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Jul 8, 2018 9:10 AM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
RpR said:
With those large opening cages, I have home made with much smaller opening and the semi-worthless cone shaped ones, while planting that close together how do you stop it from becoming a tangled jungle.
Mine are minimum twice as far apart and they still go sideways, even through the smaller opening, some openings are to small for me to put my fist through, and are doing their best to goose other tomatoes, or it seems any other plant near.by. Blinking

At my planting distance when I , for good or not good, reasons did not pay attention to them for sometimes weeks, while even days in weather like this is too long, it becomes one huge massive green mat where you do not not know what branch belong to which plant and the weakest plant truly suffer.
I am not speaking of spindly little branches the size of a woman's pinky finger, these are the size of a man's finger. Sighing!

I went out today to tie and stake up the branches with wander lust.
I have almost a half dozen volunteers, all looking good but as they are behind those planted I do not know if they will have a long life as I can now see my garden crowding was a major dweeb move with the garden doing as well as it is this year.
Last year I left my squash and mustard plants pretty much go on a unlimited walkabout but those two are in a different league than tomatoes, onions, chiles, corn tomatillos, carrots etc. all about to engage in not in my hood warfare. Angry Angry

Addendum:
One of the branches with wanderlust had already set root in the ground inside the cage of another tomato it was goosing.



The two large cages with the big openings there are some of my Texas Tomato Cages. They really do work well. But even as big as they are those Brandwines will grow way taller. Maybe like 8 feet. Some of those heirlooms can get massive.

Many of my other tomato cages are those much smaller green plastic coated triangle things.
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Jul 8, 2018 9:13 AM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
PaulF said:I wonder if location makes a difference on how much pruning gets done. It seems like the southern states prune more than us up north folks. Or maybe is it how we learned how to garden from those who taught us. Or is it because we have paid attention to writers who think they know how to garden but may have never been outside their offices.

(Or is it that non-pruners are just better gardeners) Or are we more conceited? Will this get people going?


When I was a child my mother always grew Big Boy tomatoes which she prunned and tied to a stake. But I don't prune and use cages. Less work!!
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Jul 8, 2018 11:42 AM CST
Name: Dillard Haley
Augusta Georgia (Zone 8a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level
Back in the 80's and 90's there were a number of market gardeners( western Carolina) pruning to a single leader and tying the plant to a pole. Twilley sold a variety (Pole King) for that specific purpose. Have not seen any for years
Thumb of 2018-07-08/farmerdill/0c4b3f Thumb of 2018-07-08/farmerdill/67304c
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Jul 8, 2018 11:57 AM CST
Name: Karen
New Mexico (Zone 8a)
Region: New Mexico Region: Arizona Region: Ukraine Cactus and Succulents Plant Identifier Plays in the sandbox
Greenhouse Bromeliad Adeniums Morning Glories Avid Green Pages Reviewer Brugmansias
Interesting pics! They really had the tomatoes growing!
Handcrafted Coastal Inspired Art SeaMosaics!
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Jul 8, 2018 12:35 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
farmerdill said:Back in the 80's and 90's there were a number of market gardeners( western Carolina) pruning to a single leader and tying the plant to a pole. Twilley sold a variety (Pole King) for that specific purpose. Have not seen any for years
Thumb of 2018-07-08/farmerdill/0c4b3f Thumb of 2018-07-08/farmerdill/67304c



Just looks so odd to me to see those plants with hardly any leaves and the fruit just there out in the open.

How did they avoid sunscald on those tomatoes?
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Jul 8, 2018 1:37 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
I was wondering the same thing. One day of 107 cooked one of my tomatoes. I put umbrellas over the cages yesterday. Big Grin
Avatar for Saltflower2
Jul 8, 2018 2:54 PM CST
Name: Deborah
Southern California (Zone 10a)
Rabbit Keeper
Carol, it was 112 here on Friday. Thought I'd croak.
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Jul 8, 2018 2:57 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
Saltflower said:Carol, it was 112 here on Friday. Thought I'd croak.


