Grow Prolific Tomatoes Using Japanese Rings Method
12. May 2017
For many years I've grown tomatoes using a method called Japanese Tomato Rings. With this growing method, tomatoes are planted outside of a cage instead of inside of it. The cage is filled with rich organic materials that help produce prolific tomato plants. Some gardeners claim they get extra sweet tomatoes with this method too.
There are many gardener recipes online for Japanese Tomato Rings. I use a foldable garden trellis lined with burlap. The only reason I use burlap is because my trellis has really large gaps. The burlap helps to keep the compost inside so it doesn't seep out. Other gardeners construct a cage with heavy duty wire formed into a circle.
Fill the inside of the tomato cage with two feet of layered compost and shredded leaves. So basically layer the organic contents like lasagna. Then add a layer of loamy topsoil to the top of the organic material. Dig a hole through the center of the layered organic material. Water the tomatoes through this hole. Watering through the compost provides a slow drip of nutrients to your plants. The roots will often grow up into the structure. If it's extra hot outside, I'll still water individual plants too.
Water the inside of the tomato cage well before planting the tomatoes. The number of plants will depend on the size of your cage. I plant four tomatoes outside of my square cage, one on each side. When I plant tomatoes, I dig deep holes filled with vermiculite, bone meal, and I add powdered eggshells around the plants. If my tomato plants are too tall or have crooked stems, I dig a long trench to plant them in. This helps make the plant roots and stem stronger. Mulching around tomatoes will help retain moisture too.
It's important to keep the center organic materials moist. Some gardeners add a 10-10-10 fertilizer every 2-3 weeks. You can also add more compost inside the cage as it breaks down.
The Japanese Rings growing method helps a plant produce up to 100 pounds of fruit. I've tested growing the same tomatoes with and without Japanese Tomato Rings. My tomatoes staked this way always outperform the other plants. They are twice as big and hearty as plants that are only tied to stakes.
Be sure to read our other blog posts on tomatoes to increase your yield in the garden (and the kitchen).
Banana Peel Fertilizers for the Garden (great for tomatoes)
How to Save Tomato Seeds
Tomato Canning Recipes
Read all of our Tomato Blog Posts
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Have you tried using Japanese Tomato Rings in your garden? If so, what was your recipe? How did your tomatoes perform compare to other growing methods? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
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