How to make trellises (supports) for tomatoes in open ground with your own hands

Trellis for tomatoes

In summer cottages you can often see luxurious tomato bushes with a lot of leaves, but the harvest from such bushes is not at all large.
But in greenhouses you can see the opposite picture - the bushes are almost without leaves, but are strewn with tomatoes. What is the reason for this? It turns out that the point here is not at all in different varieties, but in the fact that if you use a trellis for tomatoes, then you can collect much more fruit from the bush, and if tall varieties of tomatoes are grown without a trellis, then the harvest will be half as much. Some summer residents do not like to bother with trellises and tie up bushes, so they choose low-growing varieties of tomatoes that can grow without support and do not require special attention. But there is also a drawback to such cultivation: you should not expect large fruits from low-growing bushes, the harvest from such plants is meager, and the taste of tomatoes leaves much to be desired.

A tomato trellis helps to significantly increase the yield per unit area, and also guarantees a harvest even in unfavorable weather. This device is especially advantageous to use in an area with a limited area where trees and shrubs grow.

When growing tomatoes, you should remember that they do not like shading; shaded bushes without a trellis begin to fight for light, the stem lengthens, the foliage grows, and the number of fruits decreases.

If you use trellises, you can plant 3 tomato bushes per square meter. If you pinch the top leaves a month before the last harvest from the bush, you can speed up the ripening of the fruits, they will become larger, but the yield will decrease.

Tying tomatoes to a trellis is usually done in greenhouses; this is done to give the tomatoes a vertical position in order to save space.

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Types of trellises for closed ground

When growing tomatoes in a polycarbonate greenhouse, varieties specially designed for this purpose are most often used. Most of them are tall - bushes can reach a length of 2 m or more. Such plants need a garter.

Typically, gardeners install supports inside the greenhouse on which a horizontal bar or wire is attached. Pieces of cord are tied to such a primitive trellis, on which the tomato stems will subsequently be attached. How to do this correctly is shown in detail by the instructions in video 1.

If you slightly improve the design of a simple trellis in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you can build a moving support (Fig. 5). It allows you to comfortably place even very tall tomatoes without pinching their tops when reaching the top bar. In this way, you can get a larger harvest if weather conditions permit. In addition, the load on the plant stem during fruit setting and active growth in its lower part is significantly reduced. Tomatoes laid on a net ripen and remain healthy, as they do not have contact with the ground.

The mobile trellis is based on the usual design for a greenhouse: posts and a crossbar attached to them under the ceiling. At the bottom of the support pillars, at a height of about 70 cm from the soil, you need to install crossbars to secure the mesh. The mesh bed is located horizontally.

Hang hooks with twine attached to them on the top crossbar. The length of the thread should be much greater than the height of the trellis. For the initial stage of growing tomatoes, the twine is tied so that its length corresponds to the height at which the hook is located. The knot should be easy to untie. Excess twine can be folded and attached to a hook.

As the tomatoes grow, the knot is untied, part of the twine is released from the skein, and it is secured again. In this case, the stem is placed obliquely on a mesh bed, and the hook is moved slightly. The same procedure is done with the next bush. As a result, the distance between the stems remains the same, the fruits are placed in the net without pulling down the tied part of the stem. When the top of the bush reaches the crossbar, the procedure of lowering part of the stem is repeated, giving the plant the opportunity to continue its growing season.

By using trellises of different designs in the garden and greenhouse, you can significantly save space by narrowing the row spacing. By arranging tomato bushes in a vertical direction, the gardener will be able to collect ripening fruits in time and easily remove shoots and excess leaves. Thanks to the free access of air, even in the lower tiers there are no conditions for the development of late blight and other fungi.

Advantages of the trellis method

Is it possible to grow tomatoes in Siberia? And not just grow, but grow tomatoes that will surprise everyone? Can! You just need to put in the work and know agricultural technology. Siberia is also different; in Minusinsk, for example, there are annual competitions for gardeners to grow the largest tomato. The tomatoes grow more than a kilogram or even two, and the winner gets a car. And there are cities like Norilsk: no forest, no heat, and even permafrost. Therefore, we will consider options for growing tomatoes on permafrost and without it. Read more…

First of all, to make trellises from wood, you should choose durable material - oak, ash, chestnut, mulberry, and try not to use birch, poplar and maple. Wet wood is also not suitable for creating such elements.

Having installed our curved elements of the trellis (base), in the required place, parallel and strictly according to plan, we make horizontal jumpers, so to speak, stiffening ribs, which will increase stability and become special “rose holders”. You can see what we got in the photos below.

Trellises can be divided not only by type of production materials, but also by direction and purpose
Trellises can be made independently or purchased, but the materials for their production remain almost identical. For the most part, “homemade” trellises for the dacha are made from wood, wood and wire, while purchased ones are most often made from steel rods and plastic.
The design of the trellis made of wooden slats is interesting. It is not only functional, but also very decorative.

Three columns are buried so that their height above the ground is three meters, and four meters apart from each other, in one row. The posts must be buried well so that they do not wobble. We connect the top of three posts with two four-meter slats. We nail it firmly on top.

Trellis in a greenhouse

Trellis are often installed in greenhouses and other film coverings. This option is considered more relevant than using the structure on open ground. The problem with greenhouses is limited space and relatively insufficient lighting. This makes it impossible to grow a normal crop. This issue can be resolved using air cultivation. Building a trellis in a greenhouse is quite simple, since its base will serve as a frame for the structure.

An inexpensive option is to build a trellis from wood twigs. The lower end of the rod is stuck into the soil, and the upper end is attached to the partitions of the greenhouse. Also, twine mesh is made from steel wire or twine. Tomato stems are twisted onto them to guide their growth.

A trellis made of wooden and plastic slats along which you can easily guide the tomatoes is also considered a good option.

How to make your own tomato supports

The basis for arranging any support are posts with a cord, wire or polymer mesh attached to them. Most often, two options are used: a simple design of racks for semi-determinate (medium-growing) tomatoes and a more complex device for indeterminate (tall) varieties and hybrids.