Oh my, a day to stay in the AC!!
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Jul 8, 2018 4:01 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
I didn't do anything except water on Fri. Lots of my plants are goners in spite of watering.
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Jul 8, 2018 4:44 PM CST
Name: Rita
North Shore, Long Island, NY
Zone 6B
Charter ATP Member Seed Starter Tomato Heads I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Vegetable Grower Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Butterflies Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Roses Photo Contest Winner: 2016
ctcarol said:I didn't do anything except water on Fri. Lots of my plants are goners in spite of watering.


Group hug Group hug Group hug Group hug
Avatar for Saltflower2
Jul 8, 2018 5:32 PM CST
Name: Deborah
Southern California (Zone 10a)
Rabbit Keeper
I'm sorry Carol. I'm watching my baby Red Robins like a hawk. Rita, yes, the AC is on full blast. Good thing I have the senior discount on the electricity.
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Jul 8, 2018 8:06 PM CST
Name: Kat
Magnolia, Tx (Zone 9a)
Winter Sowing Region: Texas Hummingbirder Container Gardener Gardens in Buckets Herbs
Moon Gardener Enjoys or suffers hot summers Heirlooms Vegetable Grower Bookworm
Temps werent always quite as hot back that far...you do remember they moved the USDA farm zones warmer a notch? We get more of the irradiation rays today as well, gone are the days of gentle golden tans. Even so, my memory tells me gardens grow or fail was NOT a safe bet to place each year. I do remember having a Spring and Fall instead of just Summer and Winter!
So many roads to take, choices to make, and laughs to share!
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Jul 8, 2018 8:19 PM CST
Name: Carol
Santa Ana, ca
Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
Bookworm Charter ATP Member Region: California Hummingbirder Orchids Plant Identifier
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
Yeh. We used to have rain season and fire season. No more rain season here.
Avatar for Saltflower2
Jul 8, 2018 9:55 PM CST
Name: Deborah
Southern California (Zone 10a)
Rabbit Keeper
No seasons at all anymore. At least in my opinion. It seems like it's always hot. I ache for nice long, chilly, rainy, winters like we used to have every year.
Last edited by Saltflower Jul 8, 2018 9:55 PM Icon for preview
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Jul 11, 2018 6:08 PM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
See you in the funny papers!
Charter ATP Member Frogs and Toads Houseplants Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Region: Maryland
Composter Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Region: United States of America Cat Lover Birds
for those who like to prune, the tomato roller system
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZRMI48Q/
Plant it and they will come.
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Jul 12, 2018 6:38 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Don Shirer
Westbrook, CT (Zone 6a)
Tomato Heads Vegetable Grower Peppers Seed Starter Region: Northeast US Avid Green Pages Reviewer
     From the mfr. description: "Includes QTY 25 wire assembly frame and QTY 25 32 meter (105-1/4') spool of RollerHook® White Twine"

32 meters? His tomatoes grow a lot higher than mine do!
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Jul 12, 2018 6:43 AM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
These roller and twine are more for commercial growers, I think.
To me they would be a chore to set up in a small garden situation.
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Jul 12, 2018 7:53 AM CST
Name: Dillard Haley
Augusta Georgia (Zone 8a)
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level
Use to know a green house hydroponic grower who used a similar set up. He pruned to a single leader and as the vine grew and produced at the top, he would lower it and coil the bottom of the vine in the hydroponic mix. The bearing parts of plant were kept at reasonable height.
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Jul 12, 2018 9:36 PM CST
Name: Caroline Scott
Calgary (Zone 4a)
Bulbs Winter Sowing Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Peonies Lilies Charter ATP Member
Region: Canadian Enjoys or suffers cold winters Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level
I have seen them in a commercial greenhouse.
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Jul 13, 2018 5:57 AM CST
Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
See you in the funny papers!
Charter ATP Member Frogs and Toads Houseplants Keeper of Poultry Vegetable Grower Region: Maryland
Composter Native Plants and Wildflowers Organic Gardener Region: United States of America Cat Lover Birds
A picture I saw while browsing about the rollers
https://m.media-amazon.com/ima...

the bare bottoms loaded with fruit looked impossible until I saw the leafy tops way up there. I guess the 32 meters gives you several seasons; cut off the used part vine and all...

I could try this if 1 I retire and 2 just to give my husband something to build Big Grin
Plant it and they will come.

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