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

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 to start tying up tomatoes and is it necessary to do so?

Before determining the start date for tying up tomatoes, you should figure out whether all varieties need it. Indeed, indeterminate and determinate cultures differ in their needs.

Determinants are low- or medium-growing tomatoes. Low-growing, or standard, varieties do not need a garter; they have a strong, thick stem and strong branches that hold the grown fruits. Medium-sized tomatoes can be tied once to prevent branches from breaking off under the weight of ripe fruits.
Indeterminates are always tall (or, as they say, “unlimited in growth”) tomatoes. They are mainly chosen for growing in greenhouses. Such tomatoes are advantageous for greenhouse cultivation, since in a limited area they can produce a larger yield than standard or medium-sized determinate varieties.

The exact time when you need to start tying up tomatoes is determined by the greenhouse grower himself. More precisely, the garter should be done as soon as the seedlings begin to grow.

If each sprout is not directly tied, then trellises must be installed if trellis tying is intended.

One should not take seriously the statements of some gardeners that tying is unnecessary and from the evil one, since nature itself knows what to do and how the plant should grow.

But the fact is that tall indeterminates are already the work of human hands, hybrid cultures. And greenhouse cultivation is even more so artificial. Therefore, you should not rely on nature, and having intervened in it once, monitor the fruit of your hands and provide the tomatoes with everything they need.

Why tying is necessary:

Indeterminates need to be pinched - this procedure is much easier to carry out when the plant is tied up;
Tied tomatoes will not break from the weight of ripened fruits;
On tied branches, tomatoes are protected from lodging on the ground and subsequent damage by slugs and other ground pests, from rotting and late blight;
Tying makes it easier to properly water the plant at the roots - this is impossible to do with lying shoots;
Harvesting is much easier and more enjoyable from tied bushes than rummaging through tomato vines lying on the soil.

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.

Garter tomato of medium-sized varieties

These plants only have to be strengthened once. Typically, determinate varieties (medium-sized bushes) are recommended to be tied during the period of fruit formation, which reduces the breaking off of lateral branches and brushes. As a rule, it is enough to fix only the middle of the stem.

Support is provided using a simple single-level trellis, with a rope stretched between the supports, or by installing pegs. A rope loop or tape can be used as a binding.

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.

Tying: why is it necessary?

Tying tomatoes is a simple procedure and involves attaching the branches of the plant to supports using fabric or ropes. Other materials may also be used. The stems should be tied immediately after the pinching is done and the fruit ovaries are formed. After the seedling grows in size, the procedure is repeated. There is no need to tie up low-growing, early-ripening tomato varieties. We are talking about varieties for open ground:

Amber;
Northerner;
Polar.

Such varieties have average yields and are rarely grown in greenhouse conditions. Since experienced summer residents give preference to tall and high-yielding varieties of tomatoes. This is justified by the fact that a large crop can be grown in a small area of the site. These varieties include:

Honey saved;
Mushroom basket;
Southern tan.

These varieties have tall vine-like trunks. Their average length is approximately 3-3.5 meters. The large number of lateral stems and their long fruiting period make these varieties very popular. A prerequisite for growing: the need to tie the branches to supports.

Not only plant stems, but also branches with tomatoes need to be tied up. In special cases, they should be secured in two or three places for reliability. You cannot tie knots tightly, or tie them close to trellises. If this is necessary, the fastening should be removed and the stem secured in another place.

Proper garter will greatly benefit the plants. Benefits of proper garter:

Plant fruits do not like high humidity. If moisture gets on the foliage or stems, it can cause rot. If the plants grow vertically and watering is carried out at the root, this will avoid rotting;
Tomatoes that hang are more convenient to pick, and they will also be protected from damage by photoblight and slugs;
The branches do not break under the weight of the fruit;
Tying the branches will allow the fruits to receive more air and light, which in turn will speed up the ripening process;
The technology of tying the stems simplifies the care of tomatoes, namely weeding, fertilizing, and pinching.

Watch the video! 5 ways to garter a tomato

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.

In what time frame must the procedure be completed?

Experienced summer residents recommend focusing on the growth of seedlings: as soon as the stems begin to actively develop, you can tie the bush to a support. This point depends on the variety of tomatoes and light level.

Expert opinion

Stanislav Pavlovich

Gardener with 17 years of experience and our expert

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Low temperatures and poor lighting will inhibit plant development. Therefore, the universal reference point is the height of the stem. The first garter is made to a stem 30–35 cm high, and subsequent ones are secured at every 30–40 cm.

