How do you support beefsteak tomato plants?

[Penellype]

I grow 2 varieties of outdoor tomato that make large, beefsteak type fruit - Crimson Crush and Oh Happy Day. These form sturdy compact plants with inch thick stems and grow to about 3ft high, with several trusses of up to 6 beefsteak tomatoes, which become very heavy. Every year I vow to find a method of supporting them and every year I fail, ending up with precariously leaning plants with increasing amounts of stakes and baling string attempting to keep them from keeling over completely. This year's plants, supported by several 2x1inch wooden stakes bashed at least a foot into the ground, are leaning at an angle of about 60 degrees, and attempts to straighten them with further stakes last only a few days before those stakes are leaning too. I have only been able to prevent them from falling over by bashing in yet another stake hard against the side of the hotbed for them to lean on, but I am worried this will damage the wooden side of the bed.



Does anyone have any ideas how I can support similar plants next year? Any support has to be removable as I need to put a cover over the hotbed early in the season, and it needs to be able to be constructed without any help, DIY skills or tools such as a drill, which I don't have. What do you do to support your beefsteak tomato plants? The usual suggestions of string, bamboo canes and plastic tomato cages are hopeless.

[Bren In Pots]

Pen I've found a couple of vine links about using cages do you think that would work for you?

Cages to support tomatoes? - The Grapevine (growfruitandveg.co.uk)

How do you support your tomatoes? - The Grapevine (growfruitandveg.co.uk)

[Mark Rand]

It is no sin to add aditional stakes at an angle and fix them to the upright ones, giving them diagonal support.

[Penellype]

Some interesting ideas there, thanks. I think cages might hinder removing sideshoots (these 2 varieties seem to produce them from everywhere including sometimes from the leaves. I removed about 10 yesterday!). I'd also be worried that the cages might collapse or blow over, as any material that is pliable enough for me to bend is likely not to be strong enough. I like the idea of adding stakes at an angle - I will note that down and try it next year.

[burnie]

You can see how I set my greenhouse up for tommies, at around 12 minutes in if you want to skip the beginning bit, I find bamboo canes along with string the best way to support heavy fruit.
End of July - YouTube

[ameno]

I support mine from above. I've found bamboo canes no good even fro supporting smaller tomatoes. Then gradually list to one side and eventually fall right over.
The ones outside use a frame made of three pieces of sturdy metal pole, two hammered 18 inches or so into the ground, and the third attached with brackets across the top of those two. I then use strong string dangling down from the horizontal pole to hang the tomato plants from.
The ones in the greenhouse are supported similarly, but the strings are hung from hooks attached to the greenhouse roof.

When you support the plants from above like this, it puts a lot less lateral force on the supports, so those supports are a lot less likely to gradually lean over like yours are doing.

[Jungle Jane]

It is no sin to add aditional stakes at an angle and fix them to the upright ones, giving them diagonal support.

I do that,when it starts leaning,the extra stick (two usually in a triangle) help support the falling one. Maybe start off with a teepee shaped support,I did this with my black icicle so it’s been fine all season,it is in a corner though,if it’s near a fence the wind won’t take it so much.

[Penellype]

You can see how I set my greenhouse up for tommies, at around 12 minutes in if you want to skip the beginning bit, I find bamboo canes along with string the best way to support heavy fruit.
End of July - YouTube

Crikey, your tomato plants are very well behaved! Every year I try to get my greenhouse plants to look like that, and every year they end up leaning all over the place! I am not sure that bamboo canes would be strong enough for plants that have managed to snap off a piece of 2x1 inch wood on one occasion though!

Are your greenhouse plants in soil? Mine are in pots on a concrete base, and I think that is part of my problem.

[Penellype]

I support mine from above. I've found bamboo canes no good even fro supporting smaller tomatoes. Then gradually list to one side and eventually fall right over.
The ones outside use a frame made of three pieces of sturdy metal pole, two hammered 18 inches or so into the ground, and the third attached with brackets across the top of those two. I then use strong string dangling down from the horizontal pole to hang the tomato plants from.
The ones in the greenhouse are supported similarly, but the strings are hung from hooks attached to the greenhouse roof.

When you support the plants from above like this, it puts a lot less lateral force on the supports, so those supports are a lot less likely to gradually lean over like yours are doing.

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if my DIY non-skills would stretch to doing that. I have tried strings attached to the greenhouse roof and find that they tend to cut into the stems of the plants which then get grey mould when water drips from the roof. Maybe I am using the wrong sort of string.

[Penellype]

I do that,when it starts leaning,the extra stick (two usually in a triangle) help support the falling one. Maybe start off with a teepee shaped support,I did this with my black icicle so it’s been fine all season,it is in a corner though,if it’s near a fence the wind won’t take it so much.

A teepee is an interesting idea. My Mum, who had a degree in engineering, used to say a triangle is much stronger than a square, so that might work.

[burnie]

I do grow some plants in pots and most in the ground, by making a frame with triangulation it will almost hold my weight and I have no problems at all. One year I did use jute string to support the plants and it snapped almost wiping out a plant. So not wishing to use plastic, I now use cotton string and that is much stronger.

[ameno]

Hmm, interesting. I wonder if my DIY non-skills would stretch to doing that. I have tried strings attached to the greenhouse roof and find that they tend to cut into the stems of the plants which then get grey mould when water drips from the roof. Maybe I am using the wrong sort of string.

Rather than tying the string on in one or two places, you should twist the string around the plant. Or rather, gradually twist the plant around the string as it grows.
This spreads the load a lot better, rather than all the weight being borne in one place, so it won't dig in.

[mrsbusy]

My system is in the green house I have a 2x2 inch timber lengthwise resting on the aluminium frame. When I plant the tom I put the end of a long length of twine in the hole first and the plant on top. The other end of the twine is attached to the 2x2 and the tomato plant is twisted round the twine. I put 3 plants down each side - toms one side aubergines on the other
outdoors I have a bed which is 8x4 feet. I planted 6 toms 3 on each side in 2 rows. At the end of each row put 2 strong canes about 18 inches apart and crossed at the top and secured with cable ties and then lengthways I rested an 8 foot strong cane and the plants planted on top of the twine as in the greenhouse with the twine attached to the horizontal canes. It worked fine all summer and is still up and solid.

[nick the grief]

You can see how I set my greenhouse up for tommies, at around 12 minutes in if you want to skip the beginning bit, I find bamboo canes along with string the best way to support heavy fruit.
End of July - YouTube

Gartenperle is a short bush tom Burnie. I used to grow mine in hanging baskets by the back door ... they only get about a foot high.

[Nicos]

We have those spiral metal ‘canes’ which supported ours outside- but I ran a couple of canes across them all to make it more sturdy then tied it into a couple of hooks drilled into the side of the house ( they’re south facing outdoor plants here)

This sort of thing…..
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Selections-.../dp/B07NS1GN2H

However- away from a wall, I really like the idea of a teepee. I suppose you need to consider light levels?