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  • From: "Adriana" <gutierrez-lagatta AT charter.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Tomato Weave Alternatives
  • Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 04:59:58 -0600

This is the first year that I will be growing heirloom tomatoes for market. The original reports I read years ago on the Florida Weave trellising method called for stakes to be driven after every two plants. Begining at 10" the twine was then woven down the front of the first plant and the back of the next, looped tightly around the stake. Then at the end of the row the porcess was repeated in reverse.
The twine was applied every 10-12" as the plants grew. This left each individual plant supported in a basket weave of twine. I've tried the original basket weave and it can be a bit of a pain if you are growing lots of different sized plants, which is often the case with heirlooms.

I've come across several variations which seem to simplify the process:

The first alternative dispenses with the basket weave around the individual plants, wrapping the twine around the stakes only, with stakes between every two plants. This leaves a double row of twine that prevents the plants from falling over.

A aimilar variation I found has been used by Mark Marino of Earth Bound Farms in California for over 15 years. He grows hundreds of plants, spacing the the plants every 18" , with stakes approximately every 12 feet. He also dispenses with basket-weaving the individual plants. This alternative requires even fewer stakes, with one stake for every 6 or 7 plants depending on spacing, and further reduces the labor.

This simplified system looks like a winner. I think I will be going with the second alternative, using heavy duty t-posts. Still to be decided is whether to space my plants at 18" or 24" and how much suckering I will do.

Cherry tomatoes like Sun Golds will probably be in large reinforcing wire tomato cages.

Has anybody tried the Earthbound system?

Adriana






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