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.

How to properly tie tomatoes in a greenhouse

The distance between the bushes depends on the method of attaching the tomato branches to the supports. There are many types of structures that can be used to fix culture. The following are considered optimal among them:

individual garter (a common method that involves the use of small pegs);
wire frame (pipes are installed at the end parts of the greenhouse, between which a rope is pulled - tomato branches are attached to it);
trellis tying (can be continuous or vertical, in which case permanent supports are placed in the greenhouse, between which a mesh of rope is pulled);
mesh fixation (a polypropylene mesh with large cells is stretched between the rows, to which shoots and stems of the crop are attached).

Support for gartering tomatoes

Towards individual support

When planting seedlings, wooden stakes or pieces of plastic pipes are placed next to each bush. The length of such individual supports should be equal to the projected height of the plant. Gartering tomatoes in a greenhouse using this method occurs in the following sequence:

Near each bush, stakes are installed at a distance of 10 cm.
Shoots and stems of plants are attached to the support with garter material (ribbons or cord) in several places.
As they grow, it is worth additionally tying the bushes to stakes.

Tying tomato bushes to individual supports
This technology is not suitable for all varieties, but only for medium-sized ones - this is a disadvantage of such tying. Other disadvantages of fixation to individual support are:

the inconvenience of the method for large greenhouses where many tomatoes are planted;
the possibility of collapsing plants along with the support when digging stakes shallowly;
need for re-tying;
labor intensity of the process.

However, this method of tying tomatoes in a greenhouse is optimal for owners of small greenhouses. It does not require special skills and has the following advantages:

simplicity of designs;
the ability to use handy materials as supports;
If you fix the supports well, the tomatoes will not break even with strong gusts of wind.

Individual garter of tomatoes

Wire frame mounting

For this purpose, a wire mesh with large cells is used. Leaves and branches with fruits are easily attached to such a frame. If necessary, the structure can be quickly disassembled and moved to another location. Fixation on a wire frame is an excellent alternative to the trellis method, and it has many advantages, including the following:

you can tie not only stems, but also specific brushes;
low time and labor costs;
high reliability of fastening;
durability of the structure;
ability to withstand heavy weight.

Fastening tomatoes to a wire frame
The disadvantage of this type of fixation is the search for suitable material. You should look for it in construction stores and hypermarkets. Other disadvantages of fastening to a wire frame are:

the need to spend a certain amount of money on the purchase of building materials;
Carrying out periodic re-tying as the bushes grow.

The process itself requires certain skills, so it is better for inexperienced gardeners to seek help from specialists. Fastening tomatoes is carried out as follows:

At the ends of the greenhouse, pillars made of wood or metal are dug in (to a depth of 30-40 cm or more).
A coarse mesh or wire is stretched between the supports.
As the tomatoes grow, they are tied to the frame using ropes or hooks.

Linear mount

This method is used in small greenhouses made of glass, film or polycarbonate. Linear tying is suitable for medium-sized and low-growing varieties of tomatoes. It is not recommended to tie tall bushes to such supports, since they are not strong and can break off under the weight of the plant - this is the only disadvantage of this method of fixation.

Linear tying of tomatoes

Linear fixation of tomatoes is performed as follows:

A 5x5 cm block is driven in from both ends of the section.
A thick wire or rope is pulled between the supports.
A strip of fabric is tied to each bush at the base.
The opposite edge of the garter material is secured on top of the rope.

This garter of tomatoes in a greenhouse is performed before fruiting (or at the initial stage of the process). The advantages of linear fastening of tomatoes are:

no need for re-gartering;
simplicity of the fixation process;
cost-effectiveness (no need to purchase special materials).

Linear tying of tomatoes

Trellis fastening

This fixation is ideal when growing large quantities of tomatoes. Fastening involves constructing a trellis with rows of ropes. Tie up tomatoes like this:

Two tall columns are dug deep into the edges of the greenhouse.
Their upper edges are connected with a horizontally placed metal rod or wooden beam (this provides strength to the structure).
A strong rope is pulled between the columns in tiers (the interval between the rows should be about 30 cm).
As the tomatoes grow, they are tied to ropes.

Trellis garter of tomatoes
The proposed method of fixation is suitable even for high-yielding varieties, since it is one of the most reliable. The advantages of trellis fastening are:

stationarity of the structure (once installed, it is used for a long time, changing ropes as necessary);
The device is durable and reliable.

