If we let tomatoes sprawl, even over mulch, they always get diseased. Too
much humidity and heat all summer. Keeping them off the ground and in the
air helps. We rotate them from one area to another but sprawling doesn't
work.


"Andrew Ostrander" wrote in message
...
It's a trade-off between your time and your garden space. Pinching
suckers
and tieing to a trellis will give you the most tomato for your space, but
will take up your time. Letting the plants sprawl will take less time and
give you more tomato per plant, but the large plants will take up more
garden area.

Variety of tomato matters too, but it's too late now for you to choose.
It's also too late for you to change the spacing in your garden. Bush
tomatoes are good sprawlers, the others are better tied.

"Mindful" wrote in message
...

"Matthew Reed" nospam at zootal dot com nospam wrote in message
...
I have some tomatoes growing like crazy - including putting out healthy
suckers. Is there any generally agreed on "best" way to grow tomatoes?
Pinch suckers? Tie to trellis? Let sprawl? Any voices of experience here
that would like to comment?

Mine are in cages made of old field fence. I don't pinch the suckers. The
whole plant is held upright by the cage.