Frogleg wrote:

On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 01:57:16 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:

Looking through the Garden Tools by Lee Valley catalog, I came across a
tomato staking method using spirals. Basically, it's a 6 foot long piece of
metal that you push into the ground and it is spiraled all the way up. The
tomato plant grows into the spiral and gives natural support.

Does anyone know what a full-grown tomato plant with fruit weighs?
I think its gonna vary. MY bush last year was about 6' high and two
foot around. I'd say the most tomatoes it had on it at once was about
10-12 lbs plus the weight of the plant itself, which i'd be wild-ass
guessing is ?10,15,20? pounds. WHen I pulled them at end of season I
thought they were heavier than expected. My vine, which actually
ended up growing as two vines on two stakes, was probably less than
that.

I used the stackable tomato cages from Gardener's Supply. They are
unfortunately expensive(like most of their catalog) but it made caging
a 6' bush effortless. My neighbor liked how easy it was to harvest and
they didn't keep sliding and collapsing down a stake when heavy with
fruit. Neither of us do staking well. Plants always slide down and
create tight bends.
I am considering buying another four this year despite overpriced
costs.

It
seems as if you'd have to sink at least 18" of this slender spike into
the ground, leaving 4-1/2' to support the plant. With a single,
slender anchor point, and a lot of wind resistance with all the
foliage, I can see the stake working loose with every breeze. Also,the
plant isn't going to 'naturally' grow within the spiral -- you'll have
to twine it around the stake every day or 2. I'd definitely give this
one a miss.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener