bush located in open ground. The support will prevent the branches of the plant from breaking if they are not too strong.
The garter greatly simplifies the watering procedure, since the tomato must be watered exclusively at the root. He does not like moisture on the leaves. If the branches are tied, 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 susceptible to the influence of 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, etc. - all this is much more convenient to do with a neatly tied bush, when the tomato foliage does not interfere with the process
During the process of fruit formation, they will not only be easily accessible during harvesting on a tied bush, but will also be more distant 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 top layer of soil will not provoke rotting of the vegetable

An easy way to tie a garter using a plastic bottle

Even if half of the listed advantages are realized, this alone is enough to start tying up the bush.

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Top dressing tomato

The first feeding of seedlings is carried out after a week and is repeated every ten days. Top dressing is made from mineral fertilizers. Also suitable are mulch (“Mulching the soil”) or compost (“Do-it-yourself compost pit”).

If tomatoes are cultivated in open ground, then fertilizing should be done with solutions of complex mineral fertilizers. A week after planting the seedlings, the tomatoes are fed with solutions containing the elements of potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen, which they consume the most. Subsequent feedings are carried out until the end of fruiting every 2-3 weeks.

Expert advice on choosing tools

Wire and other rigid garters in the form of fishing line and twine are not suitable for tomatoes. This is not a way to properly tie tomatoes, but a real injury. Forget about last year's resources. Various bacteria that cause diseases could accumulate on them.

Using natural threads means allowing rot and insects to appear in them.

The best option is to use synthetics. It is important that it is not traumatic. Excellent variations include: nylon cord, twine, old nylon stockings...

Clips are acceptable as supports for the bush. They are familiar to gardeners as clothespins. The stem and branches independently of each other have support.

They are usually made from wood and plastic. They are easy to adjust and move. Before gartering, all products must be disinfected by washing and boiling.

Harvesting tomatoes

When the fruits are fully ripe (the shine appears along the way), they can be harvested. If this needs to be done earlier, then you can collect the browned fruits, and then place them in boxes, and after a certain time, they will ripen themselves (they will acquire the color we need). These tomatoes can ripen in one day or a week, so you should check them daily.

Tomatoes must be stored on the stem side at room temperature, in a place protected from direct sunlight.

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Benefits of a garter

A garter is needed for the following reasons:

Without it, there is a high chance that the plant stem will break, especially after the appearance of juicy fruits.
Tethered tomatoes are much easier to spray and process in other ways: weed the soil around them, hill up or mulch.
Tethered plants receive much more sunlight and are better ventilated. This increases fertility and promotes development.
Positioning high above the soil helps protect leaves and fruits from mice, slugs and other pests.
Watering tied plants is easier because you can avoid unwanted large amounts of moisture getting onto the foliage.
The likelihood that precipitation will harm your crop is minimized.

You may not need to tie up only low-growing varieties of tomatoes, but often this will not be superfluous for them either. Well, if we are talking about those varieties that can reach two meters or more, it is absolutely impossible to do without this procedure.