The importance of tutoring tomatoes

Tutoring tomatoes is a farm practice that has gained much popularity. This system of growing the plant is very important for increased yield and proper management. Tutoring tomatoes help to provide a structure which supports the tender plants as they grow. When growing vegetables, one of the most important elements you can’t rule out is light. Vegetable crops like tomatoes require full sunlight to produce an abundance of fruits. The plant requires up to 8 hours of sunlight on a daily basis and it also performs well when tutored or supported to maximize the amount of sunlight received. Tutoring tomatoes help to expose the plant to sufficient amount of sunlight for increased yield. It also helps the plant to grow well and carry the weight of the fruit.

Apart from exposing the plant properly to sunlight, there are many benefits in tutoring tomatoes. It gives the plant proper support to hold its branches in place and prevents the plant from leaning on the ground. In a humid environment, this support is highly recommended because it helps growers to increased profit by protecting the fruits to rot and humidity. Due to the fruit size of the modern day tomatoes, it is also important to tutor the plant, to prevent the branches from breaking. The fruit’s weight can cause the plant to lodge and this can be averted when adequately support is provided.

Trellising tomatoes is not only for solar exposition as earlier mentioned. It will also help to protect the plant from getting stained or developing a disease as a result of pathogens that develop in humid ecosystems. Trellising tomatoes will also allow the leaves to be well aerated and for the grower, it will also reduce the cost of labor during cultivation and harvesting.

Trellising tomatoes helps to keep the fruits intact and make harvesting easier. Since the groves will be very free, it also allows weeding to be much easier. However, the main purpose of establishing tomatoes plantation is for increased yield and better quality, and providing support for the plant is the best way to achieve that. Tomatoes tutored or supported hardly suffer from wind damages and it also makes foliar fertilizer cheaper and easier to apply. After trellising tomatoes, ground cover can be provided to prevent erosion of the topsoil as well as weeds. The ground cover can also help to supply water, air, and nutrient to the plant’s root. In the absence of a support, it can help to protect low-growing tomatoes from resting on the ground.

There are different ground covers you can use for your tomatoes farm. You can either plant a cover crop, use organic mulch or black plastic.

Steps in trellising tomatoes

For best results, it is best to install your trellis before planting the tomatoes. However, to install your trellis, follow these steps strictly.

1. The easy up tomato trellis or the bottom half should be unfolded. Don’t forget the tall trellis is available in two parts. The part that’s lower has legs for easy staking into the ground while the receptacles are meant for you to attach the upper part. A zigzag pattern of almost 90 degrees between each panel should be formed.

2. Place the zigzag trellis properly over your already prepared garden bed. Once you have done so, push the legs and make sure it stays firm into the ground. You can now attach the top half of the tall trellis by simply placing the legs into the receptacles.

3. You don’t want the trellis to get destroyed by the wind so make sure it is anchored properly. You can make use of stout stakes at both ends, together with one in the middle.

4. Only plant your tomatoes on one side of your trellis. Make sure you place one in each of the zigzag’s corner. The benefit of this planting arrangement is that harvesting is much easier. It also allows each of the plant to mature well without crowding. However, as the plant continues to grow, make sure you wave them through the grids in order to provide support.