Note! Supports for tomatoes are installed before planting, sometimes after. But the main thing you need to pay attention to is not to crush the planted seedlings during installation.

Trellis for short tomatoes

To grow not very tall varieties, a simple trellis option is used, for which you will need:

metal or wooden poles about 2.5 meters high (including 50 cm for digging);
skein, twine, cord or wire;
tape measure, building level, hammer and nails.

Installation of racks for future tomatoes begins with the installation of poles, which are located in one row at a distance of 1.5 - 2 meters. The method of tensioning the wire or cord is three-row. The lower segment is located 20 cm above ground level, the distance between subsequent rows is approximately 20-40 cm. As the stems grow, they are tied vertically to the wire, the stepsons, specially left when forming the bush, are also attached to it.

You can use a similar method - arranging supports in the form of a trellis for tomato seedlings, in which there is no need to pull the wire. The difference lies in the laying of slats at the top and bottom, which are nailed to the posts. Sections of rope are tied vertically to the slats. Tomatoes can be secured to them using ribbon or twine. Such wooden stands are more suitable for tomatoes in open ground.

Trellis for tall bushes

Self-made supports from lumber material and reinforcement will be more durable and suitable for tall representatives of the crop in open and closed ground. In order to install them, you need to stock up on:

timber (or metal pipes) 2.5–3 meters long, 50 cm of which will be dug into the ground;
metal rods or fittings;
polymer mesh;
tools: construction meter, tape measure.

A DIY tomato trellis for tall tomatoes is assembled in the following sequence:

Dig concrete, metal posts or bars at least 2.5 meters high (preferably pine or oak) into the depressions in the ground to a depth of 50 cm, compact the soil well. You can concrete it or simply fill it with pieces of brick or crushed stone for greater stability during watering.
Attach a plank or beam to the top of the pillars, and do the same on the bottom of the pillars, retreating 20 centimeters from the soil surface.
Pull the cords along the top and bottom strips, securing one end.
Pull the other end of the cord through the cells of the plastic mesh and secure.
Do the same at the bottom edge of the mesh, distributing it in such a way as to avoid sagging.

If desired, a trellis for tomatoes in open ground can be made without the use of a polymer mesh. To do this, it is enough to stretch the twine between the pillars in 3-4 rows, located at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other. Moreover, the lower segment should be at a distance of 20 cm from the soil. To make a more complex version of trellis supports for tomatoes, you will need a drawing.

Important! Wooden posts, planks, beams and slats must be treated with an antiseptic substance and paint. This will help protect them from the influence of weather conditions and insects, and will protect them from excess moisture and fungal infections that can migrate to the plants.

The trellis must be covered with paint or an antiseptic substance

Different forms of trellises: how to make them correctly

The classic version of a DIY tomato trellis is a rectangular design. Building such a trellis is quite simple. In addition, it makes caring for germinating crops much easier. Products in the form of a tent or cabinet are no less popular.

A good option would be inclined surfaces that have a common horizontal support. The advantage of this design is that the structure will require a small number of supports. Among other things, a trellis can serve as an original decoration for a vegetable garden and personal plot.

The simplest option is to install one support to which the threads are tied in a circle. A cone of plants will become an original element of landscape design.

A tomato trellis can take the form of an inclined structure that rests on a wall, fence or other structures. The upper horizontal bar is attached directly to the load-bearing surface. From below, at a certain distance from the wall, small pegs are driven in. A mesh is stretched between them. This option is often used for growing climbing plants.

Stationary structures for gartering vegetables

In a small garden, it is advisable to install trellises that can be used for many years. If you follow crop rotation and move vegetable crops from place to place every season, you can use a trellis to tie up cucumbers and peas, pumpkins and other plants that require support. The poles do not interfere with low-growing crops and, if necessary, can be used to stretch film or lutrasil.

To install supports for stationary trellises, use a block of 5x5 cm or thicker, as well as a metal pipe with a diameter of 5-7 cm. In addition, you will need:

shovel;
cord or wire;
crushed stone and cement;
construction level;
fastening materials.

Install vertical posts at the opposite ends of each ridge. For reliability, they need to be dug to a depth of about 70 cm, and the hole around the support should be filled with crushed stone mixed with dry cement in a ratio of 4:1. Compact the backfill. When installing supports, you need to check the verticality using a building level.

After this, horizontal parts are attached to the trellis. The simplest thing is to strengthen a crossbar on top of the posts, to which you can tie garter cords or attach a large mesh plastic mesh. But tomatoes on a trellis in open ground can also be grown using more complex and beautiful designs:

Attach short pieces of timber or pipe to the vertical posts, placing them perpendicular to the axis of the bed. In this case, as the tomatoes grow, horizontal cords are stretched between the ends of the bars, on which the tied stems rest. Depending on your own ideas about ease of care, the bars can be made the same length (the stems are tied vertically, as in the photo), or with a decrease in the height of the column up or down (the tomatoes will be inclined inward or outward from the center of the ridge).
An interesting variant of the above-described support for tomatoes. When planting, the bushes are positioned so that they are inside a rectangle formed by horizontal bars and cords. In the northern regions, such a trellis allows you to quickly protect young plants from spring cold snaps or hail. To do this, just throw a film or lutrasil over a tier of cords stretched above the tops of the seedlings and secure it with clothespins. In the fall, such a shelter will help the last tomatoes ripen.
For garter, you can use a plastic mesh (it is usually used to fence an area). In this case, a horizontal beam is attached on top of the pillars along the entire ridge. The mesh is tied to this part, securing its lower edge with wire hooks stuck into the ground. To secure the lower edge, you can also make an additional bar at a height of 15-20 cm from the soil. Tie the tomatoes directly to the cells.
You can attach cords to a horizontal beam, to which you can tie tomatoes, like on a trellis made of poles.

To ensure that stationary trellises last a long time and look aesthetically pleasing, the wood is painted or varnished, and metal pipes are primed with special compounds to protect against corrosion.

How to build a trellis for open ground?

