Carolyn,
Thanks for your insights...economic reasons suggest sprawling, but I've been against it for the reasons you debunked in your message. This is our first year growing lots of plants (about 500). Previously we did about 30-50, and so could keep up with tying and re-tying to the stakes as they grew. Probably will have to abandon that this year, as this is still a hobby and there won't be enough time. So sprawling may be our best option.
I did notice in your very nice book, that your plants are allowed to sprawl. Though you note here that there is no sun scald with sprawling, what about when the tomatoes contact plastic mulch (perhaps that is what you were referring to)? Also, is there likely to be any difference in yield between sprawling and staking and cages as employed by most people (not the multi-stage cage towers)?
Regards,
Jim
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137
I know folks are suggesting all sorts of ways to grow them, but for many years I grew 500-800 plants each summer just by sprawling them, with no problems at all. No way could I have had the time to do otherwise and it sure is a cheap way to go but you have to have the space.
My rows were about 250 ft long and plants within the rows were 3-4 ft apart and there was 5 ft between rows.
Most years a commercial friend would cultivate between the rows and that helped a lot.
No, I had no significant problems that I wouldn't have seen otherwise in terms of diseases, mainly foliage diseases, and I had grown plants in cages before.
And no, I had no significant loss due to fruits touching the ground and rotting. Until someone actually grows plants by sprawling they don't realize that the majority of fruits nestle in the low foliage.
And no I didn't have any slug problems either.
You're in NJ and should be able to do what I and many others do when growing hundreds of plants. Actually all of the commercial growers here in my part of the country, that I know, only grow their tomatoes by sprawling.  |