What. Is. TORMATO?!?!
Written by Laura Crichton Wednesday, 27 May 2009 13:31
What the heck is that thing? Some mad science experiment gone awry? Yard Art? The redheaded stepchild of Dr. Seuss?
It's the Tormato!! And it's going to make your tomato growing experience a lot easier, and quite a bit more interesting.
It's cheap, easy, and fun to make!
It is made of 1 1/4 inch PVC, and 1/2 inch PEX tubing.
It's primary uses is to replace those wretched tomato cages, but it can be used as a trellis system, and a nutrient delivery system!
Tormato With Trellis and Nutrient Delivery System
Here is a feeding tube coming from the irrigation system through the PVC and feeding the roots of the plant. If an irrigation system is not in place, simply drill some smallish holes in the stake end of the Tormato, and a hole to insert the hose or watering can of choice into and feed right down to the roots of the plant. Just like they like it!
The Tormato is also functioning as a trellis here. This tormato has the optional trellis cap. A string is dropped down from there, and the tomato is gently twisted around the string as it grows.
I hope you'll look around and decide to try one... Or a dozen!
I came up with this crazy idea during my massive spring fever this year, and this is the trial year for the Tormato! I had initially wanted to make a freestanding version out of conduit, but was not having much success with my pipe bending skills. Then one day, it hit me. PEX!! and PVC!! Both are fairly cheap (10 ft of 1 1/4 inch PVC is about $2.00, 20 feet of 1/2 inch Pex is about $6.00)
I'm expecting good results (i.e less time spent tying up my plants in the garden) and will be documenting my experience with my Tormatos here. I'm looking for others who may want to try this system and have other modifications.
Comments
If you want to stop companies from stealing this idea and patenting it for mass-production, you can still do so. Just get your patent app in, and whether it is granted or not you will have demonstrated prior art to prevent anybody else from getting the patent as well.
Thank you and good luck!
That alone would kill commercial potential so don't lose any sleep thinking you gave away a fortune.
Don't know if I am going to try it this year, but I just might. Flimsy tomato cages are of the devil. My father had a different solution: he'd drive four 1x1s into a square around each plant and tie strips of shredded sheet around them for supports. Better than the cage, but not attractive and lacks the tormato nutrient delivery system.
Besides, yours looks cool as hell.
I share the stability concern someone else mentioned elsewhere on the site... I might build one with PVC on either side. I'll let ya know. Any concerns about that idea?
Your dads system sounds like my Gramma's system, only 4 times more elaborate. :)
I had thought of a system with PVC on both sides (measuring might be REALLY tricky) but as I was building it seemed to snug up really nicely with the tension & torsion combination. I'm not really concerned with the spirals falling.....the only reason I could see this happening is if the Pex got SUPER hot and turned flexible ....but it is designed for delivery of hot water, so I do not see this happening. I wish I had some way of testing foot/pounds on the spirals, but it seems pretty sturdy.
Please let me know if you do make a 2 PVC version! I'd be interested in seeing it in action!
PEX - cross linked polyethylene (as partly used here) is actually a pretty good alternative. There is no perfect solution, but you could also consider ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). ABS is only marginally better... but it's less likely to poison though it's intended use, the problems kick in with disposal.
I already submitted to Make (and LifeHacker also)...I hope to hear back from them soon!
http://tinyurl.com/loz67g
http://tinyurl.com/m6fzr4
http://tinyurl.com/laxzte
Looks like it is the solvents used to weld the PVC bits together are maybe what cause the leeching? I have not used any solvents in the system, it is all friction fitted......maybe no worries!
Thanks for the information :)
Could you send a picture of the problem you are having with the Pex? Mine is holding quite steady so I can only guess that there is not enough torsion on the pex...my guess is the space between the pex loops is less than 6 inches? Either that or they were not pulled tight enough?
Instead of 1 free standing pole per tomato plant, I may join the tops of many Tormatoes together with T couplers and corner couplers and try to make a grid of 4x8 tormatos. If it works, I'll send a pic. But, then again, that will add cost and may add to the wife complaining about what is that big ugly thing in my back yard kind of questions. It would be good to hold up some bird netting though and keep them Mockingbirds and squirrels out of my maters. :) Thanks.
Glad to hear you're thinking of trying the tormato. The spacing all depends on your needs. My lower spirals are closer together because I put the starters in the ground when they are very small and only leave a few inches of the plant above ground (trenching). 4-6" works good to keep the tomato plants off the ground when they are small. 8-12" spacing works for the remainder of the spirals --I find I like the ones with the 8" -10" spacing more.
I used Nylon string for my center string and it held well. Please do send pictures!
Thanks for stopping by,
Laura
Thanks for sharing!
keep posting more....