Out of Control Tomatoes - Can they be caged?

Watch Reply
More
Mark unread Print Skip to new
Hastur Houston, TX May 01, 2009

I have some seriously out of control tomatoes. They have all but taken over the 4'X8' are that they are in - and there are only six plants!

I had been tying them to the posts that are at the corners and the middle of the garden, but between work keeping me out of the garden and then the lovely monsoons we have been experiencing, my tomatoes have grown to the point where I'm thinking they are weeds now, and that only in the last two weeks!

My question then, is, can you cage tomatoes to give them a little more control, after they have grown out? Right now my plants are about 3' X 3' square and about 4' tall. They have green tomatoes on them, and since the rains, I can practically see visible growth. They suddenly shot up and have poured over the wall of the raised bed, and into the lawn (not so bad, but it will be later). They also are all but drowning out my carrots which were planted between them.

I was thinking of getting some wire and creating circles that I attached to the posts that they are supposed to be growing against, to kind of rein them in and force the growth upwards. But they are so bushy that I'm worried that I'll end up breaking them or doing something that will make them not produce any more tomatoes - and since they already have some nice sized green ones, I don't want to lose fruit if I can avoid it.

So, if I corral the plants, will that cause damage? Is there any reason that I shouldn't cage them?

Post #6488060
Quote
dreaves Hutto, TX(Zone 8b) May 01, 2009

I've found that if I try to do much movement on the plants once they get bigger I always end up breaking them. You might be able to squeeze them toward the middle, as long as you don't bend them against the direction of growth. Good luck!

David

Post #6488092
Quote
Hastur Houston, TX May 01, 2009

That's what I was afraid of. Smeg!

Of course, I'm happy that they are growing, but dayum! I've never been able to grow tomatoes like this! Of course, before Houston, I was growing them in Maine, and that's not so good for tomato weather....

Post #6488112
Quote
Wulfsden Riverdale, NJ(Zone 6a) May 01, 2009

You will break some. That is almost unavoidable. The question is, can you keep it down to "acceptable" losses. If you do decide to attempt it, there is a trick to it. Wait until your tomatoes are very thirsty and are starting to wilt. They are much easier to bend then. When they have just been watered they are at their most brittle. Good luck.

Ed

Post #6488205
Quote
Hastur Houston, TX May 01, 2009

Ed, that makes way too much sense. *grin* Thank you for the advice!

Now if I can get the weather gods to stop dropping rain on Houston for a couple of days, so that they can wilt a bit....

Post #6488310
Quote

Post a Reply to this Thread

Please or sign up to post.
Back to Forum Homepage

More Beginner Gardening Threads

Go to all Beginner Gardening threads
BACK TO TOP