One of the support options is shown in the photo (Fig. 2). To make a simple trellis from poles, you need to stick them into the soil at an angle and tie them in pairs, crossing the upper ends. Place another stick in the fork. Attach the cords to the horizontal pole. It is better to plant tall tomatoes in one row and form them into 1-2 stems, subsequently carefully removing all the shoots. Medium-sized tomatoes can be placed on both sides of the central pole and tied to inclined cords.

To make your garden look beautiful, it is better to spend a little time and money by building trellises from timber or pipes. Such supports will be quite strong, they can be used for various crops that need support. It is best to make a trellis at least 2 m high. This will allow you to plant tall tomatoes, cucumbers or peas near it in subsequent years.

To the height above the ground you should add the depth to which the block or pipe will be dug. On medium-density and clayey soils, 50-60 cm will be enough for the supports to support the total weight of the plants even in the event of strong winds. On sandy soils, the digging depth of support pillars should be increased to 1 m.

TOMATO ON A TRELLE

Tomato - growing on a trellis.

First, let's dwell on why tomatoes should be grown on a trellis, and not in the usual bush way. Everything is very simple - this has a beneficial effect on the plant itself, it becomes less susceptible to all kinds of diseases, the amount of commercial products obtained increases due to the fact that the plant has a much longer growing season. Even the fact that the fruits practically do not come into contact with the ground and this does not lead to their rotting is already worthy of starting to grow tomatoes on a trellis.

Many gardeners, instead of a trellis, usually use tying tomato plants to a driven stake, each individually. This is not recommended, as this contributes to the accumulation of moisture inside the tied plant, which, in turn, leads to an increase in plant disease. It’s still better when the tomatoes are tied to a trellis - this helps to constantly blow fresh air through the leaves and minimizes moisture stagnation.

When growing tomatoes on a trellis, you can successfully use the technology of narrow beds. The combination of these two technologies will provide significant advantages - the plants will be well ventilated, which will lead to a decrease in fluctuations in daily air temperatures, and this in turn will help reduce the formation of moisture on the leaves. Also, during the entire growing season of tomato development, the soil surface between the rows will remain unoccupied by plants. Plus, to all this, the time required to care for tomato plants is reduced several times - it is easier to root the plants and remove diseased leaves and fruits from them, which, in turn, are less injured during the harvesting process. Also, with this growing method, tomatoes are more evenly illuminated by the sun and warm up better.

Now let’s talk about how to properly install a trellis in your garden. Let's take as an example the length of a bed with tomatoes - 10 meters. To do everything correctly, you will need 6 slats with a cross section of 20x40mm and a length of 2 meters. On one side, the slats should be pointed, and on the other, at a distance of 20 centimeters from the end of the slats, it is necessary to drive in a nail, onto which we will subsequently lay horizontal slats, on which we will hang our trellises. We drive our slatted posts two meters along the entire length of the row, lay horizontal slats on the nails, and when the seedlings take root (in about 7-10 days) with soft synthetic or natural twine, we tie the plants to the horizontal slats. This is, as it were, all wisdom. All that remains is to twist and tie the side shoots to the trellis as the tomato grows.

Design options

There are two main types of tomato supports:

trellis,
stakes.

In a greenhouse, the role of a peg is played by twine tied to the roof.

A trellis is a more complex structure than other types of supports. It consists of vertical posts driven into the soil and string, wire or coarse mesh stretched over them in several rows. Industrially manufactured structures are equipped with reusable staples (clips) for securing branches and stems. The height of the trellis and the amount of wire depend on the growth rate of the bushes and agricultural technology.

Types of structures:

vertical single-plane;
inclined from two planes in the form of the letter V;
arched - in the form of two rows of pillars connected by crossbars, on which branches are placed so that the tassels hang down;
vertical with a visor - useful in rainy regions for protection against late blight; the visor is made of a transparent material, for example, polycarbonate.

Advantages of the trellis:

shoots are evenly distributed in space,
the plants are well lit and quickly begin to bear fruit,
reliability - the structure of many supports does not tip over;
withstands a lot of weight.

Pros of pegs:

easy to manufacture,
do not take up storage space,
easy to install and remove from the garden.

How to make a trellis for cucumbers with your own hands

Let's look at how to make a comfortable support for cucumbers with your own hands. Typically, summer residents rely on available materials and their own construction skills.

Simple rectangular

The basis of this design is timber up to 3 meters long. The usual height of the structure is 2 meters, which is exactly how tall the stems of cucumbers grow. Preparing the frame:

Corner supports are made from bars with a diameter of 50 millimeters, deepening them into the soil by 70-80 centimeters

The length of the bed and the distance between the corner supports is 5 meters. To prevent the structure from collapsing under the weight of the lashes, the corner posts are reinforced with guy wires. The intermediate columns are deepened by 50-60 centimeters, their thickness is less - 40 millimeters. After installing the frame, it is important to correctly tension the wire - 2 millimeters thick, the first row at a height of 20 centimeters, the next after 30-40 centimeters.. The top wire is thicker - at least 3 millimeters, since it is this that will hold most of the weight when the cucumbers trudge and sing

The top wire is thicker - at least 3 millimeters, since it is this wire that will hold most of the weight when the cucumbers begin to weave and sing.

From lumber

With a sufficient amount of high-quality lumber, you can make a beautiful lattice that will securely hold the vines and make it easier to grow cucumbers in open ground.

The work flow is as follows:

Corner supports are dug in (the thickness of the timber is 50 millimeters, the depth is 70-80 centimeters). Strengthened with wire anchors.
After 1-2 meters, additional racks are made, with a smaller diameter.
A cross member is laid on top between the corner supports and secured rigidly, so the grill slats will be attached to it. If desired, you can make a drawing to immediately cut out the slats of the required size.

The size of the grid cells is 15 centimeters, the sufficient width of the slats is 3 millimeters. Such a pergola for cucumbers, with good woodworking skills, can become a decoration for your dacha.

From a metal profile

Metal structures are more durable; if fastened well, they will last a long time for gartering cucumber stems. The basis is made up of reinforcing bars more than 2 meters long. They are driven into the ground along the edges of the bed.

The easiest way to attach the top cross member from a pipe is to weld it with a welding machine. If this is not possible, twist the edges with wire or a thick cable. In this case, the frame will not be too reliable.

