Japanese Tomato Rings

[johno]

(And, by the way, they're really an American invention...)

Anybody use this method?

I did a couple of years ago, and wasn't dumbfounded... but then, I didn't follow the instructions to the letter, and it was the worst bed in the garden. All in all, I suppose they did pretty well, all things considered. So, I'm giving them another go this year. Again, not following the instructions to the letter, but mostly because I use organic methods.

My cages are about 3' across, and I'm planting 4 tomatoes per ring. I'm pretty sure I'll have to prune suckers at that spacing...

And I might make some modifications besides not using triple 13. We'll see.

I just wondered what others' experiences were with them.

[lavandulagirl]

I saw these in a book about 4 years ago, and have intended to try them since. The person who did them, in the book I read, set up the rings the year before she used them, and used them as compost bins all year, adding layers of soil from time to time. That way, she didn't need to transfer the compost, saving her some work. I think that's the way I'd like to experiment with them.