This support at first look appears to be ideal for supporting tomato plants in the home garden. The ring is 9 inches in diameter and diameter is about 1/8 inch and is stiff and very strong.
One of the sides of the ring can be easily removed to facilitate circling an existing plant, particularly if a support is required lower than the those installed.
The plastic clamp is well made and of strong construction. I use rebar for support, but wooden stakes up to about two inches could be utilized.
They look very interesting, but a little pricey when you take the shipping into consideration. If I only got three, it would cost approx. $30.00. It gets a little cheaper if you buy bigger quanities. 10 would cost $55.00
How did you like them or have you not actually used them yet?
They look very interesting, but a little pricey when you take the shipping into consideration. If I only got three, it would cost approx. $30.00. It gets a little cheaper if you buy bigger quantities. 10 would cost $55.00
How did you like them or have you not actually used them yet?
I ordered 60, since I have some other plants to experiment on. They have not been used, so the test will be carried out in 2010.
At first I was going to make them, but it was far more expensive, and getting suitable material was a hassle. I have the support rebar from previous years. Shipping costs are outrageous for small quantities. The rings will no doubt appear in retails stores in the future. Some sites on the internet are selling them for $3.99, so I thought $2.99 was reasonable. A typical wire cage is much more expensive, and often of marginal use. Besides, I love my tomato plants, and am striving to produce perfect fruit.
Most of the support systems have been tried ovr the years, anad threre is always some drawback to each method. The rings, maybe modified with overhead strings as required seem ideal, and would eliminate some of the issues encountered in the past.
Location: North Bend OR US;Oregon coast, just N of Coos Bay
Posts: 190
Re: New Type Tomato Plant Support
Supports . . . Being cheap (and broke,and into recycling) I have used the cutoffs of my buddleia, saved from previous fall, made into teepees with garden twine. My tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., have seemed perfectly happy with this, and all the elements can be thrown into the compost pile when they start to wear out - which they do after 2 years or so.
Wait until I grow my 20 plants and take pictures of the fruit in 2010. My plants are grown to their full genetic potential subject to my short season, and weather permitting. There are around 7 feet tall, and I desire perfect fruit, not some stunted plant with marginal tomato fruit, and broken fruiting branches. Having used probably every method of support over the years, the support rings appear at first look to have potential, and the cost is not going to break my budget.
Wait until I grow my 20 plants and take pictures of the fruit in 2010. My plants are grown to their full genetic potential subject to my short season, and weather permitting. There are around 7 feet tall, and I desire perfect fruit, not some stunted plant with marginal tomato fruit, and broken fruiting branches. Having used probably every method of support over the years, the support rings appear at first look to have potential, and the cost is not going to break my budget.
But it seems your tomatoes may cost about $ 10 each. BTW we are still eating fresh tomatoes from this season ( somewhat imperfect though )
Anybody growing a reasonable sized home vegetable garden for economic reasons, should give up and eat big macs. It is impossible to eat all the material produced for a starter.
My garden is my hobby and every effort is made to grow each plant to its full genetic potential, subject to the fortunes of weather.
In season most vegetables are much less costly in the Supermarket, than my cost of production.
I often muse about how little the commercial producers get for their produce. It is hard to imagine a cauliflower for $1.29 and in every way perfect in season. I grow 12 and they all mature at the same time. Try eating 12 cauliflower before they decay.
Yes, I do agree with what you're saying, Durgan. That's why I only bother to grow special varieties that cannot be obtained from the grocery store. I wouldn't waste my time growing a green bell pepper plant for instance, when they are 59 cents a pound in season ~ even cheaper at the farmer's market.
However, there is nothing quite like your own "red currant" heirloom cherry tomatoes, ripening in your living room, into November. I grew them a hanging basket outdoors, but the cold weather has forced me to bring them inside to protect them from frost.
Many tomato plants grown in pots, can be taken into a bright, warm, sunny area, to finish ripening, unharmed by frost. Here are my "red currants"...
: )
__________________ "All gardeners know better than other gardeners"
---------------Chinese proverb
Good luck Durgan, I look forward to seeing the pictures. Whatever works best for you is the method to use.
With my tomatoes I remove all side shoots and only allow fruit trusses to grow off the main stem, this makes them very easy to support, just tie the stem to the stick/cane/rebar/whatever below each truss. Six six foot beefsteaks this year and no breakages.
I do that too, cut off all side shoots and just have one main stalk, which I tie to a stake with twine. I used metal fence posts for tomato stakes this year.
"All gardeners know better than other gardeners"
