How to tie up tomatoes: step-by-step instructions for greenhouses and open ground (100 photos)

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 clips

One of the main advantages of clips for gartering plants is lightness and ease of use. Installing a clothespin and fixing a plant shoot does not require special skills.

The main advantages of clothespins for plants:

1. Once the clothespin is installed, the risk of damage or deformation to the stem or top of the vegetable crop is minimized.
2. The clip provides a strong and reliable fastening. Thanks to special notches, the device does not slip on the vegetable crop and does not damage it.
3. Installing and removing the plastic device takes minimal time. Clips can be used not only in a greenhouse, but also for tying up plants in open ground.
4. Clothespins are easily disinfected and are suitable for repeated use.
5. Using clips does not require special knowledge, so even beginners in gardening can use them.
6. The clothespins do not break and can withstand any weight of ripe fruit.
7. Clothes pins for plants can be bought at any gardening store or on specialized websites. Their cost is affordable for every gardener.

When gartering a tomato, the clothespin is most often attached to the central stem, after which it is fixed on nylon twine and a horizontal or vertical trellis. Thanks to this method of fastening, the load on the central stem is reduced. The flow of water and nutrients into plant cells improves, which helps increase productivity.

Garter tomato during cultivation in a greenhouse

It is not at all difficult to fix it strictly vertically if you use the greenhouse growing method. You will need supports of the required height and suitable material for dressing. Old knee socks, nylon tights, and narrow strips of fabric will do. You can just buy plastic clips.

Never perform this procedure using materials that are not suitable for this purpose. It is important to tie up the tomatoes correctly.

Devices and materials for garters

To securely fix the plants, supports and garter material are used. Long wooden stakes or metal rods are used as supports. As for the material for tying, soft fabric or elastic but durable material is suitable.

There is a special device for gartering, which in appearance resembles a combination of garden pruning shears and a stapler, which is equipped with adhesive tape and a cutter. Using such a device, it is much easier to fix the branches of a tomato bush to a support. The plant is not injured in this case.

A simple and inexpensive option is plastic clips that fasten with one click . The devices are reliable and can withstand any weight. They can be used for many years in a row. For fixing plants, you can select clips of a suitable size for stems and branches with fruits.

Reference. You cannot use thin thread, fishing line or other hard materials to secure the stems of the plant, as they can injure the stem or even break it.

Garter tomato in outdoor conditions

When growing tomatoes outdoors, you should pay more attention to the garter procedure. Heavy rain or wind can break not only the grooves, but ruin the entire bush. That’s why it’s so important to properly tie up tomatoes outside.

Rules for tying

Typically, gardeners use old rags as material for tying tomato bushes. These could be knitted T-shirts, worn-out bed linen, nylon stockings. The material is cut into a continuous strip 2-3 cm wide. It is more convenient to cut T-shirts and tights in a spiral for this purpose. Then the strips are wound into a ball. When tying, simply cut off a piece of the required length directly on the field.

On a note! Homemade garters are usually used when growing tomatoes in a summer cottage, where the number of bushes is small. If we are talking about a large field, twine made of synthetic threads is usually used for tying. Another option is plastic loops and clips, which can also be purchased at the store.

When using any material, observe the following rules:

• the garter is fastened loosely so that it does not overtighten the stem;
• the loop attaching the plant to the support is made in the form of a figure eight;
• The first fastening for tall tomatoes is made under the lower brush, then several more are made as the height of the bush increases;
• for low-growing bushes, the fastening is done in the middle part of the stem;
• material for garters is used once, at the end of the growing season all garters are thrown away;
• Before tying, the bushes are pinched.

Tomato garter stakes

Why is it so important to decide for yourself the question: “how to tie up tomatoes”? The answer lies on the surface. Rain and wind can pose a significant threat to your tomatoes. Requirements for supports will have to be tightened.

If you prefer medium and low varieties, then the pegs themselves should be 30 cm higher than the plants. For tall ones, this figure is already much higher: from 2 to 2.5 m. They retreat from the trunk at a distance of about 15 centimeters. This is important so that you do not damage the root system. Do not tighten the material for gartering tomatoes too tightly, as this may damage the stems of the plant.

Tomato cages refer to small structures. They will reliably protect and will not allow the bush to break or otherwise be damaged.

When to tie up tomatoes

The first garter for tall varieties is done 3-5 days after planting the seedlings. In the future, this event is carried out regularly as the bushes grow. Although some gardeners recommend that the first tying be carried out only after the seedlings have taken root well and form 2-3 new leaves in a permanent place of growth.

