So when you plant tomatoes do you just plant them and put the cage around them and let them grow into the cage?

My experience shows that is exactly the best method. Start your plants and place the cage right after.

You can stake them, however staking tomatoes is a tedious job, and is also best done when you first place your transplants.

When tomatoes are left to grow without cages, stakes or training, when they begin to mature they tend to spread and sprawl all over the ground mainly due to the weight of the tomatoes. Climbing plants such as tomatoes need to be trained; the best way to do this is by caging or staking them with a strong tomato stake that is made of wood, bamboo or heavy plastic.

But are cages the best thing to use? I know some people use the triangle method. Use pvc pipe to build a large triangle then run it the length of your bed. Then Use metal eyelet hooks in order to run jute and then just tie the tomato to the jute the larger it gets.

Which method would you prefer for a large tomato patch? I have done both stake and cages. I actually prefer stakes when it comes to cleanup after the harvest, but cages provide a better all-around solution.

So, now that Catalog Fondling Season is in full swing, have you made a tomato wish list? Mine is way, way too long, but it’s fun to dream, isn’t it? This is what I have seeds for so far, some from trades, some given to me by generous tomato lovers, and some that I bought. It’s way to much, but I love fondling their little packets and dreaming of a bigger garden.

1. Pink Berkely Tie-Dye (new)
2. Beauty King(new)
3. Earl’s Faux(new)
4. Victorian Dwarf (new)
5. Gajo De Melon (new,free seeds)
6. Neves Azorean Red (new)
7. Legend (grown before)
8. Bella Rosa (grown before)
9. Micro-Tom (grown before)
10. New Big Dwarf (grown before)
11. Giant Belgium (grown before)
12. Virginia Sweets (new)
13. Stump of the World (Grown before)
14. Georgia Streak (new)
15. Dr Wyche’s Yellow(new)
16. Andrew Rahart’s Jumbo Red (new)
17. Souix (new)
18. Yellow Stuffer (new)
19. Pearl’s Yellow Pink (new)
20. Little Lucky (new)
21. KBX (new)
22. Lucky Cross (new)
23. JD special C Tex (new)
24. Galapagos Island Tomato (new)
25. Vintage Wine (new)
26. Wild Tomato (L. skorospelka) (new)
27. Mexico (grown before)
28. Striped Cavern (grown before)
29. Rose (grown before)
30. Ponderosa Red (grown before)
31. Eva Purple Ball (grown before)
32. Tropic (grown before)
33. Mule Team (grown before)
34. Yellow Current (grown before)
35. Cherokee Purple (grown before)
36. Black From Tula (grown before)
37. Top Gun Hybrid (grown before)
38. Goose Creek (new)

Tomato wilt – curly leaf virus – whatever you want to call it……

I lost my entire garden to grasshoppers last year – it was the Biblical infestation from hell! I now know why civilizations have talked about starvation caused by locust infestations. I have struggled with this virus for 8 years in 2 separate houses. I was told it was caused by baby grasshoppers. I have 1 plant that looks grey curled and SICK, SICK, SICK. I am thinking about pulling it. I planted 12 tomato plants this year in hopes 6 would survive for canning. I also bought a new grasshopper treatment called NOLO. I think I need to reapply it because it spread it too early.

Any suggestion?