Between the supports, metal stakes are driven into the ground, to which the wire mesh will be attached. The pegs should be installed at a distance of 15 centimeters from each other. Wire is attached to the top pipe, side supports and stakes so that the cells are 15-20 centimeters in size.

Tip: all metal parts are painted and treated with anti-corrosion agents.

From the tire

A cucumber trellis, made with your own hands from scrap materials (tires and wheels), turns out to be small and convenient. A large diameter tire is cut lengthwise, laid on the ground, the middle for a bed of cucumbers and the tire is covered with prepared soil. A metal reinforcement is inserted into the center, onto which the wheel rim will be attached.

The ground is covered with burlap, in the slots of which cucumber seedlings are planted. When cold weather is possible, agrofibre is used for shelter. The wire is pulled through the holes for the spokes and the tire.

When the cucumbers entwine the device, it becomes like a canopy or hut with a round top. Such growing stands are mobile; next year they can be moved to another place, beautifully decorating the area.

From a special mesh

To create supports for cucumbers, several types of meshes are used:

trellis;
plastic made of polycarbonate;
metal.

Each type has its own characteristics in fastening and caring for the material, which can be read in the instructions.

Installation rules:

install reliable supports along the edges - pipes (metal or plastic), wooden poles;
make intermediate posts for additional rigidity;
on top, strengthen the rail into a spacer with a mesh pre-strung on it for attaching cucumber lashes;
The sides of the mesh are attached to the supports with wire or twine, stretching without sagging.

The side supports require stretching and significant deepening.

Grape trellis

The quality and even the yield of grapes largely depend on the choice of trellises. The support for it is made mainly two-plane. Lightweight structures located in one plane are used only for young shoots, decorative or small varieties.

Semi-arch design

1 For ease of collecting and caring for plants, supports should not be higher than human height. It is advisable that the grape bunches are located no higher than the winegrower’s eye level

2 The trellis can be made in the form of a straight columnar structure, an arch or a semi-arch. Arched structures are better illuminated by the sun, so the yield of plants with such cultivation will be greater. Columnar supports or semi-arches are used more often when there is not enough space

3 It is better to use metal as supports - this design will be more durable and will last much longer. After all, a grapevine can live up to 50 years! It will be a shame if one day it breaks along with a rotten wooden beam

4 For the simplest single-plane trellis, it is enough to use support pillars located at a distance of 3 m from each other. For them, holes with a diameter of 60 cm are prepared using a drill.

5 To strengthen the structure, it is better to concrete the pillars into the ground to a depth of 50-60 cm. To protect against moisture, before pouring the concrete solution, a layer of crushed stone is poured into the bottom of each hole

6 Vertical crossbars are attached to horizontally located supports by welding

Such trellises have a large plane, which allows the vine to grow in different directions. In this case, the plant receives more air and light, which significantly increases productivity.

It improves when tied to such supports and natural pollination. A well-grown tent creates shade, allowing you to protect the roots of the grapes from rapid evaporation of moisture.

Two-plane design

Externally, this design resembles the letter V attached to a small post. In its upper part there are horizontal crossbars.

1The principle of creating a two-plane grape trellis is similar to the previous one. The only thing to consider when arranging the supports is the space between the rows. For normal formation of the vine, it should be 1.5 m. A gap of 1.2 m is left between the bushes. Dessert varieties are planted at a distance of 1.5 m from each other. If the bushes are lush, it can be increased to 2 m. Between rows leave 1.5 m

2 The optimal height of the trellis is 2.2-2.5 m

The diameter of the metal supports is from 32 cm. It is better to make the outer pillars a little thicker

4 For fastening pipes, welding or metal corners and screws are used

5 The distance between the pillars is at least 2.5-3 m

6 Metal or wooden supports must be concreted into the ground

7 To protect metal or wood from moisture, the lower part of the pillars is treated with bitumen and wrapped with roofing felt

8Since the vine weighs a lot, the posts need to be given additional rigidity. To do this, 4-5 rows of intermediate, horizontal crossbars are attached between them, and a thick wire or cable is stretched. It is better to use copper or aluminum - iron wire will rust quickly and will have to be replaced frequently

8 To attach it to the posts, corners, rings or brackets are welded

Drawing of a grape trellis

Some winegrowers claim that the largest bunches of grapes grow on high supports. But this opinion is wrong. By raising the trellises to a very high height, you will only make it more difficult to care for the vine.

What you will need

You will need timber or thick reinforcement rods to create a kind of support. Also, as additional elements, rope tension elements will be needed.

To understand how much material needs to be spent for each specific case, pay attention to the variety of tomatoes:

For medium-height ones, that is, for semi-determinant ones, you will need to build a simple structure.
For tall indeterminate tomatoes, a more complex structure will be needed that can also support the increased mass of the entire plant.

Consumables

For a simple design you need to take:

Metal rods or wooden beams 2.5 m high. Of these, 0.5 m will go underground, and 2 m will rise above the ground.
A ball of thick twine or cord.
But for tall tomatoes, metal fittings, pipes or massive wooden beams are prepared, the height of which starts from 2.5 m to 3 m. In this case, 0.5 m is also dug into the ground.
Also in this case it is better to use a polymer mesh rather than a rope.

Tools

Hammer, screwdriver, nails or screws for fixing elements. You will also need a shovel or album to form holes of sufficient depth. In addition, they stock up on a long tape measure and a level to form even vertical posts and horizontal crossbars.

What tomatoes and where are best to grow using the trellis method?

In my opinion, the trellis method of growing tomatoes is completely unsuitable for classic greenhouses. Where there is not enough space, the trellis structure will always be touched, tomatoes do not like this. Moreover, in a greenhouse, plants are usually planted in two rows, and it will be difficult to get through the trellis to the second row.

Therefore, the trellis method is good for:

large greenhouses, where plants grow in one row and there is enough space in the aisles;
ground tomatoes in the middle zone, which first grow under film cover, and only in mid-June are laid out on trellises;
for the southern regions.

