The cherry tomato varieties planted in the garden are growing well. I built a trellis frame to hang strings from for the cherry tomato vines to climb. You can see one of the trellis beams that I placed unsecured on top of the trellis frame. that trellis beam will be used for two cherry tomato rows below it. A string will be hung for each cherry tomato vine to climb. Eventually the trellis frame will be skinned with clear plastic to make it a greenhouse to extend the growing season and for additional protection from wind, pests, possible pollutants, and the occasional storm.
Trellis for Cherry Tomato Varieties
In the picture below you can see one of the Sakura cherry tomato plants already has a few flowers. In the picture on the right you can see the bottom leaf has a new branch starting to grow where the leaf stem meets the main stem. This new branch will be pruned so the cherry tomato plant will grow up and down the trellis string in one long vine. The cherry tomato plants can be grown closer together and produce more tomatoes using this method. I am also growing Sugar Rush, Candyland, Jasper Hybrid, and Sweetie varieties of cherry tomato this year.
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Tripods: The Structure Basis
The lumber and rocks were harvested from the property. I'm using tar infused bank line rope to do the tripod lashings. In the picture below you can see a pair of tripods. Four tripods will form the four corners of the trellis - they are very stable when positioned properly.
Tripod Lashing
In the picture below you can see how the tripod legs are lined up and lashed together at one end. Watch the video below if you would like to see how this was done.
Four Tripod Trellis Frame Design
In the picture below you can see the cherry tomato garden before building the trellis frame.
In the picture below you can see the back or north side view of the trellis frame. Notice the four tripods used for the corners. Large rocks will eventually be positioned to secure each tripod leg. The frame is very stable as is for now, but when it is turned into a greenhouse, the plastic sheeting will act as a large sail for the wind to catch.
In the picture below you can see the west side of the trellis. The four beams that are lashed to the tops of the tripods form the roof frame - and join the tripods into one structure.
In the picture below you can see how the tripod legs are lashed together where they cross. The trellis frame was stabilized and strengthened with these structural lashings that turn the pieces into a single unit.
In the picture below you can see the view of the trellis frame from the south west corner.
In the picture below you can see how the roof beams are lashed to the tops of the tripod. The structure feels more solid after each added lashing.
In the picture below you can see the north-east side view of the cherry tomato trellis.
Next Steps: Pruning and Stringing up the Cherry Tomato Vines
The next post for the cherry tomato garden will be about stringing the cherry tomato vines and pruning the sucker branches. There will also be a post when the clear plastic skin is added to turn the trellis frame into a greenhouse.
Have a great day!