Some vegetables need support to grow tall and produce lots of fruit. Every hobby gardener should also offer tomato climbing aids so that all leaves and shoots get sunlight. There are different variants to choose from.
Tomato climbing aid: That's why you have to tie up the shoots
The trellis not only saves space when growing tomatoes, but also improves air circulation and makes it easier to plant the tomatoes. As a result, the plants grow healthily and bear lots of fruit. By tying them up, all shoots and leaves can get direct sunlight, which makes the fruits more aromatic.
Depending on where you planted the vegetables - in pots, in the vegetable patch or in the greenhouse - different options for climbing support are possible.
Tips about the tomato climbing aid
A trellis for outdoor tomatoes should be around 1.80 high. For tomatoes in containers, around 1.2 to 1.5 meters is sufficient. The tomatoes are grown in the greenhouse depending on the variety. Since the cord is tied directly to the ceiling, an exact height cannot be specified.
The main shoot is every 35 to 40 cmTrellis attached. The side shoots are only tied when necessary - for example when the fruits become very large and the shoots could break.
In addition to pulling it up, you can also guide the plant up with a climbing tower or spiral rod. The advantage of this method is that you do not tie the stakes and therefore cannot damage the plants. The disadvantage is that you can only attach a climbing tower or spiral rod when planting the tomatoes. Otherwise you run the risk of damaging the plants.
Trellis with string and sticks for tomatoes in the vegetable patch
If the tomatoes grow outdoors, you can also build the climbing aid yourself. You will need several sticks and rope wire or bamboo sticks that you can tie together with string to form trellises. As for cords, choose one made from hemp, sisal or cotton. It can bear the weight of the tomato plants. Change the line every year as rain and sun will damage it.
Build your own climbing aid for tomatoes in the bed:
1. Insert two stakes into the ground.
2. Cut rope wire or a piece of bamboo cane. Stretch the wire about 1.8 meters high between the wooden sticks. Alternatively, tie the bamboo tube to the wooden sticks at a height of 1.8 meters.
3. Cut the string to size and knot it on the wire or bamboo cane. You can tie several pieces of string 50 to 60 cm apart.
4. Remove the tomato plants from the pots. Then tie string to the bottom pair of leaves of each plant. Basically, each piece of string provides climbing support for a tomato plant, which will then grow up.
Raise potted plants on the balcony with a trellis or climbing tower
If the tomatoes grow on the balcony, then you can choose the next option. A plant box with a trellis or a trellis tower are well suited in this case. Proceed as follows:
- In the planter box with a trellis, only the main shoot of a young plant is tied; the fruit-bearing shoots are tied horizontally.
- Trellis towers are ideal if you have heavily branched plants with many shoots. These include, for example, different types of cherry tomatoes. The entire plant is supported by tying only individual branches.
Tie up tomatoes in the greenhouse with string
ForTomatoes in the greenhouseoffers a space-saving option. You can pull up the plants using a wooden stick and string. To do this, first drive a wooden stick into the ground, then cut a 60 cm long piece of string. Place the string around the stick and tie the main shoot loosely at the bottom. Always make sure that the main shoot has enough space to grow. Then gradually tie up the plant.
In industrial vegetable cultivation in greenhouses, the tomatoes are grown on a string. To do this, simply hang a string from the ceiling and tie the loose end under the first pair of leaves. The plant then grows upwards and the string is gradually wrapped around the main stem.
This variant is suitable for plants that have a main shoot and whose fruits remain small. If the fruits are too large, the side shoots can break without support. However, mainly compact varieties are planted in the greenhouse.
These types of tomatoes do not need any climbing support
There are also two types of tomatoes that grow healthily and well even without a trellis. These are primarily the wild tomatoes, which grow all over the place, and the bush tomatoes, which have a strong, bushy growth. The last ones reach a maximum height of 60 cm and remain very compact. Therefore you don't need to tie them up. It is sufficient if you harvest them more often so that the shoots do not break. Short tomato varieties also need to be thinned out more often so that the leaves are well ventilated and pathogens cannot enter.