As a rule, the advantages of trellis fixation persuade experienced gardeners to choose this method of tying tomatoes in a greenhouse, but it is worth understanding that it also has disadvantages. The disadvantages of trellises include:

periodic sagging of the ropes under the weight of the bushes (this problem can be avoided by stretching wooden slats between the columns instead of ropes);
the complexity of the installation process.

Trellis for tomatoes

Mounting on metal or plastic mesh

This is a combined technique that combines fastening with mesh and trellis fixation. Experienced gardeners advise choosing material with large cells. The tying is done like this:

Two reliable supports are installed at each end of the greenhouse.
A plastic or metal mesh is stretched between them.
Tomato branches and stems are attached to this material.
As the bushes grow, you can untie and fix the shoots at a new level.

Mesh for gartering tomatoes
It is necessary to try several options to choose the appropriate method for fixing plants. Capital structures made of metal will cost more, but will last much longer. Temporary lightweight plastic mounts are ideal for trial growing vegetables and frequently changing crops on the site. The advantages of fixing to a mesh are:

ease of use of the mount;
the ability to re-tie plants;
reliability of the design.

It may be difficult for a person without experience to build a stable structure and tie tomatoes to it. In addition, the main disadvantages of the technique are:

labor costs;
need for financial investments.

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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What to use for fastening

securely fix tomato bushes using supports and garter material. The latter can be narrow strips of soft cotton fabric, cut nylon tights or knee socks.

After harvest, the strips can be washed, disinfected and stored for use the following year. For tying, do not use thin twine, threads, fishing line, wire or other thin and hard materials that can cut or break branches.

Special devices with adhesive tape and a cutter, reminiscent of a hybrid of garden pruning shears and a stapler, are very convenient. Using such a device, you can quickly and accurately fix the branches at the desired height. The tape is easily removed and does not injure the plants. The clamp with tape is especially convenient when tying tall tomatoes to trellises.

A simple and inexpensive option is plastic clips that fasten with one movement of the hand.
They do not break, can withstand any weight, are easy to clean and can be used for several years in a row. The clips come in different sizes and can be used to secure both stems and branches with fruits.

The need for this event

It should be warned that not all tomato varieties need staking. Shrubs of low growth and quickly ripening do without this, but tall species require a garter.
When pinching bushes, it is better to do this when they are tied up. Tall plants also need a garter because the abundance of fruits can break the main stem of the bush.
This event also ensures the preservation of the crop - fruits lying on the ground are more often affected by slugs and other harmful parasites. The occurrence of late blight, whose causative agent is located in the ground, cannot be ruled out.
It is easier to water tied bushes, avoiding water getting on the foliage and ovary, because tomatoes do not like this. In a word, the harvest is preserved, and convenience arises in caring for the crop and collecting ripened vegetables.

In the greenhouse

The method of gartering greenhouse tomatoes depends on the height of the plant and its power.
The easiest way is to use an individual peg for each bush. Any material is suitable for this - fittings, metal rod, wooden slats or plastic pipes. The length is selected based on the height of the bush plus a margin of thirty centimeters. Based on this difference, the stake is driven into the ground a few centimeters from the bush. After this, the garter is performed. It should be noted that this option is suitable for medium-sized species. Large bushes with their weight can knock over a peg. There is also a drawback - as the plants grow, the garter is performed several times. A convenient method is to tie tomatoes in a greenhouse to trellises. Strong supports are installed in the bed, on which wire or strong rope is stretched. As the bushes grow, their stems are tucked behind the wire according to the weaving principle. Or you can stretch the wire only along the upper sections of the supports, and tie the bushes to it with twine. All that remains is to guide the bush as it grows around it, so that it wraps around it.

In the open ground

The most commonly used method is individual support pegs. Some gardeners install trellises, but in this case the wire is replaced with wooden slats, giving it strength and stability in case there is strong wind.

Garter materials

It is important to choose the right dressing material that will be in direct contact with the plant. It should be durable and have good width.

Wire, nylon fishing line, thin twine - all this should be set aside, as the materials will cut into the stem, damaging it. We recommend preparing strips of fabric three to four centimeters wide. Old sheets, knee socks or nylon tights are suitable for these purposes. If you have chosen a garter material that you hope to use for several years in a row, do not forget to disinfect it with boiling water to evaporate the pathogens that accumulated in the fabric during the previous season.

There is nothing complicated in this procedure. But with minimal cost and effort, it helps a lot in caring for tomatoes, growing and preserving the harvest.