Tomatoes pose a unique challenge to gardeners large and small. Indeterminate varieties can reach towering heights but are unable to support themselves, especially once they begin to set fruit. All varieties of tomatoes gain several benefits from support. Plants are able to dry out more quickly, leading to less rot, ripening is more thorough and even, and harvest is easier and faster. Three popular and effective methods of supporting tomato plants are using a freestanding structure, trellising with an overhead string, and the Florida Weave.
Freestanding Structure
Many home gardeners choose to support each tomato plant with its own freestanding structure. Tomato cages and field stakes are the most popular choices, allowing plants to grow at different rates while being supported at any height.
Stakes should be at least four feet tall and set no less than one foot deep. They can be made from bamboo, scrap wood, or an iron bar. Place each stake about 2-4” away from the base of the plant. As the plant grows, tie the vine to the stake with loose knots, preferably just below a major branch.
Tomato cages come in many shapes and sizes, and can often be made at home with repurposed materials. The most popular are cylindrical woven wire secured by stakes pushed into the ground. Tomatoes may need to be tied in order to grow up the center of the cage. Alternatively, they can be carefully trained by hand.
Overhead String
Another trellis technique preferred by growers is overhead string support. As an especially efficient use of space, this method is ideal for high tunnel tomato production, but can be put to use indoors or out. With overhead support, each tomato plant is given one string, running from floor to ceiling, on which to climb. It is important to have a strong support system, such as the hoops or rafters in a greenhouse or an A-frame structure. Make sure any structure can handle a heavy load before setting any strings.
Tie one string per vine directly overhead, making sure it is long enough to reach all the way to the floor. Securely tie the string to the base of the vine, keeping the line taut but the loop not so tight as to damage the stem. Many start by pruning tomato plants down to one or two vines, but I’ve strung as many as five vines per plant using this method.
As the plants grow, there are two popular ways to train the vine up the string. Some choose to wrap the vine around the string a little bit at a time. This can be hard if the string is too taut, but if done well, wrapping the vine can very evenly distribute the weight of the plant. Alternatively, vines can be tied or clipped to the string, allowing the plant to grow straight up. Many growers purchase tomato clips, which are specifically designed for this method of trellising; twine is a perfectly good substitute. Attach clips directly to the vine below a major branch.
Florida Weave
An increasing number of tomato growers are using what has come to be called the Florida Weave. While there are many variations to this approach, the basic premise is the same for each. The Florida Weave is easy to put up and take down, as well as simple to maintain during the season. This method works best for tomatoes grown in the field in long single rows.
Start by driving long stakes at least one foot into the soil every 2-5 plants. Set the stakes in the middle of the row, equally spaced between two plants. Using lightweight twine, tie the first line to an end post about eight inches above the ground. Run the line on the front side of the first set of tomato plants, on the back side of the next post, and then return to the front of the tomato plants. This first string will be run in front of all the plants, and behind all of the posts. Make a full loop around at least every other post to keep the line from slipping. At the last stake, tie off and work down the row, mirroring the first line. This second line will run behind all the plants, and in front of all the posts. The two lines will form figure eights as they are woven.
As the plants grow, repeat this process, setting another line about every eight inches. Tuck in wayward branches when necessary, and be sure to maintain tension in all lines. Before long, you’ll have a wall of plants ready to bear the weight of a heavy fruit set. I recommend anchoring the two end stakes securely, as they are under the most pressure. A guy line and tent stake work well, but be careful not to trip when you’re admiring those gorgeous, ripe tomatoes!
General Trellis Tips:
- Prevent the spread of bacterial and fungal disease by pruning, staking, or stringing the plants when they are completely dry.
- Make sure all stakes and posts are secure – at least a foot deep, but more if possible.
- Try to match the size of your trellis system with the plants you’re growing. An indeterminate variety will quickly outgrow a small tomato cage.
- Whenever possible, avoid breaking major branches or bending the vine against its will.
- Before a hard wind or rain, check the strength of all structures and tighten anything that is loose.
Overwintering Heading Crops
We planted several varieties of romaine lettuce. 
) also produced good size heads, broad and stout, light green in color. 
Compared to the head lettuce, our Asian green trial was not as successful. We seeded varieties at the same time as the lettuce, Sept 29 with a November 22 transplant date. They were planted at 4” spacing in rows 6” apart – tight spacing to promote small heads. They were ready to harvest at a large braising size, or very (very!) mini head size, in early March. By late March/early April, all the varieties were bolting (except for the 
The thrill of cutting real heads of lettuce from our hoop house in April cannot be overstated. Head lettuce in these parts is a phenomenon of early June if we’re lucky. So when trials staff started bringing in compact, beautiful, vibrant heads of lettuce for us to take home, I was first in line.
