( and whilst technically it might not be a wigwam – it’s such a lovely word and there isn’t the need to use it very often – so I thought I’d give it an airing.)

The tomatoes are in pots resting on the brick raised borders. Supported by canes, a purpose build A frame and string which twines round the plant from base to overhead strut. It’s not a method I’ve been in a position to try but I think the idea is that when the tomato plant is planted, the string is buried with it, then tied into the to overhead and adjusted and twined round the stem of the plant as it grows.

Whatever the method it worked, the plants looked healthy and productive.

to this …….

I’ve gawn and shorn the Sungolds.

I first read about the French method of pruning tomatoes in Living the Life in St Aignan and then in response to my post on Spacing Tomatoes Holylandswain recommended removing the lower leaves to maintain air circulation around closely spaced plants.

I did a bit more research and found this article on pruning tomatoes which  recommended removing leaves from the bottom 8 to 12 inches of the plant.

Enough to convince me to have a go.

I chose the 3 Sungolds in the giant sized growbag as they were spaced12 inches apart, unruly and becoming entangled. I started tentatively enough, a little snip here and a little snap there. But personality will out and once started I’m not inclined to leave alone. A squeezer of spots, a popper of bubble wrap and now a scalper of tomato plants.

Will it be the making or the breaking of the Sungolds ?  Will they be glad to be rid of their excess green baggage or is this a cut too far?

Since seeing the spiral stakes used by Living the life in Saint-Aignan over in the Loire Valley I have been hankering to try some. I held off as I wasn’t sure how to secure them in pots. However having got some larger pots (Diameter 39cm, Depth 28.5 cm)  I caved into temptation and bought 5.

They are held at the top by the lip of a fence panel which may or may not work but otherwise I like them. It’s early days and the plants don’t have enough height to twirl round them but I can see how it’s going to work and that should be well !

In the Super U in France they cost less than a Euro each and 20 were purchased. I got 5 at £2.99 each from Wilkinson. But we won’t dwell on that  !

Has anyone else given them a whirl ?

I am using stakes as supports for my tomatoes as they are all outside.

But for any greenhouse growers, I thought you might like these 2 articles on string support systems.
(I’d now love a greenhouse.  It must be where the expression ‘green with envy’ comes from !)

The Cottage Smallholder details a system where the string is attached to the bottom two leaves of the plant, twisted gently round the stem and then the top of the string attached to a line that traverses the greenhouse roof. Instructions are included for making a support (reminiscent of the kite part that the string is wrapped round… which must have a name?) which allows for the slack needed in the string to accommodate the growth of the plant.

My Garden from RHS Rosemoor details a system which uses baler twine for extra strength. The tomatoes are planted on top of the end of the string and as the roots grow they secure it. I love that concept ,nature and gardener each doing their bit to create a solution .

Photo by Sleepymeko

More Grow Bags.

This time the extra large one designed for tomatoes.

For ‘Easy Watering, Better Root Growth, Extra Yield, Top Quality Full-Flavoured Tomtoes’.  Yes  please to all the above

56 litres of compost.  Just under 19 litres each for 3 plants .
I’ve planted one with 3 x Sungold and 3 x ‘No Label’; to be known as The Lucky Dip bag.

Method:

• Lie bags in position.
• Cut out the three panels as per dotted lines on the bag.
• Put cane in each opening and drive down into the ground beneath the bag.
• Dig out a space for the plant (have container handy to hold compost).
• Place plant and replace compost around it.
• Tie plant to cane.
• Repeat for each plant.
• Water.  6 litres of water per bag.  It helped to hold the plastic edge away from the bag and then water down inside the bag to prevent compost washing over the outside of the bag.

Instructions for these bags advised to avoid piercing the base so I have complied.
Other instructions were to wait to plant until the first flowers open.  Not possessing that kind of faith or patience, that got ignored !

The giant grow bags were easy to put in place and to plant up.  However unlike with the upended bags and pots I couldn’t plant deep and by having 3 plants per bag the distance between each is only 10” to 12”.  Less than the ideal, which depending on variety, is between 18” and 36”.

However it’s all part of the great Tomato Towers Trials! ( A fancy, smancy way of saying it’s all trial and error here; with an optimistic bent towards trial !)

