The present invention pertains to a method to automatically increase a length of a crop wire in a system that comprises a container with growth medium, a cable that extends horizontally at a predetermined height above the container, a crop wire that has a proximal section that extends from a position adjacent the container to a site of the cable at which the crop wire is operatively connected thereto, and a distal section that extends beyond this site, and a plant rooted in the growth medium, which plant grows along the proximal section of the crop wire, the method comprising regularly feeding a part of the distal section of the crop wire to the proximal section of the crop wire to increase the length thereof, in which method the site at which the crop wire is operatively connected to the cable is fixed, and the cable is shifted in horizontal direction at regular intervals while at the same time automatically feeding a part of the distal section of the crop wire to the proximal section thereof such that the length of the proximal section of the crop wire is increased correspondingly. The invention also pertains to an apparatus for applying the said method.
