Help a newbie w/ tomatoes!

tak2002

I started a garden for the first time this year and planted 4 tomato plants. They are growing extremely well and have a ton of tomatoes on them! My problem is that they are growing out of their cages and some are actually laying on the ground. Do I need to tie them up onto the cages, or give them something to grow up on?

pakarufus

Tomatoes can be grown on the ground.  My friend does it like this every year, she never uses stakes or cages.  She told me to put straw under them so they are not directly on the dirt and they will do fine.  Hope this helps.

BonsoirLune

I stake them when they start to get out of control, since mine are container bound.  I have velcro tape that I use to tie them up.  I also strip down some of the excess foliage, although this is supposedly controversial, but mine are still doing just fine.

dlcratty

My beefsteak tomato plant has gotten to be 6 or 7 feet tall! I took bamboo from our backyard (you can also just get plan wooden stakes at a hardware store) and drove them into the ground like a tripod. I tied them together at the top with that green garden string, and I periodically tie the larger branches to the posts. For the more limber branches, I just turn them in a little and let it grow on itself. It's been doing just great!