Staking Tomatoes

Not “steak and tomatoes” but tomato stakes, those wonderful supports you place around your cute little tomato plants. It takes planning and a healthy dose of optimism to set them up early. While you’re waiting around for the perfect day to do that chore, your tiny plants morph into shrubs.

I have a few choice words for the lazy gardener who puts off this task.

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Okay, now that I’m done telling myself off, I’m happy to report that I did manage to wrangle a couple of folding plant stakes around the prolific tomatoes. I’m glad that’s done!

Staked Tomatoes

While I was at it, I tied a couple of old wooden trellises together into an A-frame for the pumpkin vines. Hopefully, [insert optimism here] the elevated fruit deters the midnight foragers. Time will tell.

Pumpkin Trellis

Happy Friday!

The Science Of Tasty Tomatoes (gizmodo.com.au)
10 Tomatoes to Grow in Your Container Garden (treehugger.com)
City Pickers Update: Week Three (gardeningnirvana.wordpress.com)
Tomato – Fruit or Vegetable? The US Supreme Court rules it to be a … (librarianbrain.wordpress.com)

13 thoughts on “Staking Tomatoes”

Your tomatoes and pumpkins are doing much better than mine! (Actually, the pumpkins are non-existent so it looks like I am going to have to plant some more.)

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Born To Organize | June 8, 2012 at 4:29 pm

It took a lot of seeds to get the few plants we have. I started several indoors, but most died within 24 hours of re-planting. I started another dozed or so seeds in eggshells and those fared a bit better. This huge plant is actually self-seeded from last year, and look how healthy it is. Go figure!

Good luck with your second crop.

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- silverbells2012 | June 9, 2012 at 12:37 am
  
  I forgot that pumpkins can grow very big. Glad you finally had some success in egg shells – I’ve got plenty of those so maybe ought to try that method out?!
  
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  - Born To Organize | June 9, 2012 at 10:09 am
    
    Let me know if you try it and if you have success. It was easy to move them from egg crate to garden and with the bonus of added nutrients to the soil.
    
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    - silverbells2012 | June 9, 2012 at 12:58 pm
      
      Of course! So far, I’ve just put new seeds in the pots which weren’t doing anything (I think it because they were from last year’s pumpkins and I didn’t store them well enough). Perhaps I’ll try the eggshells tomorrow and see which produces the best results for me!
      
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      - Born To Organize | June 9, 2012 at 4:08 pm
        
        That might be your problem. I read a few years ago that many commercially purchased pumpkins produce sterile seeds (they want you to buy pumpkins, not grow them!!) You might have sterile seeds on your hands. We’ve saved and replanted seeds too without much success. Now I know why. Here is an interesting article (and site) on how to save and store pumpkin seeds. Good luck!
        
        http://www.gardenguides.com/95247-save-pumpkin-seeds-planting.html
        
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        silverbells2012 | June 9, 2012 at 4:20 pm
        
        Thanks for that info. I can’t tell from the packet whether the pumpkins are a hybrid or not but as I have plenty in the packet, I may as well use them up!
        
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        Born To Organize | June 9, 2012 at 5:23 pm
        
        Let me know how they grow!
        
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