Hi, Is this obelisk from Lee Valley a good idea for indeterminate tomatoes? thanks! Garden Obelisks - Lee Valley Tools
From a practical point of view: not very good. There are many cheaper alternatives to provide better support for indeterminate tomatoes. Search online for 'indeterminate tomato support'. From an economic point of view: not good at all. How many pounds of tomatoes would it take to offset the exorbitant cost of this support? But, if what you are looking for is an attractive support such as this manufactured obelisk, it's as nice as any.
Thanks Margot, That’s very helpful. Do you have a favourite kind of support for indeterminate tomatoes?
To tell the truth, I'm still experimenting. I grow smaller varieties of tomatoes in large pots on our deck. I've tried tomato cages and also bamboo stakes placed around the edge of the pots. The cages were too small but the stakes worked pretty well; I tie stems to the stakes as needed. I found this article which assesses the pros and cons of various supports for heritage tomatoes grown in the ground. (Most heritage tomatoes are indeterminate.) Even if your tomatoes are in pots, there are some good tips in the article that you may find useful. Tomato Plant Supports: Cages vs Staking vs Fencing - Farm to Jar Food
I use 8 foot rebar with one 8 foot connecting the tops connected with plastic ties. I find the rebar is strong enough. I tie the branches having fruit to strings and connected to the overhead rebar. I tried all the various systems over the years. Overhead tying takes some time, but I find it the best of a bad situation. I have twenty one plants. Field growers run strings on both side of the plants in a row. Still a lot of work. For now I will stick with the overhead strings. I add strings during the growing season. 28 April 2020 Tomato Support 28 April 2020 Tomato Support Tomato plant support for 21 plants. Strings are tied to the rebar structure to support fruit bearing branches.Suckers are not removed.The plant is free growing. The structure is rebar 8 feet long and tied with plastic ties. Tomatoes are used fresh for the table. Excess is made into pure pressure canned juice.