Uncle Marvo writes

Plus tomato canes miles too short for climbers, not anticipating the weather
making the plants grow to nearly six feet! They are still producing fine
tomatoes though, perhaps they like laying on the ground? Perhaps the only
reason why tomatoes are climbed up long poles is "that's the way we've
always done it".

I was looking at a small field of tomatoes in Greece last week - not a
stake in sight, just all scrambling on the ground. And this on an island
famed for the quality of its tomatoes.

It might be that the tomato's natural habit is to scramble over low
shrubs (it doesn't have the apparatus for serious climbing). But isn't
it able to put out roots from stems? - that would suggest it naturally
scrambles over soil.

I presume we stake them because they take up less space and are easier
to pick.



--
Kay