Ideally, you should have your strings already hanging from the vertical support the moment you decide to plant your tomato seedlings outside. The string should be long enough to touch the soil, with a couple of extra feet at the bottom.
Some gardeners also leave excess string at the top, spun onto a hook or the top beam. The purpose of this extra string is to lower the tomato plants when they get too tall and have access to the tops for pruning and harvesting.
You can choose from these 4 methods of securing the string to the tomato plant:
1.Bury the string at the base of your tomato plant.
As the tomato seedling grows, so will its roots around the string, making the entire setup even more secure. Make sure to prune the stem and bury the tomato plant deep. Charles Dowding uses this method if you’re looking for more inspiration.
2.Secure the string to a landscape staple and drive it into the ground close to your tomato plant.
This method works best if you already have the plants in the ground and don’t want to disturb them too much. Beware, though, if your soil is too fluffy, the staple might not stay in place.
3.Tie the string to the base of the tomato plant, underneath its leaves.
This method is tricky – you need to make sure you tie it loosely enough to allow the stem to grow and thicken. You also need to prune your tomato plant of any leaves touching the soil, and only then tie the string underneath the bottom leaves.
4.Attach a tomato clip to the string and secure it at the base of your tomato plant.
This method is flexible and reliable, as the clip grabs both the string and the tomato stem and stays in place really well. Don’t forget to prune the bottom leaves before securing the clip.