Nice pictures. I am wondering what is the purpose of the black plastic covered the pot? is it for protect from heavy rain to avoid fruit crack, so you can control the water value or to increase the soil temperature by absorbing sun light?

They look awesome. Keep them coming. I probably can't do what you do because I live in part of California where neighbors/community can and will complain. But I do have a fence where there's only about 9 inches of room but 30+ inches in length and I can only dig about 12 inches down before I hit the hard clay and my back gives out. But seeing your pictures is a good encouragement that my plants will be fine too. Thanks for the pictures.

I see you got some mean guards for your plants as well ;-).

WEEW,

Ask 3 different people and you'll get 3 different answers! I think the plastic does 2 things; allow the plants to get bottom water only, and to control evaporation. Some also say that if you get top water into the pot and the fertilizer strip that you'll burn the plants. My plastic is not waterproof so I don't believe that's an issue but that's just my opinion.

JOHNNY,

They are the baddest canines on the block!!!

cheers

Bing

Bingster, are you using tomato clips to support your plants as they grow which attach to your vertical lines run at each plant? Nice plants and dogs.

Miesenbacher,

No...I just wrap the plant tops around the twine as they grow. Every foot or so I tie a small strip of nylon stocking around the plant and twine. Works fine as you can see from last year's crop

cheers

Bing
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I appreciate the pictures showing the string set up. I have made a support similar to your PVC set up (two vertical supports with a bar across the top, aluminum, not PVC)and was wondering about how to go about adding string. I assume that the one string across the bottom is the only horizontal string? I bought some of that green stretchy tape for tying to the support string.

Thanks again for the pictures.

Vance

Hi Vance,

You're correct...only one tight, horizontal string across the bottom of the PVC pipe, just on top of the buckets.

cheers

Bing

Let's see, h-m-m, I'll take both the pups. Oh yeah, love your setup for tomatoes as well and will be trying it this year for two to four tomatoes.

So for the support string setup... you just hang some string down and tie it to a horizontal line, and then wrap the plants m,ain stem around it as it grows?

True...tie your string/twine etc to the horizontal support bar and to the string you have just above each bucket. As the plant grows, just wrap it around the string. I also use a piece of nylon stocking to tie the stem to the string every foot or so.

bingster,

Have you considered using wide mesh netting, like a volleyball type mesh to fasten between your 2 vertical posts? That would seem to eliminate a lot of hand tying, by weaving the shoots in and out of the netting as they grow.

Raybo

Hi Raybo,

The string does take me about an hour for 28 buckets but I've spent enough money this year so just stuck with what I did last year

cheers

Bing

Raybo,

I think a volleyball net would be something to try to use for several seasons. That would make it a good candidate for overwintering disease. Even if you do not have a problem with disease, two seasons with the same net might give a bad bug a better chance at taking take off the second year and reaching problematic levels. Fresh string every year is probably more difficult, yet would seem to be the more sanitary way to go.

Just a thought. :)

Vance

Vance,

I was thinking more of a Nylon, or other synthetic material to use, that the rain and sun would "sterilize" throughout the winter. Something like the orange netting we see used roadside, or on construction sites to keep people out. You know the material I am referring to. Orange of course, would not be the right color, but I am sure someone makes such a synthetic netting product.

In looking at Bingster's pictures, one could simply attach a section of it at the top of the trellis and let it hang down, for the tomato vines to weave through as they grow upward. Just a concept to ponder.....

Raybo

Thanks for the photos. Very helpful since I am interested to try this string support system. Just a couple of questions.

How solid does the bottom of the string have to be? My assumption is that since there is no weight at that point, it's just a means of fixing the location of the bottom of the string. Is that correct?

As the string gets wrapped around the plant will the string need to be lenghten from the top? Is that correct?

Is there a source of additional information on this technique that you can recommend?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Cowgirl,

You are correct about the bottom string. It is not weight bearing...but it does need to be as tight as you can make it so that there is very little movement up and down. Reason for this is that you want your vertical (weight bearing) string tight. My trellis' are 6 foot in height. When my plants hit the top of the trellis I top them. That is, cut the central growth stem so the plant doesn't grow any taller. Actually, you wrap the plant central stem around the vertical string as it grows so you don't need additional string. I don't know of any particular site that talks about this method, but it worked for me so I'll stay with it.

cheers

Bing

Beautiful tomato plants and fantastic set up!
Last year's crop looks to be plentiful. Lovely tomatoes.

Thanks for posting the pictures. It's inspiring! Best wishes.
~ Annie

Thanks sweetannie,

Last year's experience with this system was so exciting that I've tripled my number of boxes to 28 this year. Hope last year wasn't a fluke!!! Will send more pics tomorrow. Thanks for posting and best of luck to you too!!

cheers

Bing