The trellis method is useless when growing low-growing tomatoes or tomatoes that do not require pinching. For such varieties, supporting pegs and “slingshots” are used.

The trellis is suitable for tall cherry tomatoes. For example, I grew the varieties “Cherry” and “Bull’s Eye”. Large-fruited varieties such as “Bull's Heart”, “Three Fat Men” and others ripen remarkably well on the trellis.

Tying methods

Tomatoes in the central climate have to be grown in seedlings. By the time they are planted in open ground (hereinafter referred to as OG), they are already ready for flowering and fruiting. For growing in such conditions, gardeners prefer low-growing and medium-growing varieties, since it is much easier to provide them with support without constructing complex structures.

Why do tomatoes need support?

Some gardeners choose low-growing varieties and do not tie them up. This is acceptable, the harvest will also be good. But, as has already been noted, with support, plants develop and bear fruit better.

Plant tying is necessary for the following reasons:

In exhaust gas conditions, bushes are exposed to significant influence of natural factors - strong wind, rain, hail. All this will probably put even varieties capable of growing vertically on the ground. All above-ground parts of tomatoes should not touch the ground. Otherwise, various diseases begin to develop, slugs and insects gain easy access to the plant, and the fruits rot.

Tomatoes need to be watered only at the root; they do not like water getting on the leaves and fruits. Vertically located bushes are easier to spray with appropriate preparations against diseases and pests. It’s also easier to weed, plant, and harvest.

A vertically growing plant receives more sunlight and heat. And freely circulating air masses prevent the occurrence of many diseases.

As you can see, gartering tomatoes in open ground is absolutely necessary!

Let's look at effective ways to create support for growing pets:

Wooden stakes are one of the simplest and most affordable tying methods. Instead of wood, you can use a material that is more resistant to natural influences - metal rods (fittings, corners), remains of rigid plastic pipes.

It is important to calculate the length of the peg. To do this, add 30 cm to the height of an adult plant.

This is exactly the size that the stake will need to be driven into the ground for reliability. For medium-sized varieties, a length of 1 m is sufficient. The stake is driven into the ground during planting of seedlings or after no more than 1 week, so as not to injure the roots. This method is the leading one because it is the cheapest and even women’s hands can do it.

Horizontal trellises are an effective but labor-intensive method for open ground. The bottom line is that strong supports made of wood or a metal profile are dug in along the edges of the bed at approximately 0.7-1 m. There may be several such supports, in which case they are installed in increments of 1.5–2 m along the line of planting seedlings. Twine is pulled between the stakes with a horizontal step of 0.4 m. As the shoots grow, they are either passed between 2 ropes located on the same line, or directed either from one side of the rope or from the other, located at different levels.

The first method is dangerous because the “figure eight” formed by the rope can cut the tomato trunk. Additionally, shoots and fruit clusters can be fixed to horizontal trellises.

Vertical trellises are also often used. Their construction will require strength and a lot of material. A structure similar to the previous one is being built. Strong supports 2 m long are dug in along the planting line. A reliable crossbar is required on top, to which the bushes will be tied. It can be made from thick steel wire, wooden beams or other material.

Loosely tie twine to each bush, wrap the plant around it and tie it to a vertical support. As they grow, the shoots will either wrap themselves around the rope, or you will help them with this.

The support can be made into a more stable structure like this.

Fixation to a mesh, lattice, or cage is often used. Around each bush a certain support of cylindrical or rectangular cross-section is built. The easiest way is to take a piece of chain-link mesh, wrap it around the plant, and lightly dig the edges into the ground.

Or use any available material.

So, gradually, we will figure out how to tie up tomatoes in open ground. Photos of common designs will help you complete them yourself on your site. There are many other fixation options, but they are all derivatives of the above methods.

Look at some photos of exotic support models.

Please note the general tying rules:

Fixation of shoots occurs several times per season as the plant grows. The number of fixation points is 2–6, depending on the height of a particular variety. Be sure to tie not only the stems, but also the clusters with fruits or even single large fruits, otherwise the stems will break off.

Do not pull the shoots too tightly, leave room for them to thicken.

Purpose

On a trellis, plants receive more air and sunlight necessary for good fruiting. The vertical garter prevents contact of leaves and fruits with damp soil and protects against fungal and bacterial diseases. First, the stem is tied up, and then the branches with the filling fruits, which reduces the load on the main trunk. If you don't do this, the stem will fall to the ground and the tomatoes will begin to rot. In high-yielding hybrids, loose branches will break under the weight of the fruit, the bush will suffer significant injury, and the yield will decrease.

When tied, tomatoes feel much better, tolerate bad weather conditions more easily, increase yield, and fruiting lasts longer.

Advantages of using trellises:

movement around the site is made easier - the row spacing is cleared of plants lodged in the aisles;
The bushes are easy to care for - pruning, spraying, normalizing brushes, harvesting, pollinating;
The fruits do not rot, ripen faster, and set better.

What types of trellises for cucumbers are there?

A lot of cucumber supports have been invented, this is confirmed by photos and descriptions of the structures. After this, we can discuss how to properly tie cucumbers in open ground.

We can talk about square (rectangular), pedestal-shaped trellises, in the form of a hut or tent.

Rectangular and hut type

The popularity of cucumbers can only be surpassed by tomatoes. Cucumber vines grow outdoors, in greenhouses, and at home.

The lashes grow up to 2-2.5 m long, they just need to cling to something PHOTO: samodelino.ru

Rectangular design PHOTO: 1teplica.com

The result is a vertical arrangement of the plant, because the vines rise upward. The main thing is to install a strong frame on which the wire will be placed in rows.

The hut or A-shaped structure is quite attractive in appearance, it is just as easy to use and, moreover, mobile. After the end of the season, you can put it in another place, for example, with overgrown flowers.

The height of the hut should not be less than 70-80 cm PHOTO: moefermerstvo.ru

There is also such a homemade design PHOTO: dachnye-sovety.ru

Round and arched

As an option, you can arrange round and arched options at your dacha. Arches are labor-intensive to manufacture, but the most aesthetically pleasing.

