This year I have a bit of a problem. Since I am growing 120 tomato plants {100 in the garden boxes and another 20 sprinkled throughout the greenhouse and various pots} I am going to have to figure out a way to support them. And quick.
Over the past few years I have accumulated a nice stash of wire tomato cages. Some are nicer than others. Tomato cages are easy to use, you just plop them in to the ground and walk away. But they can be expensive, and I have no desire to go out and buy the 50 or so tomato cages I still need at $4 a pop. That would cost me $200.
So this year, I am going to try staking my tomato plants. We have a bunch of leftover wood in the garage from when we built our fence a few years ago, so I won’t have to pay a dime. But, staking the tomato plants require time. Time to cut the wood. Time to cut little strips of fabric and of course time to go outside and tie up 50 plants.
I’m curious, how do YOU support your tomato plants? Wire cages? Stakes? Is there another method I should be looking in to?
Peace out Girl Scouts, have a nice night.
♥ Mavis
Robbie says
With that many tomato plants (I’m envious!) I would look into the Florida weave. It works great and my favorite part is that it’s inexpensive. Love hearing about your gardening and everything else. You inspire us all!
Heather says
My husband built a trellis system with wood and string for our 40 tom plants. Not quite as many as you 🙂
Desi says
The tomato weave is what we will use this year. I think it’s a lot like a trellis and possibly the same as the Florida weave. We used it two years ago and it works great when you start with young plants,(old plants get a bit broken). I am using my tomato cages for the pea plants this year. Last year I tried using the cages on the tomatoes because we never got around to doing the weave and they tipped over and were on the ground. I think the tomato weave is what we will use from now on. It’s very cheap and easy to use. We use rebar for the stakes and tie wire (thick wire) for the lines going between the stakes.
Christy says
We are also doing the florida weave (also called the tomatoe weave or the cat’s cradle???). Very inexpensive! I’ve seen tons of backyard gardens using this method this year (probably because it’s new to us and I’ve never looked for it before..!) I was introduced to it because of a local commercial farm that uses it to grow 500+ tomato plants. Just need stakes (I used “tobacco sticks”) and twine (some use the nylon twine, but I just got the all purpose twine from Lowe’s because it was cheap and nylon twine makes me want to lose my religion when I go to tie it!)
http://www.wikihow.com/Tie-Tomatoes:-the-Florida-Weave
I know it’s the method that “Jane/ThyHand” uses too. She did a post about it last year http://www.thyhandhathprovided.com/2011/07/florida-weave.html
Bekah says
There was a an article in June/July issue Organic Gardening magazine (might be able to flip through a copy at the grocery store or library) about staking tomatoes. You might find it helpful 😉 Thank you for your amazing blog. I love checking in to see what you’re up to in the garden.
Another fellow PNW gardener,
Bekah
Mavis says
Thanks Bekah! 🙂
Jennifer Jo says
Tomato cages. And when we run out of those, we just let the plants crawl all over the ground.
Mavis says
You just let them crawl on the ground? Really? That seems too easy.
Lara Fara says
I use tomato cages, stakes and ties depending on where the tomato plant is growing in our front yard.
I also use extra plant pots for lower tomato fruit support-for the really big tomatoes so they don’t touch the ground.
Jenn says
I’m using some cages that look like this (http://www.growbetterveggies.com/growbetterveggies/2011/05/small-conical-tomato-cages-dont-work-for-most-heirloom-tomato-plants-the-cages-typically-seen-at-most-nurseries-simply-don.html)
Then I used staking for the other 6 plants I have. I didn’t want to spend more on making those cages above 🙂 I will next year though, they’re great and SUPER tall.
I had a dream last night that my plants already had some ripe tomatoes on them 🙁 Granted my cherry tomatoes do have a couple green tomatoes 🙂
Jen says
My Dad who was an avid gardener always staked his tomatoes. He grew some of the largest most gorgeous heirloom tomatoes I can ever remember. Unfortunately he is no longer with us, but every time I smell a tomato plant it takes me right back to being a kid and helping Dad stake up the tomatoes.
Mavis says
Sorry to hear about your Dad Jen, but I’m glad to hear about your memories of heirloom tomatoes. 🙂
Ben Stallings says
I like to grow tomatoes and other climbing plants on wire fences so that the fencing serves multiple purposes. That is, if there’s already a wire fence, why not grow plants on it? If you have a greenhouse frame, why not add cattle panels or similar wide-frame wire fencing to the inside of the frame, to add shear strength to the frame while giving the tomatoes something to climb?
(It helps that I sheetmulch rather than tilling. Removing the fencing to till each year would be too much work.)
Melissa says
Dear Mavis,
Please help! I am in big trouble. We haven’t planted one stinking thing in our garden yet. Is it too late? Should I give up and plan better for next year, or is there still hope for me?
SOOO glad I found your site!
Melissa
Mavis says
Hi Melissa,
you are fine. 🙂 You can still plant corn, cucumbers, zucchini, tomato plants, beans, cabbage, carrots, pumpkins, pretty much everything but spring veggies {which you can plant in late summer for a fall harvest}. Don’t sweat it. You’ll be fine.