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market-farming - Re: staking tomatoes

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  • From: "William McKay" <bmckay55 AT hotmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: staking tomatoes
  • Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 15:49:59


This is how my Italian grandfather used to do them. Steel post every 6-8 feet, wire tied to the top and to the bottom (@ 8 inches from ground level). I did these last year and was impressed with both the results and the amount of time expended.

I used @ 12 wire for the top wire (drilled a hole in the pipes and ran it through) and # 18 (I think) for the bottom-just wrapped that around the posts. Set plants 2 feet apart and trained to 3 leaders. Tied a string to the bottom wire and fastened it to the top by winding it around the wire a few times and them giving it sort of a half tie (so I could easily take it off if I had to tighten the string later in the season). You could just as easily train to one leader or two (changing the spacing of course).

This year, I plan to put my posts every six feet, use lighter wire on the top (the # 12 was really tough to work with).

I was very impressed with the results. Good air circulation, good shade for fruit (not that we needed much last year in New England it was so cold) and fairly quick. Went through once a week taking off suckers and perhaps winding the string a bit more around each leader.

Does not work well for cherry tomatoes; I found that 2' diameter concrete wire cages with 2 plants in each did best for the cherries.

Bill McKay in E. Massachusetts
seedsfromitaly AT hotmail.com Improter and seller of packaged Italian vegetable seeds from Franchi Sementi, Bergamo, Italy


Subject: staking tomatoes
From: "Brian and Jacqueline Potzkai" <potzkai AT hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 05:40:57 -0800
X-Message-Number: 5

Has anybody tried staking tomatoes using the method of fence posts every 8'
and tying back plants that are between them with twine? Did it work out ok?
Also is it a method that works well in PYO establishments? Any other
methods to suggest for PYO? Jacqueline


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