A round version made from unnecessary bicycle wheels PHOTO: orchardo.ru

A bed with metal arches PHOTO: ogorod.ru You can assemble such a convenient arch from the Gitter Mesh PHOTO: sad365.ru

Trellis net for cucumbers stretched between the supports - ease of growing

A special net for tying cucumbers can be purchased at the store. It can be used both vertically and horizontally. The good thing about the cells is that it is very convenient for the tendrils to cling to them, and the vine itself chooses the direction of growth.

The mesh can be stretched onto a frame of any shape, turning it into a triangular, rectangular or any other structure.

Plastic mesh for gartering cucumbers PHOTO: moya-belarus.ru

The price of plastic mesh is low; you can immediately purchase the required footage, taking into account the grip on the frame. A wire stretched along the top of the support is suitable for fastening.

What is a trellis?

The word “trellis” is of Italian origin and one of its meanings is “shoulder”. A shoulder to lean on. A trellis is any structure that will support a plant and give it the necessary shape. In fact, a store-bought decorative lattice is also a trellis. But buying one for every tomato bush will ruin you!

The trellis method involves creating a collective (for all bushes in a row) trellis and then fixing the plants on this structure. The grate is usually wooden or made of wire.

Some people confuse the trellis method and the vertical garter method. Meanwhile, the difference is significant: in the first case there is collective support, in the second it is individual.

Trellis net for tomatoes, cucumbers and peas

After the frame is installed, proceed to placing the trellis mesh. When placing a trellis on the open ground with your own hands, observe the practical requirements for it:

choose a mesh with a cell size of 10x10 or 15x15cm;
mesh material with high rigidity and strength;
the cells should not be deformed under the weight of the plants;
resistance of the material to moisture and sun;
environmental cleanliness.

The easiest way to make a country trellis with your own hands is to buy a factory-made PVC product. We hasten to disappoint those who choose simplicity and speed: polyvinyl chloride mesh is short-lived, sags a lot, and quickly becomes unusable. It is better to make a trellis yourself, and we will tell you what materials it can be built from. The materials are quite affordable and can be purchased at any gardening, construction or hardware store.

Construction twine for trellis

Twine is often used in the country and not only for arranging trellises. The material is inexpensive and accessible, but it is one-year-old and quickly loses its properties over the season, and next year you will have to install a new trellis.

This has its advantages: fruit-bearing plants can be easily removed along with the twine. When organizing a trellis using rope, you do not need any special skills. First of all, you need to dig small pegs near the plants.

If we plan to install a frame made of wooden beams, we hammer nails onto the top bar, bending them in the form of hooks. In the case of a metal frame, we make hooks from wire. We cut the twine into pieces of 3 meters, attach the top to the hooks, and the bottom to the pegs. When the seedlings grow, we guide them along the ropes. You can make a cross trellis by cutting 5 meters of twine. This design is suitable for both peas and tomatoes. We fold the cut piece in half, fasten it to the hook, making one turn, and attach the ends to adjacent pegs.

Wooden slats for trellises

A lattice made of wooden slats is also a popular trellis design in the country. This system is used for cultivating cucumbers and tomatoes. When making it, take slats 20-30mm thick and fasten them with nails or self-tapping screws. They start by attaching the vertical partitions, then attach the horizontal parts so that their intersection forms cells. The result is a reliable design with a decorative effect.

The slatted trellis is reliable and easy to put away for the winter

Metal wire for trellis

Assembling a trellis using wire is a more labor-intensive and expensive process, but it turns out to be reliable and durable. Obviously, this is an overkill option for peas. Vertical rows can be made of soft wire. For horizontal rows, which increase the reliability of the fastening strips and create additional support, use steel wire with a diameter of 2-3mm.

In order to secure the wire to the frame, staples made of nails are installed on the stakes and strips. The staples are placed at the same distance as the stakes. The wire is cut into pieces and alternately stretched, first parallel to the ground, then perpendicular to the ground. Wires running vertically are wrapped around horizontal lines, forming cells of the required size.

Options and design schemes

The trellis design is classified into one that is suitable for:

Open ground. In this case, the poles are stuck in pairs into the ground, forming inclined elements that are fixed at the highest points. When creating several such triangular supports, one horizontal one is installed along their upper part, which forms a kind of rigidity frame.
Greenhouses. In this case, low but stable supports are formed. It is recommended to tie up the plants so that the bushes do not fall over. It is necessary to place vertical supports at a short distance and form horizontal ties along them in several places.

In both cases, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of free movement between two rows of trellises.

The need for tying

Many tomato varieties have bushes with strong stems. But even for them, tying is a mandatory step in the growing process. Tall varieties, reaching a length of 2 m, especially need it. Low-growing tomatoes are tied less often. But if you refuse this procedure, caring for them becomes more complicated.

When tying, the stems and branches of the plant are secured to the support using rags, plastic loops, clothespins and other devices. Correctly carried out garter is beneficial for plants:

it prevents stems and branches from breaking off under the weight of filling fruits;
a vertically located bush is well illuminated by sunlight and ventilated;
the likelihood of developing fungal diseases and viral infections is reduced;
simplifies the care of beds;
the filling fruits do not come into contact with the soil, therefore they are less susceptible to pests.

Description of trellis structures

A trellis is a lattice or rope tied to a peg, which representatives of the trellis use to cling to as they grow.

In some situations, only the presence of such a structure allows plants to form full-fledged lashes.

Today, summer residents are trying to ensure that the trellises perform not only a practical, but also an aesthetic function.

The photo of the trellis shows that it can be created from a variety of materials:

metal;
wood;
plastic pipes;
chain-links;
woven wire mesh;
plastic mesh.

The simplest option is a structure made of a strong stake driven into the ground and a rope tied to it.

The parameters of the trellises are significantly influenced by the type of plants and the method of forming the stems:

To form cucumber bushes, high arches and durable mesh or lattice structures are usually used.

Powerful supports of medium height are an excellent solution for tomatoes.

Raspberries only need a little help from trellises placed at the edges of the rows.

Clematis require a frequently spaced trellis.

A lattice made of wood or forged metal, a decorative mesh or a panel can serve as a trellis for roses.