When dreaming of an ideal garden, one often imagines a neat and orderly, well-weeded and organized garden, not necessarily an overgrown forest, right? Well…in some ways a forest can set a great example for your garden. Biodiversity is nature’s very organized plan for mixing things up. The wide range of plants and animals found in natural fields and forests can be a model for our gardens in creating a diverse inter-planting of crops called polyculture. The term polyculture, as defined by Wikipedia, is “agriculture using multiple crops in the same space, in imitation of the diversity of natural ecosystems, and avoiding large stands of single crops, or monoculture,” and is a fancy word for Companion Planting. It will enhance your ability to fend off pests and disease, make the best use of your garden space, protect your soil, and increase yields… and maybe even beauty.
Companion planting does not necessarily imply a mixed-up mess of a garden. In addition, it does not mean that interplanting any crops will work in your favor either. There is actually a science to all of this, which can lead to a very intricate dance for the experienced companion planter. For the beginner, a few simple guidelines can propel you into a love affair with the polycultural medley of companion gardening:
Once you have grouped your crop families, next you will want to find plant “friends” to interplant among your families, thus a neighborhood is created. In many instances, these garden friends consist of flowers and herbs which provide a wide array of aromas that either attract beneficial insects or repel the pesky ones, while adding splashes of color and visual diversity…and in some instances include living mulches that help protect and build the soil while suppressing the weeds. Examples of different attributes of your garden companions are:
One of the most important aspects of the companion planting theory is attracting beneficial insects, birds, and reptiles to your garden…and more importantly, keeping them there. All living beings require food, water, and shelter. Aside from the obvious meal (garden pests), benficials love to indulge in pollen and nectar, which will be abundant in your diverse array of veggies, herbs, and flowers. Adding rocks and pebbles to your birdbath will provide a way for insects to access water as well as the birds, or creating “bug-baths” on the ground using pie plates or something of the like. Shelter can be created using hedges, perennials, living mulches, and even rock piles.
One of the great things about running a greenhouse is the level of targeted care that you can give to your plants. They are all in one spot, and their basic needs can be addressed in a way that would be hard in a field setting. Having some control, even a little, can be a great thing, when the real art of farming is learning to work in a system where we are actually less in control than we might like. Water is one of the more important pieces in the greenhouse, and how, when and with what you are watering can make a big difference.
I have been tempering my water for years, and am very aware of the impact that it has on the plants. Where I live, water comes out of the ground at 50 degrees. I realize plants aren’t people (don’t tell them I said that), but taking a shower at 50 degrees stops me in my tracks, and then it takes me a long time to recover. Your plants feel the same way. Using cold water not only shocks the plants; it also shocks the soil biology that’s feeding my plants. I am using a compost based mix, where the nutrition that is available to the plants is made so largely by biological activity. That population thrives when the soil is warm, not when it’s cold. Before I had my boiler, I had a hot water hose bib hooked up in my house, and I would blend a mix of hot and cold water to get a mix that was at 90 to 95 degrees when it hit the plants. They loved it. I now have a plate heat exchanger in the greenhouse that I can adjust the temperature based on the output of the nozzle that I am using. If all this sounds a little over the top, consider the value of the plants that are in the greenhouse at any one time. They truly represent a large fundamental piece of the profitability of your season, and they are worth the time and effort.
As for the how of watering, there are lots of different nozzle choices, and each has a place. I use a very low volume, fine mist for setting seeds after I seed a flat, or for setting new seedlings. I like to set the soil with the lighter flows for the first few days and longer if the seeds are small, so that all the care I took in placing the depth isn’t disturbed by a torrent of water. I have other nozzles with a heavier flow that I use for putting more water down when I am watering the greenhouse when needs are high. I keep the wand moving, so that there is never water pounding on the trays. A series of lighter passes allows the water to penetrate better than one heavy soak, and it’s a lot easier on the plants.
After a year or three of dragging a hose around on the ground, I made the jump to an overhead water line, and I love it. It’s safer, as there aren’t hoses laying around to trip on, and I have fewer tantrums, as there aren’t hoses laying around to trip on. It’s also a lot cleaner, because the hose isn’t being dragged around on the floor. They are available as kits from greenhouse supply companies, but are also easily fabricated from hardware store parts. My greenhouse is 22’ wide, and one run allows me to get to all the corners of the greenhouse. Super handy, and I can’t imagine not having it.
Cauliflower:
Specialty Greens:
Onion:
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In an era where food security is becoming a growing priority, having access to affordable and nutritious food all year, say in your basement or pantry, is becoming increasingly important to many families, including my own. Canning, lacto-fermentation, and freezing are all great ways to preserve the harvest, but storing produce “as is” is by far the most simple and traditional of all methods. Each of the following crop types have their own unique storage requirements, many of which can be found in an article I wrote last year called 
If this is your first season in the garden, you may want to check out Paul Betz’s article 
In the last variety spotlight, we talked about 
(makes four main course salads)
