Last spring I set up a little backyard experiment to give me an
insight into which tomato growing method produces the most
disease free plants. Well, our first frost is due in a month and
the plants are now on the wane. It's time to give you a quick
run through on the results. First let's recap the four different
growing methods I used in the experiment. I grew some toms in
the conventional fashion, trained to a single stake with all the
side shoots pinched out. I grew some against a trellis, leaving
a decent number of side shoots to grow out. I allowed some self
seeded plants to do their own thing. And finally, I deliberately
planted some tomatoes to grow according to their natural habit,
sprawling across well mulched ground. None of the plants were
sprayed with fungicide, and those that have been, have received
protection, others (the sprawlers) have been left unprotected.
The worst performers by far were the toms in category one –
those trained to single stake with side shoots pinched out. The
plants fruit