Your favorite way to stake tomatoes?

[Crunchie]

What is everyone's most preferred method of staking/supporting their tomatoes? I typically run out of time to think of or build anything and always end up using regular tomato cages--usually with no luck. I can never sink them deep enough into the soil to provide decent support. I'd like to build something (translation: ask my husband to build something ) better this year.

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Pics would be great, too, of course!

 

[patandchickens]

Part of staking involves pruning back axillary suckers -- so if you are just staking/caging and otherwise leaving the tomato plants to grow at will, then not much will give a really satisfying non-jungle-y result Pinch out the little branchlets that start to grow from where each leaf attaches to the main stem. (there are different schools of thought as to whether there should be just 1 main stem or >1, which has consequences for how the tomato is supported). You can do this every week or 10 days when you go out to tie the new growth to the stake.

If you are going to pinch them back to 1 or a couple main stems (and you have to keep doing this all summer), then anything works ok -- a stout 2x2 stake, a T-post, even a long piece of rebar although I find it less secure than the previous two methods. Pound whatever it is WELL into the ground, like 2+ feet depending on your soil and the tomato variety. Use a sledgehammer (wear goggles if sledgehammering on metal); you will prolly have to start by standing on a stepstool or low stepladder if you plan to have a tall (like 5-6') stake.

There are also those spiral stakes. I have heard them recommended but never tried them due to their price. My understanding is that you're supposed to not have to tie the tomato to them much or at all.

If you really like cages, put T-post *stoutly* into the ground (again, like 2+ feet) for each tomato plant and make your own cage by bending a length of 4x4 welded wire mesh fence or 'field fence' (page wire, whatever it's called in your area -- bigger holes) into a cylinder. Do the math before buying the fencing -- it takes a lot more length of it than you might expect STRONGLY secure the cage to the stake. My parents use this method (although mom also does pinch back the suckers) and it works really well for them.

If you are not going to pinch them back but just let them form their own happy little tomato jungle, I would recommend planting them EXTRA EXTRA far apart. I saw someone tie them to a trellis of 4x4 welded wire fence supported on t-posts once. Personally though in years when I'm not going to do the maintenance thing I just let them sprawl. Yeah, you lose a bit of the fruit to rot and voles... but my thinking is that this is a fair price to pay for the privelege of being lazy about things

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Tomatoes&Things]

I have always read that just plain staking works the best. You have less bushy tomatoe plants. The farm that I work at uses just a stake for each plant and they ship loads of tomatoes out (wholesale and retail) every year. It seems to work well and is more time saving. JMO

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

We grow our heirloom and a variety of beefsteak (I'm not sure which because we've cultivated it from seed for about 7 years) in large cages that we made using 1"x2" strips of wood with cross supports. We made a 3'x3' box for each and enclose them in wire. We just let them grow wild and support the fruits that need supporting.

Our yellow pear tomatoes used to grow along the chain link fence and we planted them about every 2-3 feet. They need some training but not much. Seemed to work well.

Our roma's grow fine in large standard tomato cages you find at the garden centers.

Personally, my favorite, I like the fence idea. Low maintenance but needs some room.

 

[Ja8edfyre]

Okay, a bit gruesome for some but my granddad -who's a practical guy "waste not, want not"- uses the wreath stands that are left over from grave side funeral services. They're triangular shaped stands that work like a tomato cage.

 

[OaklandCityFarmer]

Okay, a bit gruesome for some but my granddad -who's a practical guy "waste not, want not"- uses the wreath stands that are left over from grave side funeral services. They're triangular shaped stands that work like a tomato cage.

This is great. How does he get them? I wonder if our local cemetery would give them up?

 

[Crunchie]

Okay, a bit gruesome for some but my granddad -who's a practical guy "waste not, want not"- uses the wreath stands that are left over from grave side funeral services. They're triangular shaped stands that work like a tomato cage.

This is great. How does he get them? I wonder if our local cemetery would give them up?

SWEET! My mother happens to be in the funeral business. Has been so for a long time. I certainly have access to those.

Too funny. Hey, nothing wrong with recycling...OaklandCityFarmer, I would ask your local cemetery. Chances are these things just go to the dumpster once the flowers have wilted.

Thanks for the replies, all. Now I have some good ideas to work with. Excellent!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I've built cages out of bamboo before . . . they look really cool, but take a lot of time.

I might try using field fencing "cages" this year. I knew a woman who used field fencing as plant supports all the time. She pointed out that once it rusts you really can't see it. In fact, in my experience, you can walk right up to it and get scratched on it.

How tall are those wreath-supports? I'm having a hard time imagining what they look like. Great idea, if they really do get thrown away after just one use.

 

[Ang.]

We made field fence cages. The work great!

 

[Crunchie]

Ok. Really dumb question here (feel free to laugh at me. Really. )

Field fence cages: Plant on the inside, just like a store-bought tomato cage? Or plant on the outside, and velcro/tie plant to cage like a trellis?