You can grow your tomatoes in spiral, if you plan ahead. While they are still young and succulent, the end of the vines are quite pliable, and can be "influenced" to grow in a particular direction. I have grown them in zig zigs from hanging ropes. But I'd like to try a spiral grow, around a fine mesh cylinder. Then, when letting the vines down, they would stack compactly. (similar to what you've mentioned) You could just keep throwing dirt on them, and letting them sprout new roots.
How do you support your tomato plants?
- Thread starter 3rrorist
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i suppose so, but a spiral would mean less light onto the center area of your tube.
but the rollers take pretty much 5 seconds to lower, i cant see this spiral being very time efficient.. even with zip ties etc, the plants will fight you, at least the way im envisioning it... always trying to grow upward.
vining plants are another story... once you get a hop plant onto a piece of string? you can run that string any where...and the bines will follow it
i hate having to waste time fussing with minor crap, hence why i went with the fertigation sytsem in the first place.
but the rollers take pretty much 5 seconds to lower, i cant see this spiral being very time efficient.. even with zip ties etc, the plants will fight you, at least the way im envisioning it... always trying to grow upward.
vining plants are another story... once you get a hop plant onto a piece of string? you can run that string any where...and the bines will follow it
i hate having to waste time fussing with minor crap, hence why i went with the fertigation sytsem in the first place.
Spirals are no problem with good light exposure. Sun moves, after all. 
I like the strings, but I've had problems with the vines getting out of hand. And as you mention, once they harden, they become brittle. I've even debated about staggering crops, and going back to cages. (and I grow in containers)
Pretty much getting my ass kicked by powdery mildew right now. (which is causing me to rethink my methods) Nothing seems to rid me of the mildew without also ridding me of the leaves upon which it has invaded.
I like the strings, but I've had problems with the vines getting out of hand. And as you mention, once they harden, they become brittle. I've even debated about staggering crops, and going back to cages. (and I grow in containers)
Pretty much getting my ass kicked by powdery mildew right now. (which is causing me to rethink my methods) Nothing seems to rid me of the mildew without also ridding me of the leaves upon which it has invaded.
yea i had mildew when i was growing the "heirloom" seedstock. part of why i switched to well bred cultivars. Altho, only my determinate bush plants were getting mildew... so air circulation is probably a bigger factor here.
what are you spraying that is defoliating your plants tho?
For my paste tomatos i like the san marzano plant. its a straight up super vigorous indi, i prune it to one stem. it produces pretty damn well that way, but will BER like nobodies business... this atrium gets rained out a few times a year by the big rain storms we get in houston. when that happens the fertilizer charge is washed out, and the marzanos get BER like... 2 days later, very finicky plants, but worth it imo, if you want paste atleast. THE BER is not terminal tho, it will just scab over as the fertilizer charge builds back up.
this, washing out is part of why i like rockwool bags... but at like 10 bucks a slab ( 8 bucks a slab + 3 4" cubes) ? eh you cant do too many without feeling foolish.
what are you spraying that is defoliating your plants tho?
For my paste tomatos i like the san marzano plant. its a straight up super vigorous indi, i prune it to one stem. it produces pretty damn well that way, but will BER like nobodies business... this atrium gets rained out a few times a year by the big rain storms we get in houston. when that happens the fertilizer charge is washed out, and the marzanos get BER like... 2 days later, very finicky plants, but worth it imo, if you want paste atleast. THE BER is not terminal tho, it will just scab over as the fertilizer charge builds back up.
this, washing out is part of why i like rockwool bags... but at like 10 bucks a slab ( 8 bucks a slab + 3 4" cubes) ? eh you cant do too many without feeling foolish.