[DanielCoffey]

I intend to put two "bush" tomatoes in a raised table planter and expect them to merge into one sprawling plant but I am thinking of giving them a bamboo support to sprawl against.

The variety is Urbikany which is described as a 3' bush. The planter is 2' by 4' and 16" deep with a nearby south-facing wall to trap a bit more heat and legs to allow airflow underneath and around. Real Seeds advise that two in there will be slightly crowded but it is bigger than a single plant would require. I have no idea of the yield we may expect from each Urbikany.

What I am thinking of doing is raiding the bamboo stick pile and placing uprights in three pairs (making sure I don't pierce the liner of the planter) with a long stick across each long side and three short ones front to back, all tied together with kitchen string (which is what I have handy).

I don't know how robust bush tomatoes tend to be and how much support they might need. Am I wasting my time or are they likely to appreciate the extra support?

Thoughts?

[JayG]

Firstly, I'd advise against overcrowding any type of outdoor tomato plants - the reduced airflow will considerably increase the chances of blight.

I grow Red Alert in a cold frame (top removed when they get too large) and use an increasing amount of twine tied to a batten across the top of the frame in an attempt to stop the increasingly heavy stems either breaking or bending to the ground where the fruits will either rot or get munched by slugs.

Your plan sounds about right, but you may need something other than string which might damage the stems when they get blown around (ladies' tights are often recommended, wearer removed before use. )

[DanielCoffey]

I wasn't going to let them lean on the string - it was just for binding the bamboo box together and they could rest across the horizontal sticks.

Hopefully blight isn't too much of a risk up here since these are early bush toms but the planter has good all round airflow and is a couple of feet up off the deck too. I'll try a pair of toms but if it does get overcrowded I can always prune out the centre and put a single plant in next season.

[DanielCoffey]

I have changed my mind about spacing and will take your advice of one per planter, not two...

... but what about a support (or not)? Any thoughts? They will be able to trail down the side if they want to but I don't know how robustly upright Urbikany is.

[sunshineband]

I have changed my mind about spacing and will take your advice of one per planter, not two...

... but what about a support (or not)? Any thoughts? They will be able to trail down the side if they want to but I don't know how robustly upright Urbikany is.

I think you are right to have just the one plant 
I have found making a cylinder out of  the kind of weldmesh with large holes, often called pig fencing, gives a good solid sort of cage around the plant, but narrower than the pot itself, through which shoots grow but you can get our hand in the harvest fruit easily if any grow inside. It can be held upright with three canes woven through the wire itself