Temporary trellis made of poles

Depending on the material used, supports for trellises are made in different ways. For the simplest support made of poles, an X-shaped design is suitable:

2 long poles are placed obliquely on the sides of the bed, deepening their ends into the soil by 50 cm;
the upper ends are crossed at a distance of 20-30 cm from the cut;
The intersection is tightly wrapped with cord or wire.

The strength of such a support is low, so the span between the supports should not exceed 2 m.

Place horizontal poles in the forks on the top of the supporting structures. The trellis will be stronger if these parts are tied to supporting elements. Attach cords to the horizontal beam for tying up the bushes that will be planted under the trellis.

How to make trellises for cucumbers and tomatoes: options for supports for vegetables

Home » Garden » How to make trellises for cucumbers and tomatoes: options for supports for vegetables

With the onset of spring, planning for vegetable beds begins, and many gardeners are again faced with the problem of lack of space in their summer cottage. I want to plant a lot of healthy and tasty things, but it can be difficult to allocate space for a new crop.

A trellis allows you to significantly save space on which you can grow not only cucumbers, but also indeterminate (climbing) tomato varieties.

Trellis growing or gartering tomatoes and cucumbers has three more advantages: good phytosanitary condition of the beds due to air circulation (low degree of development of late blight and powdery mildew), high yield due to better lighting conditions, and ease of harvesting clean, leveled fruits.

New supports for tomato bushes made of fiberglass...

Hello, dear summer resident!

This summer season, in the spring of 2021, I sowed new low-growing varieties of tomatoes for seedlings and even then I was thinking about replenishing the supply of pegs for tying up tomato bushes, but I just couldn’t settle on choosing which pegs specifically and, most importantly, what material to buy from already available metal pegs.

I went to country stores and looked at metal pegs, but they were very expensive. Judge for yourself, 10 metal pegs cost 1,500 rubles, but I need not ten pegs, but, for example, 40-45 pieces. So it turns out that you need to shell out a tidy sum from the family budget.

this option did not suit my wife and I, and then... His Majesty chance helped, as happens in many cases!

I once went into a hardware store, looked at the range of products on offer, but didn’t find anything suitable as pegs. Then I decided to ask the seller if they had anything that could replace metal pegs for tying tomatoes?

The seller, without thinking twice, takes me to a twisted coil of something light and similar to rebar (with a ribbed surface) and says that this is an excellent option for pegs. The cost per linear meter was 40 rubles, diameter 10 mm.

There were 50 meters in the twisted bay, which means that if you cut the pegs one meter at a time, you will end up with 50 pegs. Of course, this interested me, but I had no idea what this fittings were made of.

The seller explained to me that this is an alloy of glass and plastic and this material does not bend or break and is used for concreting foundations and other concrete work, as an alternative to metal reinforcement.

I told the seller that I needed to think and weigh everything, and just shell out 2,000 rubles right away. for “no one knows what”, I do not agree. Arriving at the dacha, I started a conversation with my neighbor, and she told me that such fittings went on sale last year and were made not far from our city of Lipetsk.

The neighbor was also looking for an additional number of pegs for tying up her tomatoes, and we decided to find out in more detail about the properties of this reinforcement, whether it can really be used as supports for low-growing varieties of tomatoes, and then buy it.

Well, we talked and talked. I was minding my own business at the dacha, and my neighbor needed to go to the city for groceries (she lives at the dacha all summer) and take care of her other affairs.

In short, after a couple of hours, the neighbor returns from the city and calls me to admire her purchase. She opens the trunk of her car (she has a Lada-four), and there is already a roll of fiberglass reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm, the price per linear meter is 23 rubles. (standard length of a solid rod is 50 meters).

In order not to upset her too much , I gently hinted that she was in a hurry to buy such thin fittings, since it was necessary to buy with a diameter of at least 10 mm, because this thing is bought once and, perhaps, for the rest of her life, but the job was done.

And the situation with diameters here is like this. Based on the external twisted conductors, it turns out to be 8 mm, and the round timber itself (the body itself) of the reinforcement has a diameter of 6 mm, therefore, both in appearance and, in fact, this diameter of the reinforcement looks flimsy and unreliable.

Here, judge for yourself. The pegs themselves, cut one meter at a time from a whole cane, are strong, but their task is to hold the tomato plant in an upright position. But if the tomato variety is very productive, and, God forbid, there are strong winds during the summer season, then the reinforcement may not withstand such a load and fall to the ground along with the bush?

No, the fiberglass itself will not break, bend or crack, but simply will not stay in the soil of the plot under such a load of the bush and will collapse.

Based on these considerations, I bought a bay (50 meters) of this fiberglass reinforcement with a diameter of 10 mm. I bought it not in the store where I first saw it, but in a building materials store on the way from home to the dacha.

And, by the way, a linear meter in this store cost me 32.5 rubles. After the purchase, the seller immediately warned me that unwinding the entire whip from the twisted coil must be done carefully and it is better to do this together, since the reinforcement itself is rigid and immediately straightens.

And if you remove all the twists of wire at once, which secure the twisted whip, then no matter what, you can get hit in the teeth. Here, in short, I bought such a bay of fiberglass reinforcement (see photo)...

Where to unwind this bay? After all, 50 meters is not that for you...

In short, my wife and I decided to carefully unwind all the whip along the garages. There are no people here and there is plenty of free space. Oh, and my wife and I suffered a lot of fear while unwinding this “wheel”.

But the point here is that when we removed one wire twist and freed one end, the whole whip, like a clock spring, tried to break out of the hand and straighten out as it pleased.

If it weren’t for our four hands, with which we slowly and carefully grabbed one by one along this “wheel”, spinning it one centimeter at a time, we would definitely have been kicked in the teeth.

But everything went off without injuries, the whip lay quietly along 11 garages, and all I had to do was mark this whole “sausage” one meter at a time with a marker and saw down these pegs.

I sawed this material with a regular hacksaw and a metal blade. It felt like a knife was cutting butter—the material was being sawed without any effort or strain. And by the way, the length of the whip turned out to be not 50 meters, but 50.5 meters (half a meter extra).

