Tomato plants need support as they have no means of holding themselves up naturally. Tomato plants that have the support of a bamboo cane or stake will naturally supply you tomatoes that are of a higher standard, because your fruit will end up bigger, be relatively free of any dirt and other little pests that may want to tuck into them. It also makes picking tomatoes really easy too.
Tomato plants that haven’t been tied will remain on the ground, increasing your chances of developing diseases and causing your tomatoes to rot. Tying up your tomato plants will held reduce any wind damages that may occur to your plant also. My plants are around 12 inches tall and were starting to sway in the wind, and this is what has prompted me to give my plants some added support.
When I first planted them in the ground, you may have noticed that I already planted them with a stake/bamboo cane for this very purpose. I tend to use gardeners twine because it’s quite durable but ultimately it’s bio-degradable so it’s good for the environment. I have seen gardeners tear old t-shirts and clothes into lengths to use as ties also, so you may want to experiment with that.
I’ve also a number of ways in which gardens tie their plants to the bamboo canes, but I have a specific knot that I stick by because it allows just the right amount of movement, is strong but also it takes into account the growth of the plant as the stem grows bigger.
- Tie the a knot around the cane, making sure there’s a decent length of twine on either side of the knot
- Make a figure of eight with the twine and on the last loop, encompass the stem of the plant
- Finish off the figure of eight with a double knot
It should look like the pictures below.
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