"Living and learning.The older I get,.." - True that !! Thats why we have the gardening forum .
We each have different climates , different climate zones, but we're here to help answer questions , and make suggestions...
Treat tomatoes like grape plants, except have 3 or 4 lateral wires , but weave the folliage
If you need to tie the foliage to the wire, use a wide soft cotton ( like kitchen twine) so it won't cut into the stem .
Prune off the unproductive side shoots hich are just foliage.
We are all here to learn how to be more productive, and to see what works , ..and what doesn't work (trial and error)!
P.S. - My circular tomato cages blew over too ! Three times ..dang ! Wish I had started with latteral wires - Too late Schmart !
I remember when I was a kid, the older folks would sit in the living room talking on rainy or cold winter days.
The topics varied through the years.
I remember hearing about the advantages of work horses vs tractors, what type of tractor to buy, how long to season fence posts, the different varieties of seeds and how to plant and nourish each.
I wish I had written it all down!
One of the reasons I like Free Republic is it reminds me of those days.
Like minded people sitting around the wood stove sharing their opinions on all things.
I even manage to learn something every now and then!
Just this week I’ve learned that pine needles are much more than a nuisance. They can actually be my friend.