Then I brought these pegs to the dacha, and wanted to immediately insert them next to the tomato bushes, but I noticed that on both twisted veins that encircle the “body” of the reinforcement, there was “pubescence” shining in the sun.

You know, like before, if someone worked with glass wool, then after this work all their hands seemed to be covered in glass “needles” and then the body itched from these “needles”.

No, there was no such effect here, since these “needles” were soft (I tried them with my fingers), but, just in case, I still decided to go through these twisted wires with sandpaper, so that there would be no problems in the future, forbid God, there are excesses with these “needles.”

After I sanded each peg, I washed them in a bucket of water and laid them out to dry. No, of course, it was possible to immediately insert pegs into the soil next to the bushes, but I approach each job thoroughly and slowly.

The end result of the work should be not only competent execution, but also beautiful execution.

Don't understand what I'm talking about?

It's simple. You need to stick the pegs in so that their tops are at the same level - this way the whole tomato plot will look much nicer than how these tops will be at different levels of the horizon.

Well, is it true or not?

That’s why, after the pegs had dried, I laid them out on the armrests of old chairs, aligning them along the length and marking 25 cm with a marker. This is exactly the length I was going to stick these pegs into the soil, and 75 cm remains above the soil.

For any more or less undersized, and even medium-sized variety, this height of pegs will be just right. I then inserted these pegs into the soil of the tomato plots.

And in order to be able to compare whether or not the fiberglass pegs would negatively affect the tomato plants in two adjacent plots with the “Unknown” variety, I used pegs made of different materials.

Here is one plot with metal pegs with the “Unknown” variety...

The second plot of the same variety with pegs made of fiberglass reinforcement...

Here is a plot with the variety “Roma VF”, in which one bed has metal pegs, and the second one has fiberglass pegs (see photo below)…

And this is a whole plot with only fiberglass pegs, the “Snow Fairy Tale” variety….

As of June 24, the situation had not changed for the worse, and this is already encouraging. Here are photos from this period.

These are two plots with the “Unknown” variety...

Here's a photo a little closer. Look what branching bushes are growing this year... it’s a pity to even remove them...

These are photos of a plot with the variety “Roma VF”...

This is a plot with the “Snow Fairy Tale” variety...

This is from one side...

This is from the other side...

And so, based on the results of this season, it will be possible to judge the effect of fiberglass pegs on tomato plants.

If the result is neutral, i.e. there is no negative impact for the plants, then I will buy another bay of this fittings, since next year I plan to increase the number of tomato plots.

Well, off to the road...

The wife is surprised and happy at the tomato plants of the “Snowy Tale” variety - they stand like small oak trees! This is the first year that this variety has been growing at our dacha, but I myself am amazed at its power of growth and development.

Here are some photos from June 25...

My wife doesn’t even suspect that I have already fermented and applied 8 baths of my infusions of EM-elixir and poured them over the mulch under the plants (I haven’t sprayed them on the leaves for diseases yet) and tomatoes, and apple trees, and currants with gooseberries, and honeysuckle, and onions , and garlic, and potatoes, and carrots, and grape bushes, etc.

Perhaps in July I’ll start spraying all the crops with Elixir on the leaves, so as not to give diseases a single chance to “raise their heads,” otherwise the rains don’t stop here and the air humidity is very high.

And here comes another rain...

You see what a positive effect spraying with Elixir has had on controlling diseases on all crops in the past 6 years, starting in 2011. Oh, well, that's the same. Can I offer you information that I myself have not used and tested in practice?

I have this principle : try it yourself in your practice, and then, if there is a positive result, you can offer it to people. I don't suggest a "pig in a poke".

Here are a few photos of a bath with infusions of EM-elixir at the dacha (look at the date of shooting)…

They turned out to be slightly different in color, but the ingredients were the same...

I spilled this particular infusion on tall tomatoes in plots near the fence and against the walls of the barn...

One plot near the fence...

East wall of the barn...

South wall of the barn...

Western wall of the barn...

The second plot is near the fence...

He scooped out the infusion to the bottom... and immediately fermented a new one...

Now, after a couple of days , the infusion is ready (you see a film on the surface of the water - that means the infusion is ready!)...

I used this infusion and fermented a new one...

And I used this infusion for watering currant, gooseberry and honeysuckle bushes ...

I haven’t used this infusion yet...

If anyone doesn’t yet have my materials on fermenting reliable and high-quality infusions of EM-elixir, then you can place an order by delivery in Russia on my website - https://elicsir.dacha7.ru/

Anyone who needs an electronic version of these materials (so as not to get confused with mail) or who has the opportunity and desire to pay for their order using my Sberbank card, write to me at this email address - [email protected]

After receiving the material, immediately make the first starter and use it on your plants in a couple of days. The weather is warm, so the infusions mature quickly.

And every year your plants will be less affected by fungal and viral diseases and delight you with a delicious and environmentally friendly harvest of vegetables, fruits and berries!

And the last thing...

Now I have the following questions for you: “ Did you use fiberglass reinforcement pegs? If so, was there any negative impact on the tomato plants towards the end of the season? If not, do you plan to use this reinforcement as pegs for tying tomatoes, peppers and eggplants?”

your questions, suggestions and wishes in the comments to this post.

That's all for today, goodbye.

With best wishes, Sergey Dyakov.
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Purpose and necessity of the design

A practical and stable support for tomatoes helps to simplify the procedures for caring for tomato bushes; tied bushes are easy to weed and remove weeds, water and feed in a timely manner.

Reliable structures are stationary and portable, so they can be constantly used in farming to effectively increase the yield of various and popular garden crops.

Methods for gartering tomatoes

To tie tomato bushes, you must use thick and soft material. It is best to prepare it from rags. Rigid twine and wire are not recommended.

Tying can be done in several ways:

fix the branches on transverse supports as they grow;
from the top rope, lower the garters down to “pick up” the plants.

The branches of the bushes should not be pulled together - the plant should develop freely.

As you can see, everything is quite simple. With a little ingenuity, you can always organize support structures from scrap materials so that your plants are well formed and bear fruit well.