What to do before gartering

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

Reference. Stepchildren are carried out once every 10-12 days, not allowing the stepsons to grow more than 5 cm.

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

Caps for tomatoes

Extremely convenient and unusual designs for gartering tomatoes in open ground. They are suitable even for very tall varieties of tomatoes.

You need to build a pyramid from any available means. Wire, stakes with a transverse ligament, willow twigs, and vines are suitable. The distance between structures should not be less than 1 meter. One cap will provide comfort outdoors for several plants at once.

What mistakes are encountered when tying tomatoes?

Mistakes when tying tomatoes are mostly made by beginners. Experienced gardeners adhere to their favorite techniques that allow them to obtain abundant harvests of quality tomatoes. Here are the most common mistakes made when tying:

1. The use of thin and hard materials that damage succulent young stems (fishing line, wire, etc.). The danger also lies in the fact that the wound may become infected and the tomato will develop a fungal or bacterial disease. All this can be easily avoided by using soft, elastic materials.
2. Use for fixing shoots with adhesive tape or tape. To properly fix the stem, you will have to make a tight winding, attaching it to the support. In the future, the shoot will not be able to grow in thickness, and the nutrition of the upper part of the bush is disrupted. As a result, productivity decreases.
3. Neglect of disinfection. For reasons of economy, some people store garter materials for later use. If you use garters without disinfecting them, the risk of transmitting pathogenic microflora to tomatoes increases, even if the plants were not sick in the previous season.
4. Choosing a support that does not correspond to the characteristics of the variety. For example, medium-sized bushes do not need to be attached to a trellis; low pegs are enough for them. It also happens, on the contrary, that a tall bush is attached to a disproportionately small support, as a result of which the plant may break. The higher the tomatoes, the more reliable the support should be.
5. One-time tying. Some people tie up a tomato once and think that’s enough. For tall varieties, a disposable garter is unacceptable. The plant may break its stems or stop growing.

It is better not to make such mistakes, because summer residents do not have time to correct them. If the bush turns out to be broken or sick, you will lose a certain part of the harvest. In addition, the disease can spread throughout the greenhouse.

On hook

It is very important to tie a tomato garter in open ground. Place pegs on the sides of the bed for this important procedure. Between them, pass the cable between two adjacent sticks. Then you need to attach a fishing line with loops located at different heights. The optimal distance between stakes is 20 to 25 cm.

Hooks must be inserted into the loops, always made of thick wire. They should be S-shaped. It is the hooks that tension the line itself. A branch or bunch of tomatoes must be placed under an elastic ring. The hook is threaded through it. The fishing line is tied to a stake in front of each plant. When the plant gets taller, simply move the hook to a higher loop.

Timing for tying

The need to install a support arises when the plant begins to lean down. Fixing the bush in a vertical position makes it easier to care for. Typically, tying is done when the plants reach the desired height and thickness of the stems. By this moment, the bush should have from 8 to 10 true leaves, and the diameter of the trunk in the lower part is more than 1 cm.

You can determine the timing of tying based on the varietal group of tomatoes:

• early varieties are tied up from 35 to 40 days;
• gartering of mid-season varieties is performed at 50-60 days;
• Late tomatoes are fixed from 70 to 80 days.

Unusual ways to support tomatoes

Non-standard methods are associated in the configuration of structures of unusual supports. I suggest you get to know them in a little more detail.

Well suited for these purposes:

• thorny blackberry branches;
• hazel;
• willow twigs;
• trimmed branches from seedlings;
• various vines, vines or regular twine.

Technology of trellis growing tomatoes

For growing large quantities of tomatoes, trellis technology is suitable. Its essence comes down to constructing a trellis with rows of ropes:

• two high posts are securely dug in at the ends of the greenhouse bed;
• for strength, their upper ends are tied with a horizontally placed beam or metal rod;
• a strong rope is stretched between the columns in tiers with an interval between rows of about 30 cm;
• As they grow, the tomato bushes are tied to ropes.

This device is stationary - having made the trellis once, it is used for a long time, only changing the ropes as needed. The disadvantage of this design is that the ropes can sag under the weight of the bushes. This problem can be reduced to zero if, in the same way, in tiers, wooden slats or reinforcement are stretched between the posts instead of ropes. This will require a large initial investment of labor and materials, but such a trellis will be an absolutely reliable support for the tomatoes.

Lattice for garter

You will need a couple of buried grates. They should be tilted in different directions from each other. The tomatoes growing between them will themselves support the cunning structure.

