Truss supports provide extra support for tomato plants

Truss supports protect tomato plants against snapping

A truss support is a lightweight plastic product in the shape of a half moon. This “half-moon” shape supports the natural bending of the stem on which the tomato (truss) grows. The truss support is positioned at the potential snapping point of the stem and this subsequently prevents the stem from snapping. The water and nutrient supply to the fruit (tomatoes) is therefore not restricted and the yield per plant is also not impaired. The plastic truss support is available in a rigid and a flexible form. The flexible truss support bends with the plant’s stem, whereas the rigid one barely bends at all.

We are the dealer for truss supports from the Italian Simonetti brand.

Alternative to the truss support for tomato crops

There is an alternative, the J-hook. These lightweight vine hooks are also used widely. Especially with heavier vines. Just like truss supports, J-hooks prevent the stem from snapping. There are different types, those with a fixed distance and those with a variable distance. Growers often tend to prefer truss supports, or a vine stem hook or a combination of both. We supply truss supports as well as vine stem hooks.

Sustainability: biodegradable certification of truss supports

Most of the support clips are used only once and end up in the rubbish after one season. There is a  truss support made of biodegradable material that is tried and tested. The purchase price is (still) higher yet the costs for waste disposal are lower. We anticipate that in the future, especially in European markets, biodegradable clips will make up an increasingly higher percentage. This will also help in terms of affordability.

Colours of truss supports

We supply truss supports from the Simonetti brand in a transparent version and in 3 colours: white, black and terracotta. It is up to the grower to choose one of these colours. Growers tend to have a personal preference as far as the colour to be used is concerned. The black truss support is our flagship product and consequently the one we sell the most.

Apart from that, the product in black is also made out of recycled materials for 70%. This is of course better in terms of sustainability, and although a few people think that this means the quality is not as good, this is absolutely not the case. In fact, recycled plastic can be recycled and reused up to 7 times before its properties change in terms of strength.

Truss support formats

We supply the truss support in one size. The inner side has a thickness of 5.5 mm, which is an average size for the thickness of a vine stem. The truss support is primarily used for heavy tomato vines.

Truss support flexibility

The flexibility of the truss support is of the utmost importance. It should neither be too rigid nor too flexible. Our Simonetti truss supports have a higher-than-average degree of flexibility; this flexibility is especially suited to vine tomatoes and beef tomatoes. The truss support bends enough to ensure a good distribution and prevents the stem from deforming (snapping). In addition, the softness or hardness is a factor when it comes to attaching the support clip; a softer material is less likely to cut into the plant. Our Simonetti truss support is soft and therefore easily attached with minimal risk of stress or damage to the plant.

Our choice for truss supports from the Simonetti brand

We offer an excellent price for the comparatively high level of quality that we provide. This price-quality ratio was therefore decisive in our choice of distributor. The price is a major factor because large quantities are involved. We are happy to provide an example of a calculation based on a medium-sized Dutch vine tomato grower:

• 3 plants per m2;
• 8 supports per plant on average
• 24 supports per plant
• 6 hectares (60,000 m2)

In this example, more than 1.4 million supports are needed every year. The average price for supports at Hortus is 10 to 20% lower than those of its competitors. This means we are talking about savings of € 2,500 to € 5,000 on an annual basis for a medium-sized grower.

Both for larger and smaller quantities, the market confirms that we are cheaper every time. We have plenty of products in stock and are therefore able to deliver very quickly (1 to 2 weeks). Manufacturer Simonetti continually invests in greater production capacity so delivery reliability is also guaranteed for the future.

Hortus has been a Simonetti supplier for two years now, and after a one-year trial period, we have been granted exclusive dealership for a number of geographical markets. We can see from the ever-increasing sales that the market is very satisfied with the truss supports product group from Simonetti .

Unlike clipping, where clipping usually takes place every 20cm, the use of truss supports is based on the individual weight of the truss (fruit). Therefore, not every truss needs a truss support. On average, one in four trusses is usually bracketed.

Approximately 520,000 truss supports fit onto one pallet. We sell truss supports starting from a minimum of one pallet.

Would you like more information about truss supports? Then please contact our specialists in tomato clips and truss supports at www.hsibv.nl or call +31 297 524919

Randor Cena (global) Randor@hsibv.com

Gijs van de Pol (Benelux) Gijs@hsibv.com