Jay,
Your setup is quite impressive. Is that one of your moveable tunnels or are the plants to remain in there for the summer? I don't know how to contact you other than this way and I don't want to seem pushy, but would you be open to having someone out to see your setup? We currently also have a tunnel here in KC and need ideas on how to improve it! :)

Sure that wouldn't be a problem. We are pretty busy, as most people are this time of the year, but maybe we could work something out.

Send me an email at jaysjellies at yahoo dot com.

Jay

Jay - how do you support your plants? It doesn't look like you do much pruning, I see stakes (posts!) and looks like Florida weave, but I also see cages?

Support, Florida weave on big tomatoes, cages on cherries.

I do lots of pruning, especially on the Florida weave. I pull all the suckers off up to the the first flower cluster. Then I take off all the leaves below that too. I also break off anything that reaches the ground and anything in my way.

I have always grown the cherries in cages. They always seem so flimsy. They need to be seriously trimmed. I have been ignoring that job. I haven't had time. I know that will come back and kick me!

Jay

I've tried Florida weave with T posts and found it couldn't support the weight of all the branches, even if I did prune the bottom branches. Is that some sort of red plastic or nylon twine? That probably sags less than my baling twine. I also noticed you've got it wound around a couple of times and it's really taut. You don't have the 2x4's tied together with anything other than the twine, don't they loosen up and start leaning in from the weight? How deep are they driven? I guess I had more plants (3-4) between posts, they were only determinates that I started off in those flimsy 3-ring cages but I had to drive T posts in between later and tie the cages to the posts and to each other, it was just a big mess by the time they got 5 ft tall.

Probably a combination of materials and technique makes a difference.

Do you think CRW cages would be better for big (indeterminate!) tomatoes in my outdoor beds with rocky sandy soil, or should I try the Florida weave again (still T posts) with synthetic baling twine rather than jute (going to save the store-bought ring cages for the peppers - I had tried the weave with peppers last year and just 3ft metal decorative garden stakes and they sagged too)?

Maybe a combo with the CRW used as fencing on the outside, and some additional posts with twine on the inside if the tomatoes start sagging off the "trellis" in back of them? Even with 6x6 openings, might be hard to pick Brandywines through a cage!

Thanks

That is polypropylene baling twine for round bales. It has about 150 pound breaking force. You can really pull it tight. I put a post every 2 or 3 plants. The posts are driven into the ground about 15 to 18 inches. They never seem to lean. The end posts do start to lean in, but I usually drive them in at a slight angle to start with.

Here is a picture from last year. The plants were well over 8 feet tall. I was going to add additional post extensions, but it got too hot and I didn't want to go to the extra effort. This year I probably will. The posts aren't connected. Also I pull the twine down one side then I tie it off at the other end. Then I go back the opposite way. It keeps everything pulling against itself and helps keep everything tight.

{{gwi:78619}}

As far as planting outside, I would narrow your post spacing down to a post by every two plants. That will help. Also, don't use Jute twine. It will stretch. I have seen this done, put cages up then once they get to the top, go to a Florida Weave above the cages, just an idea.

Maybe this isn't a true Florida Weave, but it is the way I do it and it works for me. The link below is to short video clip I made several years ago of me stringing up tomatoes.

Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: Jay's Florida Weave

i myself use the kansas weave / muahaha

@junktuck - HAha!

Thanks Jay. I don't know how the 2x4s would hold up in the weather, looks like a good system, I have the remesh so will try just tying the plants to the fence but may get some T posts and try the weave too - bought poly twine last year but it's all in the baler, I used the leftover old jute pulled out of the baler last year and it did stretch.

I don't know about FL weave above the cages - means I have to get posts taller than my 5ft cages (or fence) - and still space them every 2-3 plants so that doesn't save anything.

Wow, thats a great set up!

Hi Jay and fellow tomato lovers -

Jay, went to your jaysjellies website and as a layman backyard tomato grower, I sure am impressed with your operation.

Pls. do continue to keep us updated as to your 2012 tomato crops.

Will and the Fur Crew in So. Cal.

Thanks mewhee and others,

I will try to share pictures throughout the season. As I get busier, it is hard, but I do need something to do in the hot afternoon!

Jay