Select the height of each trellis taking into account the maximum height of the tomato bushes. You won’t have to tie up a single tomato bush. The tomatoes themselves will choose a convenient place on the trellis holder.

Tying tomatoes to individual stakes

One of the easiest ways to tie up tomatoes is to make an individual support for each one. To do this, when planting seedlings, it is enough to place a wooden stake, a metal rod or a piece of plastic pipe next to each bush. The length of the support should be equal to the expected height of the plant. The distance from the support to the tomato stem should be about 10 cm. Next, the plant is simply fixed to the peg with ribbons in several places as it grows.

This garter technology is not suitable for all tomatoes, but only for medium-sized varieties. Bushes with a height of 1.7 m and higher are capable of collapsing along with the support. In addition, this method is not very convenient for large greenhouses, where a lot of tomatoes are planted - in them it is more advisable to use other methods of garter.

The use of bush holders when growing tomatoes

Some types of commercially available bush holders can also be used as a support for tomatoes:

You can make an analogue of a ladder bush holder with your own hands.
Buying ready-made bush holders, of course, increases the aesthetics of the tomato bed. However, from a profitability point of view, it is not entirely justified. For example: the simplest staircase support will cost about 250 rubles. To equip even a small greenhouse for 20 bushes you will have to spend approximately 5,000 rubles. Whether such costs make practical sense is up to the greenhouse owner to decide.

Growing and caring for seedlings

For the greenhouse, you should choose hybrid self-pollinating varieties. One of the most popular is verlioka.

Preparation of seeds, soil, containers

The first step is preparing the seeds. Fitosporin-M is used for their treatment. This procedure usually takes about 20 minutes. Afterwards a growth stimulator is used.

It is strictly forbidden to plant seeds in soil that has not been treated. To get strong seedlings, follow a certain algorithm:

• Collect turf soil from the area.
• Leave the bags on the street or balcony.
• A month before planting the seedlings, they are brought into a warm room. The soil is sifted, freed from debris and spilled with clean water.
• The treated soil is taken out into the cold. This procedure is called freezing. Thus, parasites and pathogens are eliminated. To enhance the effect, the soil is steamed. To do this, it is kept in a water bath for several hours.
• The prepared soil is mixed with humus and peat. All components are taken in equal proportions. Water, ash, coarse sand and superphosphate are added to the mixture. No additional ingredients are added to purchased soil. The soil should be loose and nutritious.

Disinfect containers for seedlings and rinse them with running water. The minimum height is 7 cm. Place the soil mixture into selected containers. They spill it. Leave the boxes alone for 10-14 days.

Read more about preparing tomato seedlings at home here.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Tomatoes are sown between February and March. The procedure is quite simple:

• Moisten the soil in the boxes.
• Grooves are made, the depth of which does not exceed 1.5 cm.
• Seeds are placed in them. Equal spaces must be left between them.
• Sprinkle the seed with soil.
• Cover the box with transparent plastic film. It is left until sprouts appear. From time to time the film is opened slightly for ventilation.
• Containers with seedlings are placed in a room where the air temperature is +22 °C or higher. After the seedlings appear, this indicator drops to +18 °C.
• Sprouts that are grown in cassettes and boxes need picking. Timely implementation of this procedure will ensure good development of the root system. The first picking of tomatoes is carried out 7-10 days after the leaves appear. The seedlings should not be watered before starting the procedure.

Plants must be moved into a separate container with extreme care. Otherwise, the root system may be damaged. In order for tomatoes to take root in the ground faster, they need to be hardened off for several weeks before planting. Boxes are allowed to be taken outside if the air temperature is above +12 °C.

Also read about the best time to sow seeds for seedlings according to the Lunar calendar.

Fork clamp for rooting plants from DRTOOLS (2 - 4.5 cm, 50 pcs)

Price: from 84.64 rub. (check price and discount)

Seller's reliability: excellent!

Delivery within Russia: free!

Be sure to order on the Aliexpress website with free delivery throughout Russia.

In principle, good things, I ordered them for rooting indoor plants. Comfortable. Corresponds to the description.

Spik[er]

Excellent quality. Thick. Ideal for reusable strawberries. And you can clearly see them in the foliage! I recommend.

Dark_Sun

I ordered several items, everything arrived in 5 weeks in full and intact. Good quality product, I recommend it. You can negotiate with the seller and it was generally pleasant to communicate. I RECOMMEND!!!!

Dweller of the Internet

View on AliExpress: