California tomatoes ripen just lying on the ground, but we shouldn’t have to repeat that experience in other regions. Our tomatoes need the garters to support.

My neighbors use a variety of nails, garters, hoops, ready-made plant supports, and fences or trellis ​made of netting. Each method of holding plants upright has advantages and “side effects”.

Let me tell you how I placed my tomato bush on a trellis and what I got out of it.

WHAT IS TRELLIS?

The word “Trellis” is of Italian origin and one of its meanings is “shoulder”. A shoulder to lean on.

Trellis is any structure that can support a plant and give it the necessary shape. In fact, a decorative Trellis bought from the store is also a Trellis. but it would be a waste to buy such a Trellis for each tomato bush!

The Trellis method involves building a collective (for all the bushes in a row) Trellis and then securing the plants to this structure. the Trellis is usually made of wood or made of wire.

Some people confuse the Trellis method and the vertical sling method. At the same time, there is a big difference. First way it’s recognized by collective support, The second it’s individual support.

WHAT DOES THE BIG TRELLIS FOR MY SLING TOMATO LOOK LIKE?

We made Trellis as follows: two posts at the beginning of the bed between 8inch (20 cm) and two – at the end. Stretched horizontally 2 rows of thick wire wrapped around them. Between them, and place tomato bushes.

As the stems and tomato brushes grow, you must distribute them on the horizontally stretched wire, and if necessary, they are attached to it with a piece of soft wire.

You can use plastic rods or wooden strips instead of wire. Iron boxes should not be used, because the iron will heat up, its contact with the leaves, stems, and fruits is undesirable and even harmful to the plant.

The height of the stand is 4-5foot (120-150 cm), 8-10inch (20-25 cm) between the horizontal slats, and the first slat – 12inch (30 cm) above the ground.

It is better to strengthen the support by “stretching” it in advance, rather than wait until it is broken under the weight of the crop.

Trellis can generally turn into a striking element of landscape design: materials, paint, desire, a creative eye, and hands-on the spot are enough.

My scheme for tomato Trellis: support height 4-5foot (120-150 cm), horizontal extension between 8-10inch (20-25 cm), the first 12inch (30 cm) above the ground.

ADVANTAGES OF THE TRELLIS METHOD OF GROWING TOMATOES

Analyzing my own experience and the experience of my neighbors, I tried to briefly outline the advantages and disadvantages of using a trellis for growing tomatoes.

So, why are trellises very useful when growing tomatoes:

1. Trellis, compared to other methods of tying tomatoes, gives more freedom to the plant. It doesn’t pull or bind anything. It just doesn’t let it fall off and hold it firmly.
2. Saves seedlings. While reducing the number of shrubs in the bed, you can leave 2-3 stems on the shrubs.
3. Trellis provides excellent access for healing. Tomato plants planted in a single row are easy to water, loosen, spray and pick.
4. Tomato brushes placed on Trellis never break under their own weight and ripen faster. It mainly “helps” the egg beating brushes to be evenly arranged, not blocking each other and fixed in time, considering the subsequent fruit ripening process.
5. Trellis can be made from a variety of materials, thus fitting any budget. And an identical construction can be used for several years.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE TRELLIS METHOD OF GROWING TOMATOES

Here are some disadvantages:

1. Check and correct the tomatoes on Trellis almost every day. Failure – and “lying” in the bushes, bending “misplaced” stems, they will hide from the brushing of the sun.
2. To properly place bushes on Trellis, you need experience. Beginners do not always manage to “spread the bush” evenly at first, but often happens an unfortunate accidental “break” of the brush of unripe tomatoes or stems.
3. A simple trellis design at first glance should be fully and thoughtfully assembled with a certain safety margin. Otherwise, it can easily collapse and leave you with no harvest.
4. Trellis should be treated every year to do a good job of “winterizing” tomato pests and diseases.

The most effective way to prevent pests and diseases is simple: paint the trellis in the spring with oil-based paint.

WHAT TOMATOES ARE BEST TO PLANT IN THE TRELLIS, AND IN WHAT KIND OF TOMATOES

In my opinion, the Trellis method of growing tomatoes is completely unsuitable for classic greenhouses. Where there is not enough space, Trellis structure will always hit, and this does not like tomatoes. Moreover, in the greenhouse, the plants are usually grown in two rows, and it is already difficult to pass through the trellis to the second row.

Therefore, Trellis method for:

1. large greenhouses, where plants are grown in a single row and there is enough space in the aisle.
2. tomatoes in the mid-ground strip, grown first under film cover and only spread out on Trellis in mid-June.
3. Southern region.

Trellis method is not useful when growing low-growing tomatoes, tomatoes that do not need Trellis. For such varieties, support spikes and “slingshots” are used.

Trellis is suitable for high-growing cherry tomatoes. For example, I grow varieties that are large-fruited, and some varieties, etc., ripen well on Trellis.