Yesterday was windy.

And I had neglected to finish staking the tomato plants. Which was a mistake because :

You are meant to do it when you put the tomatoes in their new pots to avoid root damage.

And

If the wind blows hard the growing plants have nothing to cling to.

This Black Cherry tomato plant was hanging on by a thread and wasn’t salvageable, so is now sat in a glass in the kitchen.  A lesson in skipping steps, loss and a sorry sight . 

 A slightly more cheery, if not surreal sight are the tomato plants that survived and are now all staked. If tomatoes were ever allowed into The Sealed Knot to recreate battles involving bamboo cane passing for pikestaffs this is what it might look like !

Grow Bags divide tomato growers.

Do they:

Provide an all in one, convenient container for 2 or 3 tomato plants
OR
Result in uneven water distribution and unsatisfactory root space.

One way to overcome potential drawbacks with grow bags is to upend and halve them, resulting in narrower but deeper bags.

I gave it a try.

Materials:

• Standard Size Grow Bag
• Scissors
• Empty Plastic Drinks Bottle, bottom and lid removed
• Cane
• Twine

Method:

• Flip and fold the bag backwards and forwards where the divide will be to move the compost away from the middle.
• Stand folded bag on its ends.
• Cut across top of fold.
• Push compost back down into either side.
• Cut across bottom of fold.
• Bag is now in two halves.
• Compost compacts, so empty into holding container and break up.
• Snip/pierce holes in base of bag for drainage holes.
• Place bag in position.
• Return compost to bag to provide bottom layer.
• Add bottomless water bottle.
• Put in cane.
• Add tomato plant.
• Tie plant to cane.
• Return rest of compost to bag around tomato plant.
• Water through the bottle, checking it drains through.

I included the watering bottle to direct water down to the base as it’s now quite a deep container. However it looks crowded!

I’ve put 4 plants into upended grow bags but am not sure about them. The bag doesn’t sit right and the plant doesn’t look very at home.  I don’t have the option to secure the cane into the ground but that might’ve anchored it . The whole thing look a bit makeshift. 

So 1st impressions not great but I’ll stick with them and see how the tomatoes do .

Diameter : minimum of 9” and anything up to 14”.
Volume : minimum of 9 litres but greater is better.

So what have I used ?

My first plantings are in 30cm/12” diameter pots from Asda. Buy 2 for £3.  I’m not recommending them as they didn’t have drainage holes and I had to make them. Not pretty! ( Language or holes.)

The pots are 24cm/9” deep but taper.
Counting the number of tomato plants I have challenges my maths, so even with no taper I couldn’t work out the pot volume. But as 8 used 75 litres of compost they must be about 9 litres.  So the diameter is ok but greater volume would be preferable  for some of the taller cordons.

My second plantings are in 32cm diameter pots from Wilkinson. I prefer these. (I got the last 7 and felt very guilty when a lady asked where I’d got them and I had to point to the empty shelf.) £ 1.49 each. Ready made holes. The Grecian fluting may be a bit high falutin for tomatoes but otherwise fine.

No taper and 24cm deep. From the amount of compost used, I think they hold about 11 litres.

As you may have spotted from the photos I didn’t follow my own advice and stake the plants when putting them in their new pots as I couldn’t get bamboo canes. Shopping karma was clearly in operation as Wilkinson who when I was last in had lots, had sold out.  I’ll need to look elsewhere for plentiful cheap canes.

I used Multipurpose compost. Some from last year, bought from the farm shop but not opened and some bought this week from Asda. 2 x 70 litres for £6.

I remembered the advice re letting compost warm up in your garden before using it. Last years’ unopened bags were doing just that and the Asda compost sat in the car for a day (because I couldn’t park near enough to home to be within lugging distance) but I’m happy to pass this off as part of the plan.

Feeling bad about the lack of canes I also adhered to the tepid water advice (that I had previously been planning to ignore) and added 1 litre of boiling water to a 10 litre watering can of cold water to provide a tepid first watering .

I’m now excited to see the plants grow to fill their new pots.  They were ready for that extra wriggle room. This is a photo of the roots of one sown 16 